Think Twice
by Lapis Love
Summary: They were two sides of the same coin. Enemies that shared the same name, the same background, the same face. One had blue eyes. The other had black. Yet they both consumed the same woman. Cover art made by the talented Esmeralda312. !THIS STORY IS COMPLETE!
1. Seeing Double

**A/N: I'm putting this out here as a test. This is a story I would love to develop because in my opinion I've yet to write a really good Bamon story. I've drawn inspiration from S1 Episode 22 (I think) where Damon thanks Bonnie for saving his life. If I do continue this it won't be following the show from that point to season 3. I like being as original as I can. So thanks guys in advance for stopping by and showing this WIP some love. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>Everything in the world has a taste. From sugary sweet, toffee goodness, liquid delight, to sour bitterness, there was a taste for everything. Hatred was included on that list.<p>

Bonnie Bennett mostly rolled hers around on her pink, spongy tongue as if it were tar whenever she had to talk to Damon, which was becoming an everyday occurrence. But she didn't want to think about Damon as she snapped pictures of Elena and Stefan standing proudly on the Ms. Mystic Falls float.

There were several things Damon loathed doing. One) Dealing with Stefan. Two) Watching Stefan make out with Elena as if he weren't standing in the room. Three) Apologizing even when he knew he screwed up. And four) Saying 'thank you' to someone who just saved his life.

Bearing those things in mind, as he walked through the crowd at the Founder's Day parade and waving his fingers at Elena and Stefan on the float all decked out in period clothing from the not-so-good days, a tingling sensation ran down Damon's spine and that only happened when he was around a witch.

Turning around he caught sight of Bonnie who had been in the midst of taking pictures of her best friend. They merely stared at one another waiting to see who would draw their gun first.

Bonnie didn't disappoint. "What do you want?" she asked with an almost accusatory tone in her voice.

Damon, arms folded over his chest wondered why he even felt compelled to give her an answer. He did anyways.

"Just watching the parade."

Bonnie stared at him blankly for a moment before turning to walk away.

"Hey, where you going?" he asked and almost wanted to question himself why he even cared. The farther away they stayed away from one another, the better off his life would be.

Bonnie stopped and turned back to face him. "Away from you," she responded.

Well, that one certainly didn't mince words. Damon approached and saw her stiffen.

"I want to say something to you," he confessed.

"Just leave me alone," Bonnie retorted lowly and with a hint of warning.

"Thank you," Damon blurted.

The green-eyed girl merely stared up at him unblinking.

Her silence propelled Damon forward, "The device Emily spelled could have killed me. You saved my life and I don't take that lightly so…thank you."

Very briefly Bonnie was at a loss for words. She never would have imagined Damon thanking her for anything—let alone saving his life.

"I did it for Elena," she confessed in lieu of saying "you're welcome".

He knew that but couldn't fight a sense of obligation to thank her.

"Thank you and I owe you one," Damon muttered humbly, for him. "Enjoy the parade," he added before walking away.

On the inside, Bonnie felt the world was going to end. Damon thanking anyone for anything was the recipe for a natural disaster.

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><p>Hours later, driving home that was Bonnie's one persistent thought. Staring up into Damon's ice-blue eyes and hearing the earnestness in his voice as he thanked her for saving his life. Her, a seventeen year old girl who until three months ago lived a complete and utterly boring existence. An existence punctuated with keg parties in the woods, and helping solve her friends relationship crises. She was being thanked by a centuries old vampire? Now Bonnie had evolved into the protector of her hometown with one best friend in love with a vampire, and the other determined to sleep her way through town.<p>

People on the outside looking in wanted to give Bonnie slack because she didn't let Damon slide when he did something maniacal which just happened to be every other day. Their excuses were pitiable: he was good-looking, smoking hot with a pair of abs you could fry bacon on. He had eyes the color of a glacier, and hair as black as the sands of Hawaii's volcanic beaches. He couldn't possibly be held responsible for his heinous crimes against humanity.

So what? Bonnie wasn't bewitched by his fatal handsomeness. Hadn't fallen victim to his lethal charm. Hadn't even batted an eyelash when she heard he was about to be roasted alive in Grayson Gilbert's old doctor's office. Good riddance is what Bonnie thought mainly because Damon tried to kill her.

Almost being killed wasn't something she could just go to bed, wake up the next day, and say all is forgiven. If Elena and Stefan hadn't shown up when they did, Damon would have left her body there to rot and feed the animals. It struck her to know she meant so little to someone. Bonnie had never met anyone so cold before. That was the part of Damon she despised. The part of him that didn't give a crap.

Now she was learning not to give a crap either. Not when it came to his kind at least. She would do whatever was necessary to protect her town and the people she loved. If she'd have to sacrifice one to save the lives of many—she wouldn't hesitate.

Yet Bonnie ignored that small voice in the back of her head that asked her what separated her from vampires? If she was willing to sacrifice one life it would seem she was cut from the same cloth as them.

However, in her mind, vampires weren't people. They could put on a façade and act like they gave a damn about humanity. Yet at the end of the day one had to go back to what they ate.

Damon was an opportunistic leech, always had been and always would be. And he would put his agenda before anyone else's.

Bonnie deemed it her personal responsibility to watch him closely.

Nevertheless, she was still on the fence on how she felt about Stefan. Bonnie knew he'd do everything in his power to protect Elena, but…who would protect Stefan from himself?

Well, those were issues she'd have to deal with at a later date.

Out of nowhere, Bonnie slammed on the brakes, tires screeching along the asphalt. There was a man standing in middle of the road, his back to her. Breathing erratically, heart hammering in her chest, Bonnie merely gawked wondering if he was going to hustle to the other side of the street. A minute passed and the stranger made no move to _move_.

She honked her horn. If her town were the innocent place it used to be, Bonnie would have climbed out of her car to ask if he were all right. But she didn't trust anyone. Not anymore. Especially not strange men who stood in the middle of a two-lane road with sharp, blind curves.

Feeling her patience waning, Bonnie honked her horn again, holding it longer than necessary.

"Get out of the street!" she bellowed from the safety of her car. She wasn't overly worried about him hearing her. She simply wanted him to move so she could continue on her way home. It was getting dark.

She watched as the man, dressed in head-to-toe black slowly began to turn around. Bonnie held her breath. She wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe he was lost. Maybe he just had a car accident somewhere along the highway, bumped his head, and he was suffering with a concussion. Whatever the case may be, she just hoped he'd hurry it up.

When he faced her fully, her jaw dropped and Bonnie's anger spiked. She snatched off her seatbelt, and climbed out of the car.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Is this what you do? Stand in the middle of the street waiting for a concerned citizen to come along and ask to help you before you pounce?"

The man she was berating merely blinked at her with…obsidian eyes. Bonnie gasped sharply. What was wrong with his eyes?

"Damon?" she asked cautiously and gradually began to inch her way back into her car. Was he possessed by something? She watched Supernatural from time to time and black eyes was a symbol for demon possession.

Damon furrowed his brow in confusion as he looked at the girl. She knew him?

"How do you know my name?"

Bonnie laughed sardonically. "Why are you talking with a fake Italian accent? I get it your last name is Italian but this is overkill don't you think?"

In a flash he was standing before Bonnie, clasping her tightly by the arms. Her eyes flashed in one part anger the other part fear.

"How do you know my name?" he reiterated with a growl.

"Why are you playing this game like you don't know me? Fine, I'll bite. I'm Bonnie…Bonnie Bennett who not too long ago saved your ungrateful life," she glared at him trying her best not to be unnerved by his bottomless orbs.

Damon searched her face for any signs of recognition, but he didn't know this girl. But her name…her name was too similar to people he _did_ know.

"This isn't making sense," Damon mumbled more to himself.

Bonnie huffed. "Yeah. Did you fall and bump your head? Drink some bad blood or something?"

Damon snapped to look at her face again. His veneer turned menacing. "You know what I am?"

She snorted. "Okay you know what? You need to let me go."

How was it that she knew him but he didn't know her from Adam? And how did she know his secret of all secrets?

Just then a car pulled up behind Bonnie's and its occupant blew his horn.

When Bonnie directed her gaze to the person, she had to blink.

"What the fu-," she trailed off and watched as…Damon rose from his convertible!

Her eyes widened when they flew back to the guy who was still holding her prisoner by the arms. Bonnie began to struggle against him which only prompted the Damon restraining her to tighten his hold on her.

"Bonnie, can you and your boyfriend get the hell out of the road?"

"This isn't possible," Bonnie intoned as she looked at the Damon in front of her with midnight eyes, and the Damon parked behind her vehicle with _ice-blue_ eyes.

When Midnight-Eyed Damon looked over to Blue-Eyed Damon, their jaws collectively dropped. Midnight-Eyed Damon relinquished his hold on Bonnie who felt the blood zinging back down her arms and fingertips.

"The hell..?" both Damon's burst simultaneously.

Blue-eyed Damon Salvatore slammed his car door shut with enough force that it rocked his vehicle. He marched up to the imposter.

"Who the _fuck_ are you?" he had to restrain himself from throwing his fist.

Midnight-eyed Damon stood to his full height, his face filled with rage. "Damon Salvatore! Who the hell are you?"

Damon placed his hand on his chest. "_I'm _Damon Salvatore."

Bonnie looked back and forth between them, mouth open like a fish. After what seemed like an absurdly long time, Bonnie laughed derisively before dropping to the driver's seat of her car. It was official. Mystic Falls was the Twilight Zone.

"Fates…destiny…Santa Claus you are so full of shit. It's bad enough there's _one _Damon Salvatore walking the planet, you have to drop _another _one right in my town."

Just as she was about to slam her car door shut and let them sort things out, Damon—the one she was used to dealing with—caught her door, preventing her from closing it.

"You're not going anywhere until you undo this mess."

New anger washed through Bonnie and she shot out of her vehicle. "Excuse me. I know you aren't trying to blame me for this," she nearly hissed.

"Well…what other explanation could there be? You did something to screw the alignment of the earth or whatever. Now fix it."

Bonnie snorted while her face contorted in anger. "Sorry but last I checked I wasn't your slave, Damon. _You _figure it out."

Just as Bonnie made another attempt to climb back into her car, she felt the rush of wind a second before the blaring horn of an oncoming 18-Wheeler was heading sharply around the curve.

Her life didn't exactly flash before her eyes. Bonnie had never been curious about how she would die; however, she never would have imagined she'd die in the middle of the street with two Damon Salvatore's. Oh, there were worst fates than this—Bonnie was sure, but this wasn't exactly how she pictured her last moment on earth to be.

On the inside she was already cringing against hearing the sound of metal crashing into metal, but that would be _after _she became the new hood ornament of the tractor trailer.

One of the Damon's grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her out of the road right in the nick of time as the tractor trailer went careening by. Bonnie had no idea which one it was as her back made contact with the ground, but she was cushioned against feeling the full effects of the blow. The wind was knocked out of her, and stars danced behind her eyelids.

Her heart beat furiously while her nostrils were simultaneously infiltrated with the smell of rubber and something manly.

She rolled a little and then peeled her eyes open cautiously when the sounds of the world rushed to her ears.

She wasn't dead. That was a huge relief yet she found herself in a rather peculiar position.

Damon—the dark eyed one—was currently lying chest to chest, hip to hip on top of her, cradling the back of her head in his large palm.

"I've got you, princess," he said.

There was too much blood rushing to Bonnie's skull. She could only nod like a mindless zombie.

"Okay," she breathed staring into his fathomless orbs.

She had never been this close to Damon before—only had the pleasure of looking at him from afar. His lips were as pink as a rose and curved cockily. His hair looked as soft as fur. There was a graceful slope to his nose, and his chin was square shaped with the absence of stubble. Thick eyebrows were lost under black hair that covered an unblemished forehead. But it was his eyes, like staring up into a night sky, eyes so black she could hardly distinguish his pupil framed by lashes that were sinfully long and thick that held Bonnie suspended, and made her feel boneless.

Her thoughts headed south as she became aware of the hardness of his body pressing along hers. Their legs were entwined, and Damon used his free hand to push errant strands of wavy hair off her forehead.

"You have a gash along your hairline. I thought I had cushioned the blow but I guess I didn't."

He spoke with a refinery she wasn't used to hearing from the brash Damon she knew.

Bonnie gulped. For some stupid reason she wanted to apologize because Midnight-Eyed Damon seemed so sincere that he hadn't been able to do more to protect her.

"I-I'm all right," she reassured him. Or at least she hoped she was.

In her peripheral eye she saw the other Damon approach and loom over them. His face annoyed and stern.

"Don't get too attached to him, _princess _because he ain't staying."

TBC...

**A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this piece but I mainly wrote it in response to some blogs I read about people giving Bonnie hell because she stood up to Damon for being the cold monster he was, and basically giving him a pass because of his hotness. I didn't get to watch the first season but I do watch clips here and there on YouTube so I got the gist of what went down. I wish the writers would have explored Bonnie's grief more or at least had her explain what she was feeling when she came back from wherever she was when Grams died. This piece I'm hoping to develop will give her that voice and I thought wouldn't it be fun to have Book Damon and TV Damon in the same story at the same time and will each compete for her heart, and how will the parallel between their personalities mesh with Bonnie's. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading! **


	2. Infatuation Kings

**A/N: Hi Everyone. I must say WOW and THANK YOU to the responses this story generated! I really wasn't expecting that when I uploaded. So because of your demand for more I've mapped out an outline so expect weekly updates for this fic. Thank you so much guys for the support. Now here is the continuation from Chapter 1. **

Disclaimer: These characters belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>Bonnie sat perched on the hood of her car. Her head played ping pong as she looked between each Damon unknowingly cataloging them. Physically they were twins, symmetrical, identical. However the notable difference between them came down to eye color.<p>

She couldn't help it. She was two steps away from hysteria and it bubbled up and manifested into giggles. Unfathomable, uncanny, unfuckingbelievable there were _two_ Damon Salvatore's who walked the earth.

The Damon she knew glared at her. "What the hell is so funny, Judgey?"

"Oh, nothing," Bonnie cackled and wiped a faux tear away. "I just knew I shouldn't have eaten that mushroom pizza last night. This is all some weird hallucination, I know it is."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, maiden, and I wish it were true, but this is very much real. And not a laughing matter—period," dark-eyed Damon spoke through clenched teeth.

Bonnie forced herself to look at him. "How did you get here?"

Dark-eyed Damon folded his arms over his chest, a look of reflection on his face as he tried to remember what exactly happened. He remembered being buried under a ton of ash. Prior to that, he recalled with hauntingly acute clarity being lanced through the heart by a tree branch that began to oscillate throughout his entire body. How he survived was a mystery he had every intention on figuring out. His first priority, however, had been trudging through thick mud and goo. When he made it to a door, he spoke the name of the place where he wanted to be.

Something obviously didn't go right. Maybe he said the wrong name. Maybe the guardians dumped him here—wherever here was—on purpose. Damon didn't know.

"I don't know how I came to be here," he looked more fascinated rather than perplexed.

"All right so where were you _before_?" the other Damon inquired acidly.

The two Damon's faced each other. Damon—the one with the light eyes—didn't like anyone infringing on his territory even if the person doing the infringing was him. He wasn't sure if the imposter standing adjacent to him was his doppelganger or he was his—didn't matter. He wanted him gone, IMMEDIATELY.

"I was in a city called Fell's Church, Virginia," Damon responded. "Is this that place?"

"No," Bonnie answered. "You're in Virginia but the town is Mystic Falls. Does that sound familiar at all?"

He shook his head and approached her. Bonnie tensed. His eyes were just so black it was unbelievable.

"And your name is Bonnie Bennett?" his Italian accent made it seemed he had requested an intimate detail from her she hadn't told anyone else.

Bonnie lost her tongue for a second and could do nothing more than nod her head.

"I know a Bonnie, but she has red hair and dark brown eyes and her last name is McCullough. She's friends with a girl named Elena Gilbert."

The other Damon snorted derisively. "Of course she is," he muttered under his breath.

Bonnie and Dark-Eyed Damon ignored him. "She's also friends with a girl named Meredith Sulez, and on occasion she's close with Caroline Forbes."

"I'm friends with Elena and Caroline, but no Meredith."

"Hmm," Damon contemplated. "Very interesting."

Impatient Damon Salvatore approached. "This is all well and good but it doesn't explain how _you _got here and how to send you back. So can we stay on task, please?"

"Why are you in such a rush to get rid of me? Intimidated?" the darker Salvatore flashed his canines.

Damon snorted. "Hell no," he looked his "twin" up and down with disdain. "You don't belong here."

"I'll agree with you on that," dark-eyes turned back to Bonnie. She squirmed a bit under his scrutiny. "However I think I can find a reason to stay."

Bonnie took that as her cue to hop off her car. "Well we can't stay here in the middle of the road trying to talk this out. We should take this to the boardinghouse. If he's here for some reason, the others will need to know. We can't have you walking around with people thinking you're," she pointed at light-eyes, "him."

Light-eyes adopted a smug visage, "He could never be me."

"Whatever, Damon. I'll meet you there," Bonnie muttered.

She didn't get far when the newcomer grabbed her gently by the elbow. "Are you sure you're fit to drive? You have a gash on your head, remember?"

Bonnie looked up as if she could see what he was talking about. Honestly the pain of her wound disappeared long ago. Besides, she had been more banged up in the past.

"I'll be fine." No more words were said. She climbed into her car and sped away.

It would be interesting to see how long it would take for the two Damon's to decide who would drive.

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><p>Half an hour later, Bonnie was sitting in the Salvatore living room, gaze frolicking between the vaulted ceilings and the designs in the Persian rug waiting for everyone to arrive. Stefan wasn't home when she got there which was unfortunate. It would have been nice to have his calm rationalism around so she wouldn't do something rash like you know, kill two birds with one stone by burning the boardinghouse to the ground. Needless to say she was stuck with the two Damon's again.<p>

No one said a word to each other.

The front door swung open and Bonnie finally released the breath she had been holding.

"Now what's so important that you had me end my date with El-," Stefan skidded to a stop.

The younger Salvatore saw one Damon sitting on a leather couch, while another stood in front of the fireplace. He brought his quizzical brow to Bonnie clearly awaiting an explanation, but all she could do was shrug her shoulders.

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan questioned heatedly.

Damon, with the cerulean irises who was standing in front of the fireplace, held out a hand blindly in the direction of the Damon perched on the sofa with his legs crossed.

"Stefan meet Damon," he shook his head at the irony.

"Sweet Jesus in Heaven there's two of you?" Stefan lamented as he tentatively entered the living room and crossed over to stand next to Bonnie.

"Apparently so," dark-eyed Damon replied. He assessed Stefan. "Well you look nothing like my little brother so that's a relief," he chuckled darkly.

Stefan shook his head and looked at Bonnie. His mouth opened and closed several times but nothing could come out yet Bonnie knew exactly what he wanted to ask.

"No, I don't know how this happened and neither does he," she informed.

The door opened once more. In walked Caroline Forbes. "All right I'm here, where's the fire?" her eyes ballooned when she saw both Damon's.

"Whoa, freaky. Okay I need a drink," she rambled and made a beeline for the Salvatore liquor.

"Are you Elena?" Damon asked Caroline.

Caroline nearly swallowed her sip of vodka down the wrong pipe. She coughed to clear her throat.

"No, I'm the extraordinary Caroline Forbes. And this is weird."

"You have no idea," the Damon she slept with so many moons ago agreed.

Caroline sidled up to Bonnie and began to whisper fiercely. "Where did you find him?"

"He was standing in the middle of the road."

Caroline went for humor to ease some of the tension quickly filling the room. "Is he from another planet?"

"Try another dimension," dark-eyed Damon interceded.

Both girls merely blinked at him.

Again, the front door opened and the last members of their secret squad entered the premises. Elena, Jeremy, and Alaric nearly ran into the back of each other when they saw the reason why they had been summoned.

Several people began speaking simultaneously and it was nothing more than a jumble of noise in Bonnie's head. She slid off the desk she had been sitting on and joined Caroline at the bar. She wasn't really into drinking but for this conversation she'd need a couple of stiff ones in her to keep her brain functioning. Drinking was probably the last thing she should do, but she wanted something else to occupy her thoughts.

She did listen when Alaric asked Midnight-Eyed Damon how he came to be here.

"In my dimension one can travel between worlds with the use of a specially made key or from the power contained in a star ball. They're very rare indeed," he paused for a moment as his mind flashed to dying while looking for the largest star ball that could be used to save Fell's Church. It was not a pleasant memory. One that made him feel hollow on the inside like a very important piece of him was missing.

Damon had never been mortally afraid of anything in his life, but knowing he was going to die, experiencing death for the second—or third time—and knowing it would be final, he had never been more terrified.

Several people in the room wondered why he stopped speaking abruptly.

Damon resumed his conversation after it became glaringly silent in the room. "All I need do is find another key or star ball and I'll be able to return to my time. No harm no foul. However, I do find all of this peculiar. The similarities between this dimension and the one I'm from," he rose from the table and made his way over to Elena.

_Here it comes_, Bonnie thought and wondered how long it would take alien-Damon to fall under Elena's spell. Bonnie so wasn't in the mood for this crap. She had better things to do like finish that bag of cheese curls that was waiting for her on the kitchen table at her house.

The doppelganger straightened her spine, refusing to be intimidated. Regrettably she was since this was taking her back to her early days in being around light-eyed Damon Salvatore who didn't understand the meaning of personal space, and not staring at someone like he wanted to eat them. At the time she hadn't known the reason for it had everything to do with him being a vampire.

"The Elena of my world," dark-eyed Damon was saying, "she's light where you're dark and one of the most powerful beings I've ever encountered. Yet you are an agreeable alternative," he stepped back and turned almost like a military soldier leaving a semi-flustered Elena behind.

Stefan didn't like it and neither did his brother.

Dark-eyes began a confident gait over to Bonnie. His voice lowered when he confessed, "I have a personal preference for girls with green eyes," he winked at her and picked up a glass and filled it with brandy.

Bonnie dropped her glass back to the table and strode away.

"So, what's the game plan?" Elena opened up the floor for discussion, not wanting to dwell on the other Damon's comment to Bonnie. "Is he going to stay here with you guys?"

Blue-eyed Damon scoffed. "I don't trust him anywhere near me. He might try to kill me in my sleep and take over my life or make me into a pod person."

Dark-eyed Damon grimaced. "I assure you after living for over five-hundred years, your life would be the _last _life I'd ever want to live."

The room fell silent.

Bonnie blinked. "You're over five-hundred years old?"

Damon swung his head in her direction. "And counting," his grin was nothing short of wolfish.

"Wow," Bonnie breathed.

Damon smirked approvingly. "Wow indeed."

"So are you really from Italy?" Bonnie continued her inquisition.

He inclined his head. "Sixteenth century Florence to be exact. In my realm, I guess you can argue I usually go there twice a year. Once for Carnival and the other for All Soul's Day."

Bonnie felt like she was being swept up into a trance. She loved history. It was one of her favorite subjects until she had that horrid Mr. Tanner, but he was gone now and her love for past civilizations and ancient cultures returned. The Damon standing before her was a well of information and she was thirsty for a drink.

"The things you must have seen and lived through," Bonnie was awe-struck.

Light-eyed Damon snapped his fingers, rupturing the spell. "We have more important things to discuss than what his old ass has seen. He's not staying here. He can go sleep in the ground for all I care. Alaric and I will figure out a way to send him packing, and in the mean time, someone is going to have to baby sit him."

Damon, the one who had been talking, hadn't expected to find his back making a dent in the wall while his double wrapped a meaty hand around his neck, squeezing it for dear life. It was a good thing he didn't need oxygen to survive or otherwise this would be extremely uncomfortable, but it still hurt.

Dark-eyes bored into surprised celestial orbs. The aggressor of the two added just a tenth more pressure before saying, "I've put up with your insolence long enough, _boy, _I can dispatch you at any time I like. Remember that."

Stefan easily strolled up behind the other Damon ready to intervene on his brother's behalf, but it gave him a little thrill to see someone else manhandle and bring his brother down a peg or two.

Bonnie merely observed and it wasn't until Caroline elbowed her that she realized she had been smiling.

Damon released Damon. "No one will decide what I do with my time except for me," his voice boomed with authority as he pointedly made eye contact with everyone in the room. "I am not a child who needs supervision or to be chastised. I am your elder in _every _sense of the word, and I don't follow rules or order, but my own. Is that at all unclear?"

Caroline gulped. "No, sir."

Mystic Falls Damon thought to himself, _I was just punked by myself in my home, this is ridiculous._

It was quiet for a moment before Alaric resumed the conversation. "We're going to have to figure out a story to tell people because you don't strike me as the homebody type and you'll want to go out."

Fell's Church Damon ran his hand over his black t-shirt. "I'll just say I'm a distant cousin from Italy. Will that work for you? Great, now I'm famished."

Elena spoke up. "I can go get you a blood bag from downstairs."

Dark-eyed Damon balked. You would have thought she just told him to go lick a toilet seat. "That won't be necessary. I can my find my own dinner." And he promptly made his way toward the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Damon stopped his forward progress to the front door and turned around to face Bonnie. "Out," he replied simply.

"To hunt a human? I'm sorry but I can't let you do that. There's a strict no feeding on humans policy around this place."

Damon stared at her blankly before laughing. "You're serious? What am I supposed to eat, road kill? I think not."

"There're plenty of blood bags downstairs. Help yourself. I'm sure Damon and Stefan won't mind."

Light-eyed Damon merely looked ready to spit nails. He had always considered himself one-of-a-kind, an original of sorts when it came to vampirism. Yet to discover there was another version of him and one that was older with a slightly better haircut and manners, why kick a man when he's already down?

And he did discern the way each female responded to his double. Caroline was curious like she wanted to poke him with a finger just to make sure he's real. Elena was cautious yet he could tell she had a bunch of questions she wanted to ask him but mainly about the other Elena. And Bonnie…

He smirked sardonically. Bonnie was two feet away from being smitten. Where was all that judgmental brimstone now?

When Damon returned his full attention back to the scene, his copy was standing before Bonnie, his nearness meant to frighten, yet Bonnie merely tilted up her chin and stared him defiantly. Dark-eyes was impressed. The Bonnie he knew would have been as red as a tomato and two seconds from passing out. The Bonnie before him had valor, wit, strength, and there was some electrical buzz coming off her skin. She was powerful yet had barely scratched the surface of it.

Being near her made his gums throb.

"And if I disobey you, little girl, what are you going to do to stop me?"

Her eyes narrowed and soon there were minute explosions taking place inside his cranium. Damon gripped his temple and tried to remain on his knees. He had never felt anything like this, like someone was repeatedly stabbing him with a rusty nail over and over again while setting his brain on fire.

His knees buckled.

After a minute passed, the attack stopped. Bonnie peered down at him before stepping around him. He didn't miss her arrogant smirk.

"You were saying?" she said saucily.

Bonnie looked at the amused faces of the group and suddenly felt tired. Damon was strong so it took more energy to drop a five hundred year old vampire to his knees. When she gave Stefan an aneurysm barely any effort was involved.

Her vision blurred for a moment and the world tilted, but Bonnie inhaled a deep breath and found her equilibrium again. She would not attempt to do that again tonight.

"What are you?" Damon asked the minute he collected himself.

Bonnie glared at him over her shoulder. "More than you can handle," she turned back to face everyone else. "I'm outta here guys. Good night."

Dark-eyed Damon began to follow her, but Stefan got in his way. "Where are you going?"

"Move, imp before I swat you like a fly."

Stefan could only shake his head before bracing a hand on Damon's shoulder. This was just too unsettling. He looked exactly like his brother apart from his irises.

Damon growled and pushed Stefan off of him. "Do any of you males care nothing for her safety? It's dark and dangerous things are out there." Once those words spilled from his lips, Damon checked himself. Who was _this_ Bonnie girl to him? She wasn't his little redbird and she made it more than clear she could handle herself. Perhaps it was just an old habit of protecting a maiden resurfacing, but he would make sure it wouldn't happen again.

Besides, he planned to eat her, and while he would need her to remain alive for that, Damon was positive she'd make it home without incident. Just to be sure, he'd follow her. Unfortunately he noticed that everyone was gawking at him and the blonde one was speaking.

"Yeah, like you," Caroline retorted. "Bonnie, wait up."

With two of the three females gone, Elena suddenly felt like she was swimming in a shark tank. She sauntered over to Stefan who reached for her hand. Dark-Eyed Damon studied them for a moment before he brought his attention to his doppelganger. Clearly the vampire looked uncomfortable and was trying to hide that behind a veneer of indifference. He held very little sympathy for the man because he felt his affections were being wasted.

Damon had always been attracted to power and had combed the world over looking for his princess of darkness. He thought he had found that in blonde-haired Elena Gilbert but like Katherine she had already fallen in love with Stefan. So it would seem that no matter the time continuum or dimension, the Damon Salvatore's of the world were doomed to come in as second best and love a woman from afar.

Yet…there were always options.

"I can get a room ready if it's okay for him to stay here," Elena attempted to speak as quietly as she could to Stefan which was pretty much useless.

Light-eyed Damon scoffed and shuffled up to his room. No matter what he said, when Elena made a decision it was hardly ever vetoed. Stefan was weak when it came to saying 'no' to her.

Stefan wasn't sure if he wanted to be under the same roof with two Damon's, yet he saw it as the least he could do. The other Damon didn't ask to be here anymore than they asked him to join them.

"You're welcome to stay here if you like," Stefan offered.

Damon inclined his head. "Thanks, but I'll find my own lodgings." And no sooner than the words were out of his mouth, he was gone from the room.

* * *

><p>"Gravity" by John Mayer was playing on Bonnie's iPod system as she padded barefoot through her room, brushing her hair.<p>

The day had started off ordinarily enough with going to the parade and being there to support her two best friends. And naturally everything had to go downhill when Damon thanked her for saving his life. But the truth of the matter was—she reluctantly saved him because in her humble opinion there was nothing redeemable about him. She would have been doing the world a favor by letting him die, but then Bonnie realized that wasn't her call to make.

Since he came here Damon had done nothing but torment Stefan, destroyed Caroline's self-esteem and self-worth, and ruined countless lives. Bonnie had hoped to get rid of him for good by giving him the one thing he came back to Mystic Falls to claim, but ha-ha Katherine wasn't in the tomb and her Grams died for nothing.

Bonnie switched her thoughts. She didn't want to think about her grandmother. The wound was still too fresh.

Moreover, the universe had decided to muck up her life even further by implanting another Damon.

However, as she stared at herself in the mirror, even she could see he was a complete one-eighty from the Mystic Falls Damon.

He talked with such a seductive elegance that she was sure when he said something snarky or assholish it still sounded amazing. And those eyes, she couldn't forget those eyes of his that reminded her of a sunless world. Additionally, he hadn't done anything to hurt her. In fact, he saved her life within the first five minutes of knowing her.

She cleared her throat. Do not let your resolve down. He is still a vampire. And vampires are no friends to witches.

"_Bonnie."_

The girl in question snapped her gaze to her bedroom window. Now she was hearing things. Bonnie looked away.

"_Bonnie."_

She heard her name called again just as plain as day. Reluctantly she sauntered over to the window and pushed the curtains aside. She saw nothing except the emptiness of her backyard.

The young witch snapped the curtains closed, took a single step away, and heard her name being whispered again.

"_Bonnie."_

Growling, Bonnie slapped her feet into her sneakers and went downstairs and exited the house through the kitchen. Standing in her backyard she eyed the darkness that surrounded her. Instinctively Bonnie knew she should head back into the safety of her home, lock the doors and windows, and go to sleep. However, her curiosity reared its demanding head that she locate the source of the voice calling out to her.

Damon, hidden amongst the shadows gazed at Bonnie as she searched around her backyard.

She carefully made her way to the far part of the yard which led straight to the woods. She was following his bread crumbs.

"_Bonnie."_

She kept walking even when her insides screamed for her to turn around. The moon cast odd shades around and she thought she was seeing movement, but she heard nothing other than that voice calling her name.

"Okay this was a super, dumb, bad idea," Bonnie chided and then heard a twig break behind her. She spun around, saw nothing, and when she turned back around she found herself staring into those dark eyes.

"Hello, Bonnie."

Her gut reaction was to scream, so she opened her mouth ready to let out a big one, but a cold hand clamped over her lips.

"Shush," Damon bent his knees to look her straight in the eye. "You wouldn't want to wake your neighbors," he flashed a here-and-gone smile but Bonnie still managed to see his fangs.

She frowned and pulled his hand away. Her heart knocked fiercely against her ribcage. She struck his chest. "What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

The blow didn't move him. "I wanted to talk to you."

Bonnie suddenly became aware of what she was wearing. A practically see-through camisole top and thin pajama bottoms. She folded her arms over her chest.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Damon visually roamed her pretty face. "You can be a little more hospitable than that can't you? I did save your life, after all."

She scoffed. "And now what are you looking for? My endless gratitude? Don't hold your breath."

He grinned. "Can we take this inside your place?"

"Absolutely not!"

Damon laughed. "Fine, have it your way," he began to circle her. Bonnie felt like she was on an auction block. "Not many women would have stood up to me the way you did. I sense a great deal of power in you, Bonnie, so I've come to my own conclusion about what you are."

Bonnie planted a hand on her hip. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about? I'm gone."

Damon naturally got in her way. "The Bonnie I know is a strong telepath and something of a witch, but you far surpass her. What are you?"

She tilted her chin up again, never breaking eye contact with him. "None of your business."

Damon infiltrated her personal space, looming over her. "Tell me what you are," he whispered lowering his head down until his lips hovered teasingly over hers.

Bonnie's eyes blinked so rapidly you'd think she was having a seizure. There was some delicious scent coming off his skin.

"I'm…"

Damon tensed, growled, and crouched into a defensive pose. Bonnie startled, didn't exactly know what to do. One minute she was about to spill her secret and the next she found herself being pushed behind Damon.

"We have company," he snarled.

"Vampire?" Bonnie licked her lips nervously.

"Yes," he deadpanned. "And he's not alone."

To be continued...

**A/N: Is it instant attraction between Bonnie/Book Damon? And if you've read Midnight, that's where I'm kind of picking up from to explain Damon's arrival in Mystic Falls. If you haven't read it sorry for the spoilers. Canonical speaking I know Caroline didn't learn about the existence of vampires until she became one, but in this story she knows the 411 way before then, okey-dokey. But thanks for giving this story a shot and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Love you guys!**


	3. The Compromise

**A/N: Here is the latest chapter. You guys have been awesome in your responses to this story, I really wasn't expecting it. I hope you guys like this follow-up chapter from the previous one. As always thanks in advance for reading and letting me know what you think!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't enjoy feeling fear. It's unbecoming." –Damon Salvatore<em>

* * *

><p>"I'm assuming he's not a friend of yours?" Damon asked while using his body to shield Bonnie.<p>

He didn't feel her tremble behind him, and judging by the smell of resolve coming off her skin, Bonnie was fully prepared to fight. Well he had heard of the expression never bring a knife to a gun fight. So it went without saying, never bring a maiden to a vampire fight. If he was completely on his own he wouldn't have to worry about protecting her. Nevertheless from what he's learned of Bonnie so far she wouldn't take being treated like a damsel in distress too kindly.

Tough. He had never put a woman in danger before and he saw no need in breaking with tradition.

He shoved her behind a tree. "Don't move from this spot," he ordered.

Bonnie growled. "I can help you."

Damon slighted her with a look. "I'd prefer it if you'd stay here."

He walked away before she could raise an objection. Damon waited for the vampire as he…limped his way towards them. The minute he was revealed, Damon almost wanted to take pity out on him. Almost. Vampires—no matter what physical shape they were in were still dangerous.

The vampire's skin was scaly and his clothes tattered and moth eaten. Damon had never seen an emaciated vampire before, well aside from his brother. He cracked his knuckles and cricked his neck. He should be done with the disgrace of a vampire in no time flat and then he could get back to seducing Ms. Bennett.

Hmm, lovely title for a movie Damon thought distractedly.

Bonnie gritted her teeth. She absolutely loathed when a man tried to treat her like she was some bumbling fool traipsing through the forest without a clue.

She slipped from the tree Damon had pushed her behind and ran over to a tree that was slightly closer to where he was standing. She tried her best to peer through the darkness to make out who the encroaching vamp was, but she couldn't see his face. It was too dark and her eyes were only human.

"So…hungry…" the vamp croaked.

"You've come to the wrong place if you're looking for a meal," Damon stated with deadly calm.

"I want the girl."

Damon shook his head in the negative. "I'm afraid I can't help you there. But I can put you out of your misery."

Damon moved so fast Bonnie was barely able to keep up with his movement. He blurred over to the vampire and in the next second, the vamp fell dead to the ground. Damon tossed his blackened heart aside, spun around when he sensed another vampire coming up from behind.

It was a woman—fangs out, hands bent into talons as she reached for his neck. Due to his strength, speed, and age, Damon was able to block her attack and flipped her on her back. The second she was down, he didn't hesitate to punch his fist through her chest—extracting her heart. He tossed it negligently aside.

He was barely winded as he rose to his feet and concentrated Power to his ears and nose to hear and scent where the other three were hiding.

Bonnie caught movement to her right and was about to yell "look out" when she was grabbed from behind and thrown ruthlessly to the ground.

Her knees and the palms of her hands broke her fall. Pain ricocheted through her body. Before she had the chance to right herself, a bony hand snatched her by the crown of her head, pulling it backwards, exposing her neck.

She cried out but then fought through it as she delivered an aneurysm that brought the vampire to his knees clutching his head in pain.

Bonnie rolled away, her hands furtively searching the ground for a piece of tree bark. When her fingers brushed against a piece of wood, Bonnie grabbed it, but the vamp jumped on top of her, choking her.

She never dropped the branch and stabbed it clean through the shoulder of the vamp. He roared in pain and loosened his grip just enough for Bonnie to scramble away.

Damon had finished off the other two without breaking a sweat. As he swiveled toward Bonnie who was busy trying to grab at a makeshift stake, there was a vampire who had uprooted a small tree and was about to toss it like a Frisbee at her.

Damon moved without conscious thought. Simply told his body to get there before the tree did. Once he was there, he tackled Bonnie to the ground, shielding her. The young witch's back pressed tightly against his front as the tree barely cleared his head as it flew over them. Damon didn't bother asking if she were all right. Merely snapped to his feet, grabbed the decrepit vampire by the shoulders, hoisted him up, and with the flick of his wrist sent the vamp spiraling into a tree shattering it into toothpicks. Zooming over, he picked up a shattered piece and stabbed it clean through the heart.

To Damon each of them wreaked of severe death and decay which meant they had been starved for decades, maybe even a century. He had no clue how they were alive. Seeing them made him think of Stefan when he was trapped in the Dark Dimension and was nearly starved to death. Time passed different in that place than it did on earth making it hard to gauge how long his brother had gone without blood. Damon just remembered how frail Stefan was, that if you tickled him with a feather he would have disintegrated on the spot.

So the obvious conclusion Damon reached is that those vampires remained alive due to magic.

This place was a lot more interesting than it seemed.

He strolled over to Bonnie, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet.

Bonnie looked around at the impromptu battlefield. "Tomb vampires," she whispered. "They must have escaped before the device went off."

Naturally this meant nothing to Damon.

"Well, they're dead now," his dark eyes searched her for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

Bonnie absently shook her head. "We have to get rid of them."

"I'm not exactly carrying a shovel on me," he retorted dryly.

Bonnie stared up at him drolly. "I can take care of it."

Now _that _he would have to see.

Bonnie began chanting the Latin words that would incinerate the bodies. Flames burst forth out of thin air. The heat of it licked against Damon's icy skin. He had never seen anyone so young exercise so much power before. Again, his gums began to throb with _need_.

The light of the fires burned his sensitive eyes, but it couldn't stop Damon from looking at Bonnie mesmerized. He had seen his fair share of parlor tricks and hypnotism, but he hadn't seen anything quite like the young lady standing in her night clothes burning his kind to a cinder.

_She's pyrotelekinetic, _Damon thought. Cupid just shot him through the heart.

Bonnie felt her reserves depleting. Burning five bodies at the same time was taking more energy than she was used to expelling. As a result she stopped the fires prematurely—her heart pounding and her ears ringing. She had burned the bodies enough that if a hiker or someone found the remains there was hardly anything left to make a positive identification.

Damon stepped closer to her. "You are simply too good to be true," he praised and wiped a trail of mud off her cheek.

Bonnie attempted to smile but it faltered and then, her world turned black and she lost the feeling in her legs.

Damon caught her before she hit the ground, his eyes going wide with alarm. He cradled her as her head lolled like a rag doll. Was she dead?

He could still feel the vibration of her heart beating coupled with the soft squishy sound of it. That reassured him but not nearly enough.

"Bonnie?" he shook her. She remained unresponsive. Damon cursed when blood trickled down her nostrils. If he still had a heartbeat it would have stopped.

He picked her up and cursed the fact he couldn't return her home. She had yet to invite him inside leaving no choice but to take her to the only other residence he knew.

* * *

><p>Damon barged through the doors of the boardinghouse. He didn't care what the hour was. These people were supposed to be Bonnie's friends and they had better wake up and help her.<p>

"Help me!" he bellowed. It only took a minute for one of the vampires to join him downstairs.

Stefan reached him first and watched as Damon cradled Bonnie in his arms. Her eyes were closed but that wasn't what drew his concern. It was the fact she was bleeding from the nose. Anger rushed through him as he looked accusingly at Damon who rolled his eyes already knowing that he was going to say.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing. We were attacked by vampires and she burned them. Afterwards she fainted and she's yet to regain consciousness."

"Let's get her upstairs."

Elena, who was currently rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, became fully awake as she saw Damon carrying Bonnie bridal style upstairs, her upper lip coated in blood.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Stefan and Damon rushed passed her and entered a bedroom down the hall. She was quick on their heels.

Damon laid Bonnie down gently in the middle of the bed, arranging her until she was comfortable.

Stefan took Elena by the arms. "I think she used too much magic and as a result lost consciousness," he offered her a smile. "She'll be all right. She's Bonnie."

None of this was making a lick of sense to Elena and she felt her panic rising. Bonnie had never had any problems with her magic before. The doppelganger was aware it was only the heavy duty spells that could be dangerous and threaten a witch's life. Yet Bonnie had been able to calm the fires of the warehouse as it burned without breaking a sweat.

Her dark brown eyes flashed over to Damon. "Explain to me what happened," the words slipped through clenched teeth.

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose and broke down the situation.

It wasn't long after he was finished clearing his name—for lack of a better phrase—that the other Damon Salvatore meandered his way into the crowded room.

He stared at Bonnie prior to saying, "I told that girl not to bite off more than she could chew."

Several pair of eyes narrowed towards Damon who merely tried to look sheepish.

"Why do you always have to such an asshole?" Elena cursed before stomping her way to the adjoining bathroom where she grabbed a face cloth, saturated it with water and returned to clean the blood and dirt off Bonnie's face.

Damon snorted. Well that was the first time she called him that—to his face at least. Damon ignored the sting he felt and brought his gaze over to his baby brother who was currently checking Bonnie's pulse.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Stefan made a restless motion with his shoulders. This was outside of his area of expertise. "I'm going to call Alaric. He might know more about Bonnie's condition."

With Stefan gone it was just the two Damon's and Elena who was currently seated on the bed next to her friend.

The Damon's scowled at one another.

Stefan re-entered the room, the tension smacking him in the face. He pointedly ignored it as he joined Elena on the bed.

"Alaric is on his way. He said we should keep watch of her vitals until he gets here. Make sure she's as comfortable as possible."

Elena nodded her head. "On that note, if your name is Damon you need to leave the room."

Light Eyes had no problem leaving. He could tell when he wasn't wanted around, and Bonnie was essentially Stefan and Elena's problem anyways. He quickly disappeared.

However, Dark Eyes had no intentions of abandoning Bonnie.

Elena noticed that he stood rooted to his spot on the opposite side of the room. She looked up at him.

"I mean it, Damon. I don't want any bad vibes around Bonnie."

The five-hundred year old vampire scoffed and planted his hands on his hips. "If you haven't noticed, precious Elena, Bonnie can tolerate me more than she can that cur with my face. I'm staying. If she wants me gone, well she's going to have to wake up and throw me out herself."

And to prove how obstinate he was, Damon flounced on the bed next to Bonnie and wiggled his eyebrows.

Elena scoffed. That was such a _Damon _move.

Twenty minutes later, Alaric arrived and cleared everyone, aside from Damon from the room. Fifteen minutes later he stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind him. The teacher was ambushed by Elena and Stefan.

"How is she?" Elena pressed.

"She'll be fine. She just needs her rest. I don't think she's in any kind of real danger. I've read about witches when they use too much power that they can fall into a stasis coma. Their power becomes like a cocoon and protects them until they're strong again."

Stefan frowned. "How do you know she's not in that?"

A corner of Alaric's mouth tilted up. "She's not floating off the bed."

"But you're sure she's going to be fine?" Elena wanted the facts reiterated.

Again, Alaric nodded his head. "She will."

Back inside the room Damon lounged against the wall, his gaze locked on the subtle rise and fall of Bonnie's chest. For such a tiny thing, her heart was strong; it was the only sound he was listening to at the moment. There were many things about her which reminded him of his girls: Elena, Bonnie, and on occasion Meredith. She had Meredith's disdain for vampires, but her keen intelligence. Bonnie had Elena's strength and will power to save others. She shared his little redbird's gifts so when you added those things up Bonnie made the perfect woman. For him at least.

The door tentatively opened and the other Damon slipped back inside.

"I thought your master ordered you to stay away?" dark eyes taunted.

Light Eyes wanted to slam the door shut and ram his boot up Dark Eyes' ass. Instead he growled and walked over to the other wall and began to lean against it.

"I've known Judgey a bit longer than _you. _That said, if anyone should kick rocks," he pointedly cleared his throat, "it should be the imposter."

Dark Eyed Damon made a guttural noise in the back of his throat, but then something the other Damon said caught his attention.

"Why do you call her Judgey?"

"That's our inside thing."

Hmm. It was the first time Damon from Fell's Church heard a note of possession coming from Mystic Falls Damon in terms of the witch. Could his bravado of not liking Bonnie be just for show? To prove his loyalty only stemmed to one female in this clandestine bunch?

_Press his buttons, Damon. _

Dark Eyes climbed on the bed next to Bonnie and first combed his fingers through her wavy hair, delighting in the softness of the stands tickling his fingers. Taking it up a notch, he ran his fingertips along the contour of her cheek, before reaching his ultimate goal of holding her hand.

Light Eyes observed from his post, his eyes only narrowing infinitesimally. "Can you stop with all that touching? We don't need her to wake up in a bad mood."

Dark Eyes grinned and brought Bonnie's hand up to his lips and kissed it. He interlocked their fingers.

Something uncomfortable rolled through Light Eyed Damon and began to spread to his innards as he watched the vampire with his face act lovingly towards the witch. It was like an actor viewing themselves in a movie. It was completely weird because he had never had that type of interest in Bonnie. So to see "himself" behave with her the way he would Elena if she allowed him—was mind boggling.

And as mind boggling was it was, why was it beginning to irritate him?

Bonnie twitched a little against the bed and then her eyes fluttered just a second prior to her jolting up in bed.

"Easy, princess and welcome back."

Bonnie looked over to the man sitting on the bed, holding her hand. She was met with those obsidian eyes and she felt her heart torpedo in her chest.

"Damon?" she croaked.

Damon's grin stretched farther. "The one and only…well not anymore unfortunately."

Bonnie clasped her head as her brain pounded against her skull. She sensed someone else in the room leading her to seek out the source. It was the other Damon. His face was unreadable. She grimaced at him.

"How long was I out?" Bonnie asked.

"Five hours," the Damon who was seated beside her answered.

Bonnie's eyes bulged.

"You've had the house in an uproar, Judgey. Do you remember what happened?"

Bonnie remembered but she had no intentions of sharing that with either Damon.

"I'm just glad to be alive," Bonnie replied shakily. She looked down at the pale white hand clasping hers. She withdrew hers.

The door to the bedroom flew open and Elena strode in with Stefan and Alaric following after.

Bonnie found herself engulfed in a pair of thin arms and long raven hair. "Bonnie, thank God you're awake."

"How do you feel?" was Alaric's question as he checked her pupil dilation after Elena let Bonnie go.

"Tired. I need a moment, guys."

The other men in the room cleared out leaving Elena and Bonnie alone.

"Bonnie, what happened?"

The young sorceress sat up in bed, resting against the headboard. She really had no idea, but she fleetingly remembered her Grams warning her against using too much magic too soon. Everything had a consequence attached to it, and the magic could ricochet and push back. It was a weakness and not one she needed anyone of the undead sort to know.

"I'm still in an adjustment period, Elena. That's all I can come up with."

Elena nodded her head. "Do you feel up to eating anything? I can make you something."

The mention of food made Bonnie's stomach growl. "Thanks. I could use a shower, but can you tell me why both Damon's were in the room with me?"

Elena had no answer for that. "I asked them to leave but naturally because they're hard-headed they stayed."

Bonnie could believe it as she rolled out of bed.

"I think it's obvious that one of the Damon's has a crush on you," Elena sing-songed.

Bonnie almost tripped on her way to the bathroom. When she looked at her friend, the doppelganger was cheesin'.

"_He _never left your side," Elena added on.

"Whatever you're thinking, Elena, stop," Bonnie advised and continued on to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Half an hour later, Bonnie strolled downstairs dressed in Elena's clothes. Her nostrils picked up the scent of coffee, croissants, and scrambled eggs. It made her hunger skyrocket.

The second she reached the long formal table in the dining room, Bonnie picked up a croissant and a glass of orange juice. Out the corner of her eye she saw a bag of blood from the hospital lying conspicuously on the table.

Elena caught her line of vision. "That's for our visitor but he refuses to drink it."

Bonnie picked up the bag of blood trying her best not to recoil. When she turned around she spotted him looking at a painting hanging next to the fireplace.

"You're breakfast is getting cold," she mocked sarcastically.

Damon pivoted around and began to head for her. Bonnie was transfixed by the way he walked. All self-assured and seductive as his large belt buckle twisted to and fro with the motion of his hips.

Damon pulled the blood bag out of her hands and eyed it contemptuously. "Why should I diminish who I am and drink this putrid stuff? Nothing tastes as good as coming from the source."

Bonnie stared at him disapprovingly. "Damon you've proven you're not a monster. And I thank you again for saving my life. So can't you just do this one little thing?"

His black eyes bored into her emerald ones—calculating. "I'll drink this on one condition."

Bonnie waited knowing she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

"You kiss me."

She laughed and gawked at Elena who lost her eyebrows to her hairline. Stefan appeared just as stupefied.

Bonnie bit into her croissant. "Not gonna happen."

Damon shrugged. "The Bonnie I know let me kiss her on the first night we met."

"She must have had low self-esteem."

A snicker came from across the room. Light Eyes held up his canter of whiskey as he winked at his double.

Damon loomed over Bonnie hoping to transport them back to the woods before they were ambushed by those vampires. He had been only seconds away from claiming her lips. He knew Bonnie wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her. No woman with lips that were almost in the shape of a bow should go without kissing. It would be criminal.

"You can resist me all you like, but it _will _happen."

Bonnie didn't hear a threat only promise in his words. It took some doing to swallow the bite of croissant.

"Hey," Elena interceded. "Why don't you just back off."

"No, its okay, Elena." Bonnie stared at Damon. "Follow me," she directed and led the way to the large brick inlaid patio.

The sun felt great against her skin the moment she was standing outside waiting for Damon. The chill of his body prickled along her back. When she turned around to face him, it was plain to see the victory on his face. Bonnie had agreed to nothing.

"As an act of good faith," she began, "if you drink this entire bag, and promise to only drink from bags…I'll," she cleared the lump that was forming in her throat. "I'll kiss you."

"Right now?" he whispered. "You'll kiss me?"

Bonnie shook her head and became interested in her shoes suddenly. "In the future."

"We don't know how long I may be here, princess. I may get swept up tomorrow so essentially that would let you off the hook."

"A girl can hope," Bonnie said dreamily.

Damon brushed her hair off her shoulder. "What if you gave me some other type of collateral that you won't renege on our deal?"

Bonnie's nostrils flared. "My word is my bond."

"So is mine," he iterated just as passionately.

"What kind of collateral?"

"You let me give you a vampire's kiss."

Bonnie was outraged. "You're not drinking my blood."

"I'm not talking about drinking your blood—per se, but I'll simply graze the skin of your neck with my fang and whatever blood is drawn will be the only blood I take."

Bonnie snorted, folded her arms, and walked away. Damon dropped the blood bag to the ground and pursued her.

She had made a promise to herself that no vampire would drink her blood ever again. She still had nightmares about the night Damon took hers by force. So what he was asking of her was out of the freaking question.

Damon knew she'd have an objection to that, but something else flickered in her eyes before she strode away. There was a reason she hated vampires. Intuition was telling him it had something to do with the other Damon. Bonnie didn't mind Stefan all that much and the only explanation for that is—he had never hurt her.

"What did he do to you?" Damon asked abruptly.

Bonnie stopped walking about midway across the lavish Salvatore backyard. Not far from her was Alaric's crossbow. He must have been practicing.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned and picked up the weapon.

Damon arched a dark brow in the air.

"Vampires or _a_ vampire has hurt you personally."

She wasn't going to talk about it with him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with everything. It's the way you recoil from the other Damon's presence but not Stefan's. Did he…"

Bonnie faced him sharply. "Just leave it alone, Damon. It's bad enough you have his face."

"Ahh," he crooned. "I sensed the bad blood—pun fully intended—between you and the other Damon. I've given you many assurances that he and I are night and day. I may be no saint, but I've _never _hurt nor forced myself on a maiden. Women were not simply created to give pleasure, but to receive pleasure as well. A kiss from me will be the most orgasmic event of your life, Bonnie. In fact you might grow to love them and demand them."

Bonnie chuckled. "You're so smooth, Damon I'm sure you can sell water to a whale."

He didn't appear sheepish in the least. "It's one of my stronger suits. But…," he deliberately closed the distance between them, and dipped his head.

Bonnie could feel the coolness of his mouth beat against hers.

Damon looked into her eyes and saw they were becoming cloudy and unfocused. But then...he backed away.

"I'm not one to rush a good thing, so I'll exercise patience and restraint," he pointed at her. "Can you do the same?"

"I think I'll manage," Bonnie nearly growled. She hated when he did that. Work her up only to back off leaving her feeling neglected. It made no sense for him to have that type of power over her.

Instead of further tormenting the both of them he took the crossbow out of her hands. "Let me show you another way to vanquish an enemy. Last night you were marvelous, however, I don't like feeling fear. It's unbecoming. You're banned from losing consciousness on me unless I slay you some other way," he grinned shyly.

Bonnie felt the apples of her cheeks and the tips of her ears warm.

"Are you ready?"

Bonnie didn't think she'd ever be ready. But she was willing.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I love writing from Book Damon's perspective because he's so damn smooth and far more interesting to me than TV Damon. Don't get me wrong, I love TV Damon as much as the next person, but sometime's he just seems one- dimensional missing depth because he's too busy picking fights with Stefan and chasing after Elena's panties. So I will delve a little deeper into both Damon's personalities, and again guys thank you for the encouragement for this fic. After last night's episode...I just want to scream. If you read the latest chapter of AKG, you know how I feel about it. And again THANK YOU to everyone who has read, reviewed, favored, or added to their alerts list. I hope I won't let you guys down. Love you!**


	4. Meet Me Half Way

**A/N: Here is the latest! Enjoy! Thank you all for the lovely reviews!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>Her space was being violated. Bonnie could do nothing but stand in the corner of her room and look on as her father went through her drawers, flipped her mattress, and threw things out of her closet. She had no idea what set him on this rampage. He just barged into her room, mumbled something to himself before grabbing her by the arm and hoisting her off the bed. A tear slipped through her eye when he found her grimoire.<p>

Mr. Bennett stared at it quizzically for a second, running the pad of his thumb over the ancient writing embedded on the cover. He stared at her, his face a complete grimace.

"Is this the reason why you're flunking half your classes, Bonnie! Hum!" his voice stern.

Bonnie started to tremble. No, that wasn't the specific reason why she hardly attended class and when she did her mind happened to be miles away. It was hard learning what needed to be learned to protect her friends and herself from hurt, harm, and danger while maintaining her B plus average. She was only seventeen. Slept no more than twenty hours a week—max and she was a little on edge these past few weeks. Bonnie was operating off exhaust fumes so she figured what was such a big deal about letting her grades slip, fall, and disintegrate through the cracks?

There was always summer school.

She wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"No," she intoned softly. "There's a lot that's been going on and I'm a little shaken up by it. I promise I'll do better."

Mr. Bennett didn't look impressed or sympathetic. He might not have spent much time in his hometown nor with his only child, but he heard enough through the grapevine to get the gist of what had been going on. There had been rampant, mysterious deaths and disappearances. High school kids running the streets at all hours of the night without adult supervision. Mystic Falls was two feet from anarchy and he wanted his child to have nothing to do with it.

"I know my job keeps me away a lot but I get updates from the Sheriff's office about what goes on here. Anytime something…I don't know…unexplainable happens you and your little 'posse'," he used air quotation marks to emphasize the word, "always seem to be in the mix. And now I find this…my mother's satanic cookbook."

Bonnie barely contained her eye roll. "It's not a satanic cookbook, dad. Look, there are certain truths about me you're going to have to accept or get over."

Her father shook his head in denial. "See, that's where you're wrong. I don't have to accept anything except full responsibility for your safety and overall well-being, Bonnie."

She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Oh, you want to talk about responsibility. You're barely even here half the time sh…I mean stuff goes down. Everything that's happened I've had to face on my own with no help from you. So sorry if I'm not dropping to my knees asking for forgiveness fast enough to meet your satisfaction."

Mr. Bennett looked absolutely affronted that his child would speak to him like that. "You watch your mouth when you talk to me, young lady."

Bonnie felt the ice of his words lick her caramel skin. "Dad…I can't help what I am."

He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Don't give me that 'I'm a witch' crap, Bonnie. I didn't believe it when my mother claimed to be one, and I refuse to let you get sucked up into lies and fairytales," he approached her and stared her down. "I might not be the best father on this planet, but you will obey me when I tell you to do something.

"Your grades are atrocious and you've dropped out of _half_ the clubs you used to be in. I don't know what you and Elena and the rest of your friends do when I'm not around, but it needs to stop and you need to focus on your school work! That is your top priority. Not boys! Not dating! Not running the streets like a bunch of hooligans! Do you hear me?"

Bonnie clamped her lips shut. Her father grabbed her by the jaw forcing her to stare up at him.

His obsidian eyes spat fire and brimstone. "I _said _do you hear me?"

Bonnie hesitated before nodding her head. Mr. Bennett held her jaw captive for a second more before releasing her. He threw the grimoire to the ground and stomped out of her room.

"Get rid of that thing and clean up this mess," he ordered.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Bonnie sat outside of Mystic Grill watching the flies land on her bacon cheeseburger and fries. Breaking out of her daze, she spotted Elena and Stefan holding hands as they walked along the other side of the street. The second Elena made eye contact with Bonnie, she waved, but Bonnie couldn't muster up the heart to reciprocate.<p>

Elena mouthed if she was all right, and Bonnie shrugged. She didn't want company and she didn't want to interrupt the couple's outing, thus she sent Elena a text message saying she'd talk to her later. Maybe. If she were in the mood.

Bonnie had no idea why her father tried to bring down the law this morning. For months she had been in his face about him cutting down the number of trips he had to take for his job so they could spend more time together. But to hear him tell it, if he didn't work crazy hours they'd end up living in a cardboard box somewhere. They were nowhere near destitute. He gave her the money to pay the bills when he was gone placing Bonnie in charge of the household bookkeeping. They weren't rich by any standards and weren't flat broke either. With only one person living in their three bedroom dwelling most of the time, the bills were fairly low. So the excess that was left over, Bonnie had placed into a money marketing account.

Did her father say 'thank you' for taking the initiative when she told him about it? Of course not. He merely hummed and hawed and that was it.

It was like no matter what she did to impress him or to get him to notice her it was never enough. Caroline complained about her mom loving her job of being sheriff more than her—and maybe she was right, but Bonnie couldn't say definitively. But at least she _had _a mother around who got on her case, yelled when she failed to pick up her dirty socks off the floor, and came home every night.

Pounding began in Bonnie's temples. She took a sip of her coke.

She sat and thought some more.

But what if her father had a point? What if she allowed herself to get too sucked into the supernatural that the really important things she should be paying attention to and not blow off was crumbling around her feet? What if she lost herself in the process? What if she gave too much and got nothing in return? Who would be there for her to pick up the pieces and put her back together?

She lost her grandmother as a result of getting sucked into the Salvatore-Gilbert drama. Yet Bonnie had seen no other way around it.

The young witch would continue to do what was necessary to keep her friends safe because let's face it they were the only real family she had.

However, Bonnie did miss hanging around her "normal" friends. She missed attending parties and not having to look over her shoulder or through the crowd to spot a vampire. She missed hanging out with Matt at the Grill while trying her best to give him relationship advice although she was the last person he should be asking for romantic tips.

And that was another thing Bonnie missed—flirting. Other than Ben McKittrick who turned out to be a vampire—go figure—there had been no one who remotely popped up on her radar that she had an interest in dating. To an outsider looking in, Bonnie was asexual.

Even if she were to attempt to start dating, who would she ask? Matt? He was too much like a brother to her. Despite finding him cute, Bonnie knew he was still hung up on Elena although he and Caroline hooked up occasionally. That regrettably was a no go.

_What about Tyler?_ Mentally Bonnie cringed. If Tyler wasn't one of the biggest assholes walking around, she might consider going out with him. But he wasn't refined—at all. Besides she would be grossed out the entire time. He belched at the dinner table, had a preference for using his shirt as a napkin, and had no qualms about checking out other girls when on a date. And another thing—he had the hugest teeth ever!

Stefan was already taken and sired to Elena hence he wasn't even a candidate.

His brother…moving on before she got mad all over again.

The other Damon?

Well…he had the otherworldly appeal in the bag, and he had saved her life twice already. In fact, he had been a walking citizen of Mystic Falls for four weeks now. Alaric and the Damon Bonnie tried to smite had exhausted all their leads in finding a way to send Fell's Church Damon packing. And in those four weeks, he had been on his best behavior—for a vampire that is.

Bonnie wouldn't say he followed her around like a lovesick puppy, but if she happened to be out and about, he'd materialize seemingly out of nowhere and steal her away for a couple of minutes. Plus he hadn't given up on his quest to kiss her before she turned fifty so Bonnie could admire his persistence. As strange as it sounded, she was beginning to get used to having him around.

Even at night. Bonnie wasn't sure, but she was pretty positive that he hung around the woods that surrounded her house. She had yet to catch him in the act, but sometimes a feeling of being watched would come over her. Onyx eyes was her number one suspect.

If Bonnie were to be completely honest with herself, it made her feel good that someone thought enough of her safety to want to keep tabs on her.

However, there was more to life than school, boys, and the supernatural. Bonnie just had to rekindle that fire for life again.

Rising from the seat, Bonnie dropped the appropriate cost of the meal with tip on the table and went back home to finish cleaning up her room.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later…<strong>

Her text message alert sounded off, which stopped her feverish note taking. Bonnie sighed and picked up her phone and saw it was from Damon.

**Need u at the BH ASAP. Bring ur cookbook.**

Bonnie snorted and ignored the text. Whatever was so important in his mind at least could wait. She had studying to do.

Twenty minutes passed when she received another text message. From the way her phone vibrated against the bed, Bonnie already knew it would be downright nasty.

**Do u think I'm playing Bonnie! Where the hell r u? **

The girl in question growled, rolled off her bed with phone in hand, turned it completely off, dismantled it and hid the individual pieces throughout her bedroom. If it was urgent Elena would have called her directly. If it concerned Elena then Stefan would have texted her. So whatever it was, was only important to the one person she wanted nothing else to do with.

She was not his hired help or on his payroll, therefore, Damon could shove it. He did not run her schedule.

Bonnie resumed her studies when suddenly there was an angry bang on her window. Huffing, she didn't even need to ask who it was. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his shit, so Bonnie grabbed her iPod, plugged in her earphones and turned the volume up to ear shattering decibels.

And despite her best efforts she could hear Damon bitching outside her window.

Growling, she finally tore out of bed where she stomped over to her window, and opened it.

As expected his face was cold and unforgiving. "What have you been doing? I sent you two text messages and you didn't respond to either one of them. What's up with you?"

"Excuse you, but first of all I am not your handmaiden so I don't have to answer to you—period, Damon. And why must _your _emergency become _my_ emergency? Whatever you want with me you can just forget about it. I'm not interested and I'm not helping you."

"Bet you wouldn't treat _him _like this."

"He doesn't act like he owns me," came Bonnie's rebuttal.

"Whatever," Damon sneered. "You know it's all an act, right? Pretending to like you because all he wants is your blood. Accept that truth, get over your crush, and move the hell on. We have shit to take care of."

Bonnie felt her blood pumping in her jugular vein. "Why do you even care? My name's not Elena."

"Yeah, and speaking of Elena you don't think he's not head-over-heels in love with his dimension's Elena?"

Bonnie's smirk was sardonic at best. "Is that your roundabout way of saying that you're in love with your brother's girlfriend?"

Silence.

Of the incriminating kind.

"I don't love Elena," Damon tried to look cool.

"Yeah and I'm Chinese. Get the hell out my tree, Damon and leave me alone." Bonnie slammed the window shut.

"This is why I hate witches. So gotdamn judgmental."

Bonnie's anger was so potent she began to move outside of time and logic. She saw herself moving in slow motion as she went back to open her window. There was a look of deadly calm on her face as she began speaking an incantation in ancient Latin. Never stumbling over the difficult words. Never taking her eyes off her intended target.

Damon felt something slam into him like a truck which propelled him backwards out of the tree. It felt like every bone on the anterior portion of his body was being splintered and broken into pieces. By the time he landed on the hard, damp ground below, he was barely conscious.

Bonnie leaned out of the window. "I'd think twice before letting those words come out your mouth again, Damon. Because if I'm not mistaken a _witch _saves your ungrateful ass every other week."

With that sentiment out of the way, Bonnie slammed her window shut.

After that it was next to impossible to get back in the groove of studying for her English test. Damon had picked the wrong day to come and mess with her. She was still pissed over what her father had done and said earlier, and she was feeling more than a little under appreciated. Yet something was pulling at Bonnie alerting her this was only the beginning because things were going to get worse.

She needed to do something to take her mind off her anger before it began to fester. Bonnie went inside her closet to retrieve her gym bag and began throwing her swimsuit and toiletry items inside. Zipping it up, she thrust her feet into her sneakers, grabbed her car keys, and looked all around for that lurking vampire before hustling to her car.

* * *

><p>Damon walked at the speed of a hundred and seventy-year old <em>human<em> as he entered the boardinghouse. Healing bones took more time and effort than muscle, fat, and veins. Needless to say, it was slow moving for him as he tripped down the stairs to the basement and raided the deep freezer. It took consuming almost ten bags of blood before he began to feel normal.

_What the fudge was that? _had been the question that kept running through his mind during the excruciatingly painful drive from Bonnie's to his humble abode. Damon had been shot with wooden bullets, sucker punched, almost sat on fire, tortured, and maimed, but he _never _felt anything like this. To think that little Bonnie Bennett was responsible for packing such a powerful punch—he never would have seen it coming.

She was strong. That was for certain. And maybe he pressed her buttons and acted like an asshole when he didn't have to, but he didn't like being ignored for any reason. When he called or texted someone he expected them to get back to him pronto. Not when they felt like it. Not when it was convenient for them. Didn't they know whose time they were on?

All he wanted to do was search through Emily's grimoire again to see if something like this may have happened before. Where someone from one dimension found themselves lost in another. Damon highly doubted Emily would have encountered anything like that, but he couldn't rule anything out.

The other Damon was beginning to get too comfortable in his dwellings. People were starting to recognize him as the kindler, and dare he say it, more handsome version of himself. This was Damon's turf where he was the number one sought after bad boy, not the fake with the black eyes, but him! He was the vampire to be feared, revered, and lusted after. And he wanted things to go back to the way it used to be dammit. Damon didn't like competition when he was human and he certainly couldn't stand it now.

He hobbled over to the bar and poured himself a liberal amount of whiskey and slowly sat down in his favorite chair. No fire was lit in the hearth and he didn't have the energy to properly build one, not like he was feeling cold. He just liked the ambiance it provided.

He sipped his drink, pulled his lips back from his teeth.

Bonnie was supposed to hop up like the good little witch he was training her to be. Instead she wanted to throw him attitude and act like she was too busy for him. Humph! If it had been that funny-speaking Xerox copy, she would have eagerly invited him inside and cleared her calendar for the rest of the month. Of that, Damon was sure.

Bonnie knew him longer but was treating him like he was the illegal alien. Oh, he was positive that if Bonnie ever found a way to deport his ass he'd be a goner.

Okay, fine so he tried to kill her, big fucking deal. Did she not realize how many people he actually _did_ kill and she was holding onto her grudge?

Stefan goes off the rails, she gives him a headache yet feels sympathy for him because he's a slave to blood. He gets a pass.

When it comes to him…he fucks up _one_ time and she won't let him live it down.

Damon guzzled the rest of his whiskey.

_What if being judgmental is her way of saying she wants you? You always hold the person you're lusting after to a higher standard._

_Interesting thought, _Damon wondered, but unfortunately there was simply too much bad blood between him and the Glinda's of the world.

Damon usually kept his distance from witches and only solicited them to get out of a jam, or to get the jump on someone. In his estimation witches were pretty much useless the rest of the time. If Damon constantly wanted someone to stare at him with the stink eye he'd find a way to resurrect Giuseppe. However, since he happened to like not having his turd of a father around, he'd leave the old man to rot.

Yet…call him a masochist but…Bonnie looked pretty freaking hot when she worked her mojo on him.

Her eyes came alive and glowed like kryptonite. Her skin became rosier, her blood was more potent and mouth-watering, and everything about her equally repelled and invited him in. It didn't matter if wasn't his first time observing her as she worked a spell, Bonnie broke out of the hard shell she kept herself locked in whenever she channeled power and forced it out of her. It was almost like watching her come.

However, if Elena was the witch he'd seriously reconsider his opinion about them.

But then his earlier thought came back to him. Maybe Bonnie had repressed urges for him and was simply acting out as a way to get his attention. If he put a little effort into it, Damon was sure he could find out her underwear preferences in two weeks flat.

However at the end of the day, Bonnie wasn't the girl his heart wanted.

Just thinking Elena's name made a picture of her face spring to life in his head. She was everything Katherine was not. She never played him for a fool. She genuinely wanted to be his friend, but being stuck in the friend zone was not something Damon could accept. Not without a fight at least. No matter how underhanded, squeaky, and devious he'd have to be, Elena would be his one day.

He had tried to get to Elena through her friends and that had backfired—tremendously. So he would have to come up with another approach.

"Sorry, little brother…but you never should have moved back here."

* * *

><p>Her arms and legs were delightfully sore after swimming fifteen consecutive laps around the pool. Bonnie hadn't gone swimming since the summer. It was fall now, and time she freshened up on her skills.<p>

Did the swim help in toning down her anger—somewhat. Was she still frothing at the mouth wanting to mount Damon's head on a wall because he knew nothing about respect—that went without saying. Bonnie could think of no one else on the planet she would like to scrub out with an eraser more than Damon Salvatore. For one second she thought he was changing his stripes by thanking her for saving his life, but naturally like a house of cards, it all came crashing down after a sharp wind.

_He can't change, Bonnie, he is literally a frozen piece of crap. _

Bonnie floated on the shallow end of the pool, making snow angels on the water's surface. She was alone. Only Benny the manager of the recreational pool was there manning the front desk. Anyone else would have been terrified of being at the pool by themselves at night, but not Bonnie. She was used to the solitude.

She purposely sank into the water until her toes touched the bottom. Bonnie wadded her way to the steps and sat down, still submerged about chest deep in the water. She closed her eyes.

Damon had said some pretty nasty things to her in the past before and she took it with a grain of salt, but what he said to her tonight plucked her feminine core strings. He basically implied that he, nor any other version of himself would never find her attractive or move heaven and earth to be with her. Consequently his acidic words made her old and new insecurities flare to life.

It was hard to feel special when your own biological father hardly wanted to spend time with you, and you were left with getting scraps of affection from a slightly alcoholic grandmother and certain members of your best friends' families.

Yet Bonnie was powerful, a walking phenomenon. She didn't need anyone to validate her.

Something in the air shifted.

Her eyes popped open and she looked around.

Activity in the center of the pool caught her eye and she focused on it. Ripples began to fan out towards her, and Bonnie grabbed the railing of the steps to pull herself up.

Something black broke through the surface. Bonnie kind of watched transfixed as dark eyebrows emerged, followed by fathomless black eyes, a sharp nose, blood red lips, Adam's apple, sculpted pecks, and a chiseled torso came into view.

Damon pushed his hair off his forehead as he walked over to Bonnie. She didn't know why he was there, and she couldn't explain why she didn't hear him step into the pool area. The sound of him splashing into the water had been absent as well. Vampires really were stealthy.

The way he rose out of the water like some Giorgio Armani model about to show everyone his Speedos, made coherent thought flee Bonnie's mind.

The second Damon was near, he infiltrated her space, leaned in. Due to his proximity her long eyelashes fluttered against his cheek before he kissed hers.

"Have you missed me, princess?"

It took a second for her to find her voice. "How did you know I was here?"

Damon hunched a shoulder. "I followed you. You should pay attention to your surroundings. You make it too easy to pick you off."

Bonnie blinked rapidly still trying to comprehend why he had gone through the trouble of following her in the first place. Shouldn't he be off falling in love with Elena, or trying to use Caroline as a blood-sex slave? Or terrorizing some other teenaged girl?

"I don't understand. What do you want from me? Why are you always…around?"

She was cute when she was confused but Bonnie had never come off as the dense type. Until now. Did he really need to spell it out for her?

"Because you interest me," he answered simply.

That wasn't good enough for Bonnie. "The same way your world Elena interests you?"

His eyes darkened if that were even possible. "Is it really so hard for you to believe that someone might actually like you for you?"

"But why?" Bonnie rose up on another step to put a modicum of space between her and Damon. He shifted until he was almost standing between her legs. "I'm just a short, ex-cheerleader who sees things she shouldn't and can't seem to keep herself out of trouble, while being in a silent competition with her friends since birth. Those are not qualities guys usually go for in a girl."

Damon sighed. "You've gravely overlooked something, princess. I'm not your average _guy._"

"And stop calling me princess," Bonnie bounded up the stairs, and grabbed her towel, but naturally Damon was in her way. "Move please."

"Someone has pissed you off and you're trying to take it out on me. Now that I can't abide."

Bonnie glared up at him. "I don't believe you when you say you like me."

Damon's already austere features hardened whereas the heat radiating from his orbs caused Bonnie's skin to pucker. His nearness, his partial nudity began affecting her resolve making her quiver with an unanswered need that had lied dormant within her since she hit puberty it seemed.

He shared the face of a man she hated yet her response to this Damon differed so completely it left Bonnie completely flummoxed. She didn't understand it nor what was driving it.

"You want me to show you?" the challenge in his voice lacked bite since it was covered in silk. "Because I can," he sidled closer to her.

Bonnie pushed him away. He was like stone. "Damon…please stop. The Elena you know means something to you. Do you honestly expect me to think that after knowing me for four weeks, what you feel for her has vanished?"

Damon's jaw ticked and he pursed his lips.

The words caught in her throat, but Bonnie managed to push them out. "No matter what world exists…all anyone is ever gonna give a damn about is Elena."

She waited for him to refute her statement, and when he didn't Bonnie sighed dejectedly and walked around him.

Damon had no idea where this was coming from. More than likely she had a falling out with the other Damon and whatever the charlatan said to her, Bonnie was taking out on anyone with his face. Which was bad for him. Yet he couldn't let her walk away thinking that he was toying with her feelings as he bided his time to be reunited with a girl who was in love with his brother.

Damon desired more—he always had and that luckily hadn't change. Bonnie, Mystic Falls Bonnie was the breath of fresh air he needed, the beat to his heart he craved. He just couldn't let her go.

He caught up with Bonnie on the other end of the pool. He grabbed her gently by the shoulder and spun her to face him.

"I don't know what happened and I don't care," Damon picked her right hand up and placed it over his heart. "Do you feel anything?"

At first she felt nothing, but as she concentrated she felt a tiny thud against her palm. Her eyes flashed up at him in disbelief.

"How is that possible?" her question imbued with awe.

Damon grinned, loving the way she was staring at him like he was more than a heartless fiend with the face of a fallen angel. "It only beats when I'm around you."

Bonnie couldn't help the grin or the giggle that bubbled up. When he said things like that, Damon made it hard to resist his charm. Nevertheless, this was still so strange to her. Her world Damon had shown no interest in her whatsoever, but this Damon with water sluicing down his torso had taken an interest in her and wasn't censoring himself about it.

Bonnie waited to feel light-headed. The sensation never came.

"I won't lie," Damon continued. "I'm king when it comes to bullshit. However when it comes to declaring my feelings…I don't screw around. When I say I like you, I mean that. And something tells me you like me as well."

Bonnie dropped her eyes to her feet. "I-I…do. You kind of make it hard not to."

Damon smiled until a dimple appeared in his left cheek. "So will you be merciful to me?"

"I'll think about it," Bonnie hedged.

They stared at one another for a second before Damon spoke again. "If you have a problem, I don't care what it is come to me. I may only be here for a short while, but I look after those I give my word to."

Bonnie was floored by the level of commitment he was willing to put on the line. Vaguely she wondered if this was in some way courtly love Damon was showing her. She had read enough books about the sixteenth and seventeenth century to know that men fell in love almost on sight and would write songs or poetry to the woman who supposedly won their heart. Part of her wanted to fall for the hype, yet the sensible part of Bonnie wanted to keep him at arm's length.

Because realistically they could never have a future together. He was going to return to his world whether he wanted to or not. Light Eyed Damon Salvatore would see to it. The thought alone made a divot form between Bonnie's eyebrows.

Damon could literally see the wheels in her head turning. So he swept her up bridal style; his ears rung from the scream Bonnie let out and jumped into the water.

When she bobbed to the surface, pushing her hair off her forehead she glared death and retribution at him. He tried his best to appear contrite which failed since his lips were quirking up into their award-winning smile.

"You didn't have to do that," Bonnie thundered.

"Oh, yes I did," Damon wrapped his arms around her, drawing Bonnie to his chest. He languidly kissed her shoulder trailing a path of fire from her deltoid to the base of her neck. "I want to invite you over to my house."

Bonnie shivered at the touch of his lips against her skin. Her arms lost all feeling and were appallingly limp; she didn't know what to do with them.

Bonnie craned her neck backwards to stare up at Damon. "You bought a house?"

"I needed some place to lay my head."

"Why are you extending me an invite? I'm practically a stranger."

Damon rolled his eyes like a pair of dice. "It's simple, Bonnie. I want you to come over. Are you always this suspicious of everything?"

The young woman in question shrugged her shoulders. Damon placed a kiss to the neglected one. "It's a part of my charm."

He grinned mischievously. "And if you have charm that means you have seduction as well."

Bonnie turned around, and pinned him with a look that would have made a lesser man nervous. But not him.

"You think I can be seductive?" Bonnie asked, looking up at him under her lashes.

Damon nodded his head. "You're a woman so you already have an advantage."

He spun Bonnie around until her back was pressed along his chest. Every time he took a breath, Bonnie felt the knotted muscles of his abdomen contract. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep still but primarily to prevent herself from making an embarrassing sound.

Damon reached for her hands and brought them out of the water. "First lesson," his voice lowered in octave, "a touch, a caress, pressure they can be controlled with these, and you have the _softest_ hands, Bonnie. What you can do with these…makes you dangerously seductive."

Bonnie's head fell against his chest. Damon took advantage of that and devoured her neck with his mouth. Circling her tender flesh with the tip of his tongue before delivering long strokes against the column her neck as if she were an ice cream cone. His hands held her tightly around the waist, and Bonnie's breaths came out in spurts. She'd never felt anything like this.

"I want to kiss you, Bonnie. Can I put my mouth on yours?"

_Decisions. Decisions. _

Damon lightly sank his teeth into her neck but not enough to rupture the skin.

That should have been the end of the show, but it made unexpected pleasure zing through her.

Bonnie grabbed him by the wrists. She needed to think because she had stopped using her brain from the minute she saw him emerge from the water. He said all the right things, at the right time, yet someone else she knew kept bombarding into her thoughts.

This was confusing her.

Damon sensed Bonnie was trying to find a way to reject his offer.

"I…" she stammered.

"Yes," Damon whispered against the shell of her ear.

"I…should get…home." As much as she wanted to kiss him she couldn't get who he resembled out of her mind.

Damon closed his eyes briefly. "All right."

Bonnie didn't say anything. Merely headed over to the edge of the pool to pull herself out, but Damon was standing there already. He reached down and hoisted her up like she weighed nothing.

It was one of the most beautiful things he'd seen, the water cascading down her glorious body. How he felt jealous of every little drop of water as they learned her secrets before he could.

The rhythm of their breathing changed. Becoming shorter but deeper. Damon wanted to solidify their attraction to one another whereas Bonnie wanted to deny its existence because if she gave in what would it say about her? That she in a morbid way was attracted to the man who tried to kill her?

They shared faces, names, and temperaments depending on the hour, but they _were _different, Bonnie tried to rationalize. The Damon she knew didn't make her feel as if she would turn feral if he didn't touch her. Would it be right to give in to this yearning, this urge? Could she handle the repercussions if she did...or didn't?

Standing toe-to-toe and in his arms, Damon didn't care about being decent or letting her lead. He wanted to feel the warmth of her lips on his, so he dove in for the treasure.

Bonnie met him with equal fervor, gliding her lips back and forth over his tepid mouth wanting to devour all that he was. She gripped him by the nape of his neck the second he slipped his tongue through the small opening she created for him.

A moan escaped her lips, and her left leg of its own volition began to wrap around his waist.

Damon picked her up giving her no choice but to straddle him as he sped over to the nearest wall. He had kissed his fair share of women, but never recklessly, not the way he was kissing Bonnie. As if he could consume her. He alternated between drawing her bottom and top lip into his mouth, and lathing it with his tongue.

Teeth clashed, tongues dueled, her skin caused a delicious friction against his own which convinced Damon he was drowning.

The florescent lights flickered and brightened to nuclear proportions before exploding, plunging them into darkness.

Bonnie abruptly ended the kiss, and could just barely make out Damon's attractive features in the darkness.

A tiny giggle escaped before she said, "Oops."

Damon chuckled in response. "You taste like liquid spice."

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's a _very _good thing. I only want more of you, Bonnie."

She blushed and said nothing.

He didn't need the lights turned on to see that.

The darkness was becoming unsettling. Damon felt her tense.

"Maybe now we should go," he suggested.

"Yeah. Now would be great."

He carried her piggy back style out of the pool. They stopped long enough to collect her things, his, and to tell Benny that all the lights had blown out.

When they were out in the parking lot, standing next to Bonnie's Prius, Damon ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek.

"We're explosive, the two of us. And there's no way I'm letting anyone have you without a fight."

For the first time in her life, Bonnie wanted someone to fight for her.

_Game on._

Chapter end.

**A/N:****In this chapter I wanted to show some of the things the show should have touched on, like Bonnie's dad reaction to her being a witch, and how she feels about his rejection. And I want there to be a slow build of her relationship with TV Damon because they wouldn't start liking each other overnight. Yet she can't help but be attracted to Book Damon because he's had centuries of practice, and when he sets his sights after someone he goes all out, and right now he's the only one in Bonnie's life who is putting her first. Which is what she needs. But thank you guys for all the reviews for the last 3 chapters! You guys make my week! Love you and I'll be back with an update soon.**


	5. Not As It Seems

**A/N: Thank you for all of the love and support you've shown this little fic! You guys rock! Now on to the show!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>Bonnie lay in bed staring aimlessly up at the ceiling twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. In her mind's eye, she saw Damon's rosebud mouth drawing closer to her own lips. Overwhelmed by a feeling of anticipatory lust, she touched her aching lips experiencing a residual tingle. In small increments her lips stretched until a full bloom smile appeared.<p>

He was an amazing kisser. Thorough. Practiced. Greedy. Yet willing to make it a pleasurable experience for her. There were kissers, and then there were _kissers _and Damon was certainly the latter. And it wasn't bravado when he said a kiss from him could be orgasmic. Heck, she blew out the freaking lights so what did that tell you?

Bonnie pulled the bed sheet over head, squealed, and wondered if this is what it felt like to really like someone, like _really _like them. Bonnie had kissed guys before merely as an experiment, but never had she kissed anyone that she was deeply curious about or found herself in deep infatuation with. Was this a universal feeling women all over the world felt when they kissed the guy who could potentially win their heart one day? Bonnie would like to take a poll.

Shamelessly the first thought on her mind when she woke up was Damon. Damon, with the dark fathomless eyes and cool accent. Never in her life would she imagine she'd feel so giddy about the guy who shared her attempted murderer's face.

"Ugh," Bonnie groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

She didn't want her good mood to slide into the landfill remembering not so pleasant times with the bane of her existence. Yet she couldn't help making comparisons between the two of them—they were so glaringly obvious. She figured dark-eyed Damon would be the sinister one, but perhaps that speculation was birthed out of a physical bias. He had been walking the planet for over five hundred years. Damon was bound to be jaded and cynical in some way. Bonnie hadn't seen it yet and she hoped she never would.

Yet he was so different from the Damon she knew and naturally this scared her.

Then suddenly another strange thought hit Bonnie. What if sometime during the night, whatever planted dark-eyed Damon Salvatore in her life, sucked him back up and he was gone? Surely he would have found a way to contact her; he wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye. Inevitably, he would be leaving one day, Bonnie harshly reminded herself. She'd have to prepare for it when the time came, and after last night she began to hope it wouldn't be for a while.

She relaxed against the bed and replayed the pool scene in her mind once more. No matter what happened from this moment on, nothing could take away that memory. Nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>Across town…<strong>

Damon stood in his shower with the detached showerhead, rinsing the suds off his body with a cat that ate the canary smile on his face. Throughout his twenty minute shower there had been only one persistent thought on his mind: Bonnie. When he was human he thought of Katherine often. When he became a vampire—he thought of her still but had scoured the earth looking for her replacement, and thought he had found it in her doppelganger. Not so. Flash forward a year or so and now he was once again feeling a hundred feet tall.

It wasn't difficult for him to see the obvious—Bonnie Bennett had limited experience with men, which is a quality he liked in his women. Oh, sure loose women were fun companions from time to time, but he liked purity and virtue. Call him old fashioned, but Damon preferred women who hadn't been soiled by the world.

For as much light and goodness that surrounded Bonnie's aura there was a pinch of mischievousness, a dash of rebellion, and a sprinkle of malice dancing under the surface. All he need do is pick at it like a scab and then he'd have a perfectly balanced mate. What was the term the kids were using now…BAMF? That would be his Bonnie.

However, there was an aspect to him that didn't want to get farther attached to Bonnie than he already had. He didn't mind the danger of falling foolishly in love with her because, really, why live if you couldn't fall in love? Unfortunately, he would have to return to his world one day. He had his own Bonnie to look after and protect, but…Damon had been a master strategist. If there was a way he could merge both worlds, he'd do it.

So he made this pact with himself: he'd enjoy every moment with Bonnie, the good, the really good, and the bad should any bad come.

Turning off the water and snapping a towel off the rack, he tied it loosely around his lean hips, paused by the mirror long enough to admire his physique, and sauntered out into the bedroom over to his closet.

It was fully stocked with black shirts, black pants, black socks, ten leather jackets some with more detail than others, and very little underwear.

He got dressed.

Having stopped by the only decent shopping center in town, Damon had purchased a cell phone. Elena had been nice enough to give him all the pertinent numbers. His grin increased as he stared at Bonnie's number. Should he call her now or later?

His text message alert beeped not giving him an option. It was a dinner invitation from Elena. He asked the most important question: would Bonnie be there? Not a second later she responded with one simple word: yes.

"Then I guess I'll be coming for dinner," he directed his gaze back to his closet. "Hmm, what will I wear?"

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><p><strong>Bennett Residence<strong>

Dancing around in her socks as she prepared breakfast, Bonnie paused long enough when her message alert went off on her cell.

Tasting some of the homemade pancake batter on the tip of the spoon, Bonnie dribbled just a tad bit more vanilla extract into the mixture prior to opening up the message.

She read aloud, "Dinner at my place tonight. PS Damon will be there." A dark eyebrow rose in the air and Bonnie typed a quick response. "Which Damon did u invite?"

Elena responded back, "The one with the crush."

Bonnie giggled, shook her head, and sent, "LOL, chick I'm gonna burn ur hair when I see u."

Elena replied with an icon of a smiley face sticking its tongue out at her. Bonnie danced her way back to the pancake batter and became lost in a trace as she stirred the mixture.

There had been so much tension in her car as Damon drove her home last night it was hard for her to swallow. Bonnie wasn't sure if he'd try to kiss her again. She was sure he'd try, and already she kept running her tongue back and forth across her bottom lip in preparation for it.

Damon had been a gentleman as he opened up her car door, walked her to the porch, and waited patiently while she unlocked the front door. Bonnie swung back around to face him, his dark eyes giving him the frightening appearance of a ghost. It didn't scare Bonnie, only thrilled her she could be so comfortable with one of the creatures she not so long ago came to despise.

"Good night, princess," he said in that teasing accent of his and she stared up at him in anticipation.

Just as she had been wishing for it, he swept in again for another kiss. This one even better than the first because it wasn't rushed. It was languorous the way he rolled his lips against hers told the story of that's how he'd be if they ever…

It took a moment for Bonnie to feel her extremities again as she stumbled her way inside.

She grinned in memory as she poured just the right amount of batter on the griddle. It was time to formulate a killer outfit for tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>The Gilbert Residence<strong>

Carefully climbing out of her car, and pushing down the mini dress she decided to wear, Bonnie tip toed to the trunk to extract the ice cream she bought on her way to Elena's. Activating the car alarm, she took a step in the direction of the house when an animal stepped into her peripheral vision.

"Is that a…" Bonnie said and blinked.

Standing at least twenty feet away appeared to be a wolf but it may have been an Alaskan Husky. Its fur was gray and white with most of the gray covering the back and hind legs, and those eyes—it had piercing light green eyes. The animal looked intently at Bonnie and then did something odd. It kind of bowed its head as if acknowledging her before slinking away. _Uber weird_, she thought. Bonnie had watched enough nature shows to know wolves were intelligent but she didn't peg them to be _that _intelligent.

In any case, this was a residential area and if that _was _a wolf, Bonnie would be on the safe side and call animal control.

Bonnie didn't bother ringing the door bell. The Gilberts were notorious for never locking their door, not even after learning vampires existed. The smell of gourmet food smacked her in the face as Bonnie sat her purse down on the table in the foyer, and followed the sound of voices.

Elena breezed into the living room with the formal place mats and silverware. "Hey, Bon…wow do we look spiffy."

Bonnie hunched a shoulder and handed Elena the shopping bag. The two girls hugged. "Who knows, I might do something later on," Bonnie tried to downplay the significance of her attire.

"Hey Bonnie," Caroline greeted and embraced her friend. She gave Bonnie a good thorough once-over and then shared a knowing glance with Elena which didn't go unnoticed by Bonnie who felt her defenses rising.

Sure everyone else might have taken the casual approach to their attire tonight, but Bonnie wanted to dress to impress. She always felt sexier when she wore a dress, heels, and jewelry accents.

"What?" Bonnie said to break the intense scrutiny she was receiving from her girlfriends. Both of them tried to look sheepish and failed miserably.

"Nothing, it's just that the only time you wear a dress is if there's a dance or a party. We're just having dinner," Caroline specified.

"Well, I wanted to look nice for a change. There's no crime in that is there? But enough about me, um" she looked at Elena. "Can you get me the phone book? I need to call animal control."

Elena's brow rose in bemusement. "Animal control? Why?"

Bonnie stared down at her feet for a moment before looking back up. "I think I may have seen a wolf in the street a moment ago."

"Like a real wolf and not maybe an albino German shepherd?" asked Caroline.

Bonnie sighed impatiently and stepped beyond her friends. She vaguely remembered where the Gilberts kept the yellow pages. She headed over to a curio cabinet and began to search the lower shelves.

Suddenly Elena blurted, "Damon, you can put that right there. Thanks."

Bonnie's heart stopped, her mouth went dry, and all logical thought flew her mind. She snapped up to her feet and spun around but then frowned after discovering it was light-eyed Damon. They scowled at one another.

Bonnie's disappointment didn't escape Elena. She approached her friend. "He's coming. Damon," she pointed at the one who was blatantly eavesdropping on their conversation, "invited himself after Stefan spilled the beans about tonight."

Damon pushed away from the wall and headed towards Elena. "And I take offense that you would deliberately try to leave me out of tonight's festivities like I'm some sort of pariah. Yet you have no qualms about extending an invitation to my clone."

Bonnie subtracted herself from the ensuing drama. She took the shopping bag out of Elena's hand and strolled to the kitchen. She was a little surprised to see Stefan helping Jenna put the finishing touches on dinner.

"Hey Jenna, hey Stefan. Is there room in the freezer for two quarts of ice cream?"

"Yeah," Jenna replied and vaguely pointed at the refrigerator. "There should be room, if not I'll make some space."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

Stefan vacated his post and wiped his hands clean on a dish towel as he went up to Bonnie. The two smiled at one another. Bonnie opened up the freezer and blew air through her mouth.

"This looks like some type of purgatory for frozen peas and TV dinners," she complained. Stefan chuckled.

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Elena. Did you actually see a wolf outside just now?"

Bonnie flicked her eyes at him and nodded her head. "I can't be sure it was. I mean, I've never seen one in person, but it looked like one."

The two of them began to shuffle things out of the way to cram the ice cream into an already over packed space.

"I've hunted in the woods for a long time," Stefan volunteered, "and the most wildlife I've run into is deer, an occasional elk, but not wolves."

If the situation was different and Stefan was just a typical teenaged guy from the south, his comment wouldn't have had her do a double take. Knowing what he was, and what exactly he preferred to eat, it still made Bonnie gag a little in the back of her throat. But if Bambi and Friends was supplying his diet who was she to judge? Didn't actually mean she wanted to hear any gory details, though.

Bonnie slapped the freezer closed after the ice cream was in. "Are you going to go look for it?" she was curious.

Stefan shrugged and stuffed his hands into the back pocket of his jeans. Vampires and wolves of any kind, according to folklore never had a good relationship. He'd keep as much distance between it and himself.

"I have no intentions of going to go look for it, but I think it's smart you do call animal control and let them handle it. Wolves are extremely territorial animals. If he isn't alone, this could be bad in the long run."

"Yeah, and we don't need any more mysterious deaths."

"Exactly."

The two of them made their way back into the dining room. Bonnie dove in with helping set the table. It was then she heard the front door open and Jenna exclaim:

"Jeeze you look just like him! Are you sure you're just cousins and not his twin that was separated at birth?"

Damon laughed that dark, seductive chuckle that played with Bonnie's heart strings. She self-consciously ran a hand down her dress, fluffed out her wavy hair, and waited.

"I assure you for as much as we look alike we are moons apart. Besides…I'm the nice one," he threw his notorious disarming grin Jenna's way.

The woman blushed and blinked her eyes rapidly. Alaric pushed Jenna aside, lips pursed. No one was going to hit on his girl while he was standing there.

Damon looked annoyed and cross for a second before smiling charmingly. "Alaric, we meet again."

"Yeah, we're expecting everyone to be on their best behavior and not start any drama. Can you follow that _one _rule?" there was finality in Ric's words.

Damon shrugged. "I'll be good…for now."

Jenna was a little confused about their conversation, but said, "Great, well Damon come on in. Dinner's almost ready."

Damon could smell her the second he stepped over the threshold. Her scent called out to him like a siren to shipwrecked warriors of the past. As much as he throbbed to see her, he wanted to delay the moment until it reached a great crescendo.

Bonnie observed from the far side of the table as Damon lightly kissed the ladies on the hand, inclined his head toward the men, and pointedly ignored his double.

If it were up to her feet she would have been on the other side of the table waiting her turn to be greeted by Damon. Yet Bonnie didn't move until all other conversations resumed. She didn't want her friends looking at her strangely because she was actually happy to see Damon.

Jenna had managed to coax Damon to separate from his leather jacket, and once his torso was revealed in the black button down shirt that fit his body like a glove, Bonnie unconsciously bit down on a corner of her lip.

She subtly flicked her eyes towards the other women in the room and just as Bonnie suspected each one of them was mentally undressing dark-eyes. Damon could have wallowed in that fact if he wanted since he was prone to flirting as much as he loved the color black. Nevertheless, he made it perfectly clear who it was _he_ most wanted to see.

Bonnie began to feel displaced out of time while her feet carried her across the room. She was weightless like a baby in amniotic fluid, suspended in a defying moment in her life. The second she was less than a foot away from him, Damon reached for her hands and the two gave one another double kisses on the cheek, the proper European greeting.

A hush fell over the room which Bonnie ignored. Her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Sei bella," Damon whispered.

"Sei bello," Bonnie replied.

He inclined his head in approval. "_Tu sei sole del mio giorno_."

Bonnie smiled, showing all her teeth. "I don't know what you just said." He could have said she looked like a cow walking backwards and she wouldn't have cared—that much—simply because of the way the words rolled off his tongue and pierced her skin.

Light-Eyed Damon sighed heavily. Most people would take one look at him, have taken one look at him and dismissed him as being any kind of intellect. He wasn't dumb by any stretch of the word. Was probably smarter than everyone in the room combined. It was just that he was lazy.

Part of growing up in a wealthy family he had been exposed to modern languages. Italian being one of those to which he spoke fluently. Sometimes when he used to hunt young, impressionable women he would say a line here or there in Italian to weaken defenses and put his meals-on-legs to ease by coming off as a likeable, romantic guy before going in for the kill. It worked without fail. But to see "himself" using that method of seduction with the most judgmental witch of all time, upset his stomach.

Damon was still a tad bit sour over his last confrontation with Bonnie. Who had yet to apologize, by the way.

"He said 'You are the sunshine of his day'," Stefan interpreted for Bonnie.

Real anger burned in Damon's dark orbs as he lifted his head and glared at Stefan over Bonnie's head.

"I did not ask you to translate for me."

Bonnie's spine stiffened.

Stefan heard the threat and rose to his full height. His brother decided to step in and diffuse the situation.

"We're here to have a good time people, not destroy the Gilberts house," Damon's underlined meaning was deciphered by those who knew what was up. He turned to face Jenna who looked increasingly worried. "Is dinner almost ready?"

"Ah, everything's set. We're just waiting on Matt and Jeremy."

"Jeremy's upstairs being anti-social," Elena announced.

"I'll go get him," Stefan offered.

The doorbell chose that moment to ring which defrosted everyone. Caroline went to go open the door.

Bonnie stepped away from Damon and headed back to the table to finish setting it. There were candles there that needed to be lit. She looked over at Elena who received the transmission to distract Jenna long enough.

"Hey, Jenna let's start bringing everything out to the table."

The two women disappeared to do as Elena had suggested. Bonnie licked her lips, closed her eyes, and said the incantation.

The candles burned to life.

She smiled at her handiwork and felt someone standing very close to her. Dark-eyes bored into her, and Damon slid out a chair at the table indicating Bonnie to have a seat.

Together they sat down. "You didn't have to snap at Stefan. He was only trying to be helpful."

Damon's smirk was not friendly at all. "It's a tick that I have with anyone named Stefan Salvatore."

Hum, so he hated his little brother, too. That didn't sit well with Bonnie. Did that mean he and his brother Stefan also loved a woman named Katherine who was a vampire and, therefore, turned them into vampires?

Probably.

More than likely.

Which meant she was in more trouble than she realized.

Jenna, with Elena and Alaric's help brought the dishes to the table. Matt entered the room looking a little red in the face. When Bonnie spotted Caroline wiping the corners of her mouth in satisfaction it was plain to see they had just finished making out.

A moody Jeremy entered the living room, but brightened considerably when he saw Bonnie. That smile of his quickly dissipated once he spotted who she was sitting next to. Jeremy tried to keep his fuming to a minimum.

Minutes later everyone found their seat at the table, passed the dishes around, and began eating.

Damon with the dark eyes watched the vampires consume human food as if it were as nutritious as blood. He grimaced and picked at the food on his own plate. It smelled good enough but it didn't do a thing for him. Discreetly he covered his plate with his napkin and watched Bonnie.

She had a way of holding her fork in her mouth a second longer than necessary before sliding it out past her lips. She chewed slowly as if trying to ascertain each individual ingredient used to make whatever she decided to sample. There was a science behind the way she devoured food, which tempted him to replace her fork with his tongue.

It was growing harder by the second to keep eating because of the way Damon was observing her. It made her nervous and prompted Bonnie to concentrate more than necessary on eating. She took a sip of her water and tried to interact in the conversations taking place around the table. She had no idea what anyone was talking about.

Stefan and Elena threw teasing looks at one another before observing Bonnie and Damon with worried eyes.

Caroline was too busy having eye sex with Matt to really give a damn about anything else.

Jenna and Alaric who sat at the heads of the table, smiled companionably at one another yet would flick their gazes towards the young girl and the man who shared Damon's face.

And Damon, the one who would have been much more satisfied with a bottle of Jack, ate his food blindly because he didn't want to miss a moment of the show playing out right in front of him.

Bonnie hadn't said anything to him and usually he was fine with that. But it seemed almost hypocritical of her to be so eager for "other" Damon's attention, ultimately giving him a pass because of what? Because he pulled her out of the road before she went splat on some eighteen wheelers fender? Because he defended her when they were ambushed by the remaining tomb vampires?

Didn't seem fair to him. Bonnie lied about the John Gilbert device and because of it he almost died. She held him personally responsible for her grandmother's death when really Elena and Stefan were to blame because it was _their_ idea to open up the tomb to give him what he wanted. Did she take any of that into consideration—hells no. Yet here she was breaking bread with his clone like he was Julius fucking Caesar.

Damon forced his gaze away from them and settled on Elena. He caught her looking at him and he couldn't help but smirk and wink at her. She rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning her plate.

Stefan shook his head.

"You're not eating," Bonnie mumbled lowly to Damon.

"I'm not hungry. Human food isn't as appealing as…you know."

"Not eating could be misconstrued as being rude."

Damon didn't care about that. He was known the world over as genuinely not giving a shit. "And that would hurt my reputation how?"

She got trapped in his eyes again. "I guess it wouldn't."

He leaned just a little closer, infiltrating Bonnie's airways with the heady scent of his cologne or perhaps it was his natural scent. Whatever it was, he smelled much more appetizing than the food she was eating.

"Besides, I wouldn't be able to watch you eat and it's far more interesting. You eat like you're in love with food. Slowly. Methodically. Controlled. _Very _entertaining." With each word he said, he closed what distance stood between them. His breath fanned against her face.

Time did that slowing down thing again while the conversations around the table stalled.

Bonnie reached for her water and guzzled it down.

After dinner everyone tried to agree on what activity to do. Jenna had suggested they roast marshmallows. None of the vampires looked thrilled with that suggestion. In typical Caroline fashion she thought they could watch a romantic comedy. Everyone groaned.

"Oh, I got it, Bonnie can read palms," Caroline blurted.

Bonnie frowned serverely. That was certainly…different.

"Caroline…what are you doing?" Bonnie asked through clenched teeth.

The blond shrugged. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to keep things lively before people start to bail. I mean I can always leave and go make out with Matt, but I can do that any day of the week. It'll be fun."

Bonnie allowed herself to be toted into the living room. Stefan had gotten a fire going in the fireplace.

Taking a seat on a stack of pillows on the floor, Bonnie warmed her hands by the fire. "Who's my first victim? Caroline, get over here since this was your idea."

Caroline happily obliged and joined Bonnie on the floor. She thrust her right palm out at Bonnie who took her hand and began to study the lines.

"You see this line?" Bonnie traced it with her forefinger. "It means you're going to have a long life."

"Duh, that goes without saying," Caroline did a combination of an eye roll and hair flip. "I want to know if I'll marry someone with blond hair and blue eyes, who's athletic, sweet, and ambitious."

Matt began to squirm.

Bonnie shook her head and began to study the lines again. She squinted a bit and then, she lost the picture that was forming in her head.

"I don't know about the husband with the blue eyes and blond hair…but all I can see right now is that you'll have a long life…but…"

Caroline's eyebrows flew into her hairline. "But?" her voice raised an octave. "Buts are never good."

"The journey will be unlike anything you've experienced." She looked up at her friend apologetically. "That's all I got, kiddo."

Caroline snorted. "Well that was…disappointing." She got up from the spot and stomped over to Matt.

Jenna, who never believed in this kind of stuff decided to go next. Bonnie studied her palm for a moment.

"Conflict is coming, but there'll be someone there to help you through it. Trust your instincts because they've never let you down in the past."

Jenna still looked expectant for more. Bonnie merely shrugged her shoulders, but then caught a flash of something. "Oh, and always drink your tea."

"Well," Jenna drew out the word. "That was…helpful."

"Yeah, I wouldn't join the psychic friends network if I were you, Bennett," Damon, with the light-eyes snorted and took a sip of Jenna's secret stash of vodka. "You'd put them out of business in no time."

Bonnie ignored him and merely kept her eyes on Elena as she took Jenna's spot. The two friends stared at one another.

The second Bonnie touched Elena's palm, she jumped and the lights flickered briefly. The vampires perked up whereas the humans shifted apprehensively.

Elena began to breathe a little faster. Bonnie closed her eyes and when they opened they appeared opaque to the doppelganger.

"Bonnie…?"

She began to speak but there was an inflection in her voice. "Someone from your past is returning." The fire began to pop angrily in the fireplace. Elena looked at it and then at the fact they were sitting too close to it. Suddenly Bonnie gripped Elena by the wrists, her eyes shifted color again until they began to glow.

"And this person brings with them…endless pain…endless suffering…endless…" Bonnie forced herself out of the trance and as a result every single light bulb that was illuminated, exploded. If it weren't for the fire they'd be in total darkness.

Caroline and Jenna screamed. The guys cursed. Dark-eyed Damon smiled—memories.

And then…someone knocked on the door.

The muscles in the back of Alaric's neck were tight, yet he tramped down his own terror and cautiously made his way to the front door. He threw it open, and his jaw dropped.

"Hope I'm not too late for dinner."

Jenna stood behind Alaric and was soon wearing the same stupefied expression on her face. "John."

Elena heard the name and turned to face Bonnie. She was right about someone from her past returning. Her dad just blew back into town.

* * *

><p>Bonnie had apologized profusely to Elena and Jenna for scaring them, and promised to reimburse them for the light bulbs. Alaric said not to worry about it. Now she stood outside speaking to Elena about John's reappearance.<p>

"I know this is going to sound dumb but I almost feel like I summoned him," Bonnie admitted self-deprecatingly.

Elena rubbed her arms trying to generate some warmth. "If that's the case can't you just poof him away or something?" the girls shared a laugh. "The last time he was here and I learned the truth…I just don't want to go through all of that again."

"And you won't," said a voice over Elena's shoulder. She jumped and turned around as Stefan approached. "He won't hurt you so long as I'm around."

"Thanks, but I know I'm going to have to deal with him eventually."

"But not right now. Let's go for a walk."

Elena looked at Bonnie apologetically, and in typical fashion, Bonnie wordlessly said it was okay for them to leave her on a darkened street corner to go make out.

"I'll see you at school," Bonnie said.

"Okay."

"Be safe, Bonnie," Stefan advised. That went without saying. The twosome began to head down the sidewalk.

Bonnie dug around in her purse for her keys. Her hands began shaking. It had been a long time since she fell into a trance and saw something…she purposely blocked it from her memory.

The front door of the Gilbert residence opened and it barely caught Bonnie's ear. She just wanted to get home and forget the last hour happened.

"Bennett, I need to speak to you," Damon bounced down the porch stairs.

Bonnie rolled her eyes suddenly feeling tired. It was at that moment she realized she was on some unorthodox treadmill with Damon and wanted off.

"What do you want?" she nearly whined.

Damon didn't make a further comment until he stood before the sprite girl. "That vision you had about Elena...you didn't finish it. You saw something else, and don't play me because I know you did."

Bonnie glared up into his celestial blue orbs. "I didn't see anything, Damon. Now move because I'm tired."

She attempted to open her door which Damon slammed shut, and grabbed Bonnie by the arm.

She yelped at the tightness of his grip. He stood so close to her that their clothes brushed along one another.

Damon, nostrils flared, spoke through cinched teeth, "You know my fuse is _very _short, Bonnie, so please don't work my nerves on purpose. I just want to know what you saw because if Elena is in any danger and you don't tell me and something happens to her…that'll fall on your pretty little head," his gripped tightened reflexively.

Green eyes drilled heatedly into a pair of methane blue ones. "And how does what I saw become your problem? She has a boyfriend, and it'll be her boyfriend I say anything to. Now. Take. Your. Hand. Off. Of. Me," Bonnie carefully enunciated her words.

"See that's where you're wrong because Stefan doesn't know the first thing about keeping Elena safe, or protecting her. I do. Besides you owe me especially after the stunt you pulled the other day. Don't you know what I can do to you, Judgey? Or do you think that because I drink from bags that I'm not a threat anymore?" His eyes faded to red and his fangs emerged. "I wouldn't hesitate to rip your heart from your chest because your life means nothing to me."

Bonnie breathed deeply. She refused to be intimidated or hurt by his words. "Do what you like, Damon just remember dead people can't talk."

He glowered at her.

"I'd step away from her if were you," the other Damon materialized from the shadows looking cool and indifferent though it was a smokescreen to the violence that was ready to be unleashed. "Or things will turn ugly _quickly_."

Damon sighed heavily and released Bonnie who rubbed feeling back into her arm. "This doesn't concern you, _clone_," Damon said bitingly.

"Hmm, that's where you're mistaken," dark-eyed Damon stood less than a foot away from Bonnie. He callously raked his eyes over Damon and grimaced. "It's been a while since I've de-fanged a vampire. You're taking me back to medieval times."

In a flash the two Damon's stood toe-to-toe to one another and began trading insults in Italian. Bonnie could picture the ensuing fight in her head but wasn't going to insert herself in the middle to break up a slug fest between too hard-headed vampires.

"Damon and…Damon," Alaric overlooked what he just said. "That's enough!"

Both turned thunderous expressions on the intruder. Neither one wanted to back down first.

"The both of you need to leave. The night's over," the history teacher dropped his gaze on Bonnie. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she gave her universal answer to everything. She unheeded the fact the area on her arm where Damon held her was still pounding and more than likely would be bruised.

Bonnie, at that moment, just wanted to go home and put the entire night behind her.

Dark-Eyed Damon snapped out of his fury as he saw Bonnie barely holding herself together. He came up to her. "Let me see you home."

She didn't want to be around either Damon right now. "It's okay. I'll be fine." She got into her car and drove off leaving everyone standing in a cloud of dust.

* * *

><p>Of course by the time she got home, Damon would be sitting on her porch waiting for her. He stood up the second she joined him.<p>

"I thought I said that I was fine so that implied I was fine," she began.

Damon shook his head in the negative. "You can lie to your little human friends, but I always know when you tell the truth. You aren't fine. You're hurting, not just physically, but emotionally as well."

Bonnie snorted. "Are you some sort of therapist now?"

"If anyone should be qualified it would be me. After what I've seen, done, and experienced I've learned a lot about the world and its underbellies, and in my studies I've learned a great deal about human nature as well. Want to know a shocking secret…people _don't _change. They may alter their behavior from time to time, but fundamentally they are still the same."

"That being said, the same could go for vampires, right?" Bonnie challenged a bit testily.

Damon shrugged. "Yes, unfortunately."

"So that means you could turn on someone who put their trust in you and not think anything of it."

Damon didn't like where this conversation was headed. "I can show you a thing or two about trust." He extended his hand out to her. Bonnie studied it for a second.

"Why should I trust you? One day you're going to leave."

Damon sighed. "Yes, but until then…look you're the only person I trust."

"Why?"

He growled. What was with girls and their incessant questions? "Because you haven't given me a reason not to. I know what you can do with your power, Bonnie, and I'm not scared of it. In fact, I'm riveted by it. I'm willing to take the plunge. Are you?"

She'd need a few years before she could answer that question, but right now…Damon was the only friend she had at her complete disposal at the moment.

Coming to that startling conclusion, Bonnie hesitantly placed her tiny hand in his.

The next thing she knew, she was flying.

Her screams died when Damon suddenly stopped in front of a two story Victorian house. He swung open the large door and motioned for her to follow him inside.

"Welcome to my house," he said against the shell of her ear the minute Bonnie walked across the threshold.

It was beautifully decorated with antique and modern pieces, and felt like a home. Yet something told her Damon didn't go to the furniture store and pick out everything. He must have compelled the original owners to sign over the property to him or to take an extended vacation.

When she brought her quizzical eyes to him, he merely smirked and ascended the staircase. Bonnie followed him and wondered why she wasn't questioning her decision making at this point.

Damon entered the master suite and waited for Bonnie to tip-toe her way inside. Her eyes were large as she tried to absorb everything she was seeing. She jumped when the door shut softly and the lock clicked into place.

The young witch pivoted on her feet to face Damon. He reached for Bonnie crushing her against his chest, burying his hand into her mane of wavy hair.

At first she was stiff because Damon mostly felt like stone, and because it had been an extremely long time since someone held her like she mattered. He picked her up bridal style and deposited her on the bed and quickly joined her.

They didn't say anything for a long time. Merely stared at one another. The silence didn't bother her, and before she knew it she was crying.

Damon drew her to his chest.

"He meant every word he said to me," she mumbled as her tears wet his shirt. "I've never met anyone…who cared…so little…who wanted me dead so much."

Damon felt anger burst inside him and he had a mind to go hunt the little fucker down and not only de-fang him but sever the finger with his day walking ring and chain him to a tree facing the rising sun. But death for Damon would have been too merciful.

"Upon my word if he ever lays a hand on you again…that'll be his last day on earth."

Would it make Bonnie a bad person that she actually felt happy about Damon saying that?

Bonnie sniffled, got her cry out, and wiped her face more than likely smearing her makeup all over the place. Damon released her so she could lean up on her elbow to stare down at him.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Because I want you to have a safe place to come to. What you saw in your vision tonight…I sense that something is about to go down. If it comes to that and you need someplace to go, I want you to come here."

She was touched he'd do this for her, but there was one problem. She laughed. "Um…could you give me directions because I have no idea how to get here?"

He laughed and pulled her back down to his chest and kissed the crown of her head. "Sleep, princess. We'll figure everything out in the morning."

Chapter end.

**A/N: I've dropped a lot of subtle hints in this chapter. If you watched the first two seasons you should be able to see what I was conveying with Bonnie's palm reading, and the wolf if not all will be revealed. And yes, once again TV Damon opened mouth and inserted foot but the question won't be why can't he be nice to Bonnie, but is his anger being fueled by something else? I know not too much fluff happened between Book Damon/Bonnie but they will have moments where they'll feel like they're the only two people in the world. It just happens when you have a deep connection with someone. But the real story is slowly beginning to unwind. I'll be back for the next update soon. Promise. Thank you for reading and leaving me your thoughts. Love you guys!**


	6. Surrender

**A/N: Now on to the show...Thanks for reading.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

"I think I found something," Damon said as he strolled into the library and descended the stairs, his gaze intent on the newspaper he was holding.

Elena seated in one of two chairs next to the large stain glass window, sat down the book she had been skimming through. She stood up, running the palms of her hands down her skinny jeans. Damon took his eyes away from the paper long enough to give her a discreet once-over approving of her figure hugging attire before showing her the article.

Elena read a paragraph or two yet she was well aware of the fact Damon was standing three inches too close to her. She secretly hated when he did that as if trying to overwhelm her with his presence. It wasn't necessary because he wasn't the type of man any woman with sharp senses could ignore. After she was done reading what she thought was the important part of the article, she brought her whiskey colored eyes up to him questioningly.

"Is there something I'm supposed to see?" the doppelganger queried.

Damon pried the paper out of her hands and pointed at two important words: antiques dealer. Again, Elena found herself lost in translation.

Inwardly the dark vampire rolled his eyes and barely resisted kissing Elena on the forehead. Barely.

"Remember when the other Damon said that he could travel between dimensions with the use of a key or a star ball?"

Elena vaguely recalled that. She nodded her head.

Damon continued,"Dontess de la Gandara is one of the wealthiest men in Virginia and has an extensive art and collectibles collection. Some of his pieces are rumored to date back to BC times. He very well may have what the other Damon needs to get the fuck up out of here," Damon ended with a charismatic smile and a lift of his eyebrows.

Elena snorted, "So your plan is to what? Steal it?"

Damon winked at her. "Two points for, Elena."

"That's all well and good except you have no idea what a star ball looks like or the key he would need."

Damon shrugged like that was the least of his worries, which it was. "Doesn't matter because I'm resourceful when I need to be," he leaned closer to Elena, infecting her with the musky scent of his aftershave. "When I'm pursuing something I want…I _always_ see results."

Elena gulped nervously and stepped away from Damon. She was growing weary of the subtle hints he constantly threw out. She had never been caught in a love triangle in her entire life, and thoroughly enjoyed watching them on TV or in a really good movie. However, experiencing one in real life was more trouble than it was worth. Only because someone with a good heart stood to get hurt, and she for one wasn't in the business to crush anyone's feelings. With Damon, Elena was finding it time to have to do so. She couldn't keep letting him get away with this crap.

Damon saw her retreat and figured he might have been too forward, revealed another card in his hand. But sometime's Elena was just too irresistible and tempting that he couldn't help but push the boundaries of what she'd allow before remembering she was in love with Stefan. Yet he craved moments like this when it was just the two of them, and he didn't have to pretend to be indifferent with her.

But he was no dummy. He felt an attraction simmering on the surface, yet Elena wanted to do the honorable thing and only be with one Salvatore brother. No, Damon couldn't stand sharing. If he held out just a little while longer, by the end of the year Elena would be the one coming after him.

"Besides it'll be nice for things to go back to the way it was around here," Damon ruled. "This world is only big enough for one Damon, and the other is seriously cramping my style and getting on my nerves."

Elena folded her arms over her chest. "You really don't like him, do you?"

He stared at her drolly in response to her question. "Would you like someone who had your…" Damon stopped once he realized there was such a person gallivanting around with Elena's face. Someone who could show up at any time and ruin her life. "Never mind."

Yeah, Elena didn't like being reminded that she was a living copy of a vampire. The same vampire who turned her boyfriend and his brother into vampires, and sat this whole wicked love triangle into motion.

Elena cleared her throat, refusing to address that particular elephant. "I guess we should tell Bonnie. She might be able to help find the star ball."

Damon poked Elena right above her clavicle, "You do that."

As she reached for her cell phone, Elena couldn't help but study Damon. She didn't know that much about his past but what she was able to gather from the scraps Stefan occasionally offered, she knew that Damon had been in competition with someone his whole life. His father hated him, he hated Stefan, and Katherine proved to be just another person who never really gave a damn about Damon either.

All of this being somewhat public knowledge, Elena could only assume that it bothered Damon incalculably that a girl who's made it no secret that she preferred him dead, and only saved his life for someone else's benefit would gravitate towards another version of himself seamlessly. If she were in his shoes, it would bother her. But also make her examine herself.

She approached him. Damon turned and looked down at her expectantly. "I know you don't like talking about this stuff, but how does it make you feel seeing Bonnie interacting with the other Damon?"

His jaw ticked. She was right. He DID NOT like talking about his feelings. He was a vampire so technically he wasn't supposed to have any.

Instead of being straight with her, Damon grinned. "Are you asking me if I get jealous when I see them eye-fucking?

Elena pursed her lips and her brow knitted together in annoyance.

He began to play with a strand of her long hair. "Do you want me to say that it drives me up the wall to see her smile at him, to stand close to him, to see her lean into his touch and not recoil from it? Do you want me to say it keeps me up at night? Do you want me to say I'd rather have someone drive rusty nails up my arms than to be in the same room with them?"

"Damon…" her throat was turning dry from the intensity that radiated from his very core.

"If I said yes to all of the above what would you do to make things better for me, Elena? How would you help me _cope_ because I know you can't stand to see anyone suffer? And I am suffering."

"Am I'm interrupting something?" Stefan casually leaned against the threshold and folded his arms over his chest.

Damon dropped his hand from Elena's hair and smiled at his brother.

"I was just about to call Bonnie," the teen girl explained and then fumbled with her phone.

The brothers traded murderous scowls at one another.

Elena waited impatiently for Bonnie to answer. She tapped her foot nervously against the carpeted floor. "Bonnie, hey," the relief in her voice was evident.

"_Buongiorno_, Elena."

The girl in question felt her eyes balloon twice their normal size. "Damon? Ah, where's Bonnie?"

"She's in the shower," came the nonchalant reply.

Elena felt herself blushing for some unknown reason. "You're at her house?"

She failed to notice that the vampire siblings were listening intently to her conversation.

"No, signora, we're at mine. Hold on she just stepped out."

In the background Elena could hear Damon telling Bonnie that she was on the line. The phone switched hands, and there was a smacking noise in the background. Either Damon kissed Bonnie's cheek or slapped her naked ass. She wasn't sure which and didn't really want to know…at least not when she was standing in a room with two nosy vampires breathing down her neck.

"Hey, E what's up?"

"Other than the fact you have some major explaining to do…when we're alone that is…but can you come to the boardinghouse? Damon found something in the paper this morning. A possible lead to acquiring a star ball to send the other Damon back."

There was a noticeable gap of silence on the phone. "And we have to discuss this at the boardinghouse?"

Elena could hear the ice in Bonnie's voice. "I'd say lets meet at the Grill, but…we don't need anyone to overhear and I'm kind of dodging John. He won't step foot here so long as he knows Stefan and Damon are around."

Again there was a lengthy pause. Elena wasn't insensitive to the fact Bonnie didn't particularly like coming to the boardinghouse, but she was hoping she'd overlook that tiny detail.

Bonnie sighed. She didn't see any other way around it. "Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Oh," Damon interrupted. "Tell her to come alone. Don't need the other Damon to try to sabotage anything."

Elena repeated Damon's sentiment to Bonnie who said rather coldly that she wasn't going to keep anything from Damon and if he didn't like it he could go skinny dipping in a volcano for all she cared and promptly hung up the phone.

"Well…that went well."

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls High<strong>

The cafeteria was full of the usual suspects as Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena—trays in hand—began to weave their way through the crowd to an empty table that was set off to the side. The better part of the morning had been spent formulating a way to get an invite to Dontess de la Gandara's private art viewing in his home this coming Saturday. It was agreed that Damon would use his connections i.e his family name to secure the invite and then he and Bonnie would go to the gala as a gushing couple, swipe the star ball if there was one to be swiped, and send the other Damon packing before church on Sunday morning.

Seemed like a flawless plan except there were a lot of holes. The biggest being if de la Gandara even had a star ball or knew what it was. And two) if he did in fact have one could it be used to send Damon back to _his_ time?

Bonnie didn't think it was right to leave Damon out of the initial planning stage. She sent him a text telling him what was going on and he showed up within minutes.

Naturally this didn't bode well with light-eyes, but when one plan failed he always had a back up.

And of course the two Damon's had words on who should accompany Bonnie to the art viewing. Neither felt the other was particularly worthy to be her date.

_"You don't like her so how are you going to convince de la Gandara and the rest of the patrons that you two are a couple?"_

_Light-eyed Damon reared his head back and laughed dryly. "I'm not only a vampire but I'm also an actor. I could have explosive chemistry with a rock if I wanted to."_

_It was the other Damon's turn to laugh. "I foresee that your innards will be on the living room floor by the end of the night because you don't know how to keep your jaw shut. The man is wealthy and he's sure to have guards around. You've never seen a star ball before and wouldn't know what to do with it once you found it. It only makes sense that the vampire who's handled those objects be the one to attend the gala with Bonnie. With her gifts she should be able to detect it."_

_Every eye in the room then shifted to Bonnie. She was still very much a novice and could vaguely detect when something was off or supernatural but only through touch, which wasn't always a sure thing. She would essentially have to spend the evening touching things in order to sense that kind of power._

_"I should be able to," she said quietly. The plan continued to steam roll from that moment on._

_Before she arrived at the boardinghouse, Bonnie gave herself a pep talk to offset the chance of setting Damon on fire on sight._

_He had been nasty to her last night. Said things that as a girl hurt her feelings, and as a woman pissed her off. More importantly he put his hands on her. That was a big no-no._

_When she woke up and found herself alone in bed, she panicked for one second thinking her night with the visiting Damon had been a dream, never occurred. But when he strode in the room wearing a pair of pajama pants that rode low on his lean hips, revealing that delicious V, her panic subsided and she dropped back down on the mattress._

_"Rise and shine," Damon sing song and pulled opened the curtains, flooding the room with light. He stalked over to the bed and slanted his mouth over Bonnie's effectively drugging her and chasing away the weariness from her brain. He shuffled to the bathroom to start the shower for her._

_Bonnie had leaned up on her elbows and stared down at herself. Her eyebrow flew into her hairline when she realized she was dressed in a flowing nightgown. _

_"Did you?" she ran her hand along the soft silk gown. "Did you change me into this?"_

_He didn't look guilty or repentant in the least. "I didn't peek…much," Damon grinned._

_Strangely, Bonnie didn't feel violated in the least only minutely upset she wasn't awake when it happened._

_Damon sat down on the edge of the bed facing her. "Give me one reason not to rip his head clean off his shoulders."_

_For a second she was confused by his bizarre request but she dropped her eyes to her arm. It was bruised but not as bad as she thought it would be. Still it didn't excuse Damon's behavior in the least._

_"It's very tempting to say go for it," she kept her gaze focused on the discolored marking on her flesh, "but I read this parapsychology theory article about other dimensions. If you're killed in one you could potentially die in others. But it's just a theory," Bonnie said sheepishly._

_Damon cupped her cheek, running the pad of his thumb across her soft skin. With the sunlight streaming into the room, Bonnie glowed like honey. And Damon wanted the sweetness of it on his tongue._

_"Well…because I like…not living…I guess this means I can't find a creative way to fit him into a meat grinder."_

_Bonnie laughed. What interesting morning conversation._

_"I don't have much to offer in terms of breakfast, but I do have coffee."_

_She smiled. "I'll have a cup."_

_He winked. "Go ahead and get in the shower. Everything is laid out for you."_

_Bonnie didn't move from the bed until he vacated the room. She padded into the massive bathroom in awe of the décor and when she finally chanced looking at her reflection, she almost screamed. Closing and locking the door behind her, she undressed and looked at her arm again. She could very faintly make out Damon's handprint yet she felt anger flared again._

_Damon would never treat Elena that way. She wondered if her being a witch was his only excuse for treating her the way he did, or maybe he just didn't like…_

_She stopped her thoughts and hopped in the shower._

_Later when she had entered the boardinghouse, Bonnie did so with the poise and grace her grandmother had taught her. The young witch didn't even acknowledge Damon, though she did notice he couldn't quite make eye contact with her either._

_Stefan, being of the quietly astute kind did pick up on the hostility that was beaming back and forth between his brother and Bonnie. He'd question her about it later because he already knew he wouldn't get anything out of Damon._

_The plan had been given everyone's stamp of approval. Bonnie would put her blind rage aside to accomplish the goal, but then she realized this meant her time with the amazing Damon Salvatore would be coming to an abrupt end._

_They stared at one another before disappearing into another room. "If he has the star ball…are you going to use it right away?"_

_Damon ran his hands up and down her arms. It would seem every time he found something remarkable it inevitably slipped through his fingers._

_"I won't decide anything until it's time. I'm going to do some further research on this de la Gandara person. He might have what I need to go back to my home, or it could be just another dead end," his lips lifted in a sad smile._

_That wasn't the insurance policy Bonnie had been looking for, but she'd take it._

Now seated between her two best friends, she was back to acting as if nothing ever bothered her.

"Damon thinks there's a chance the art collector might have a star ball, and if he does it might be able to send the other Damon back to his world," Elena was saying when Bonnie tuned into the conversation. She had been filling Caroline in on what happened this morning.

Annoyance flashed through Bonnie, "Yes, and everything Damon says and does is gospel."

Her biting tone did not escape her two friends.

"Hey," Elena tried gently, "I know you and Damon have your problems…but I think he's just trying to look out for everyone."

Bonnie gave an undignified snort. "Damon only looks out for Damon and even when you think he's doing something for the good of mankind he's still only looking out for his own ass. He's a _snake_, Elena and that's never going to change."

"To hear the way you talk about Damon you'd think the two of you used to screw," Caroline attempted to joke. It backfired considerably when Bonnie's eyes shot daggers at her.

"He tried to kill me, Caroline, and he said…" Bonnie shut up.

"What did he say, Bon?" Elena pressed. "If Damon said something out of line you should tell us."

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it, Elena? Tattle on him to his _little _brother, pul-leeze. Stefan has just as much influence over Damon as does holding up a cross in front of him."

Caroline snickered and when Elena looked at her she shrugged, "What?"

"Maybe the two of you shouldn't go the gala…" Elena thought aloud.

_And have you take my place and be on the arm of not one but two Damon Salvatore's, _Bonnie thought viciously and felt a stab of jealously at the thought of Elena being around the Damon she actually liked. Whoa, where did that come from? Bonnie wondered.

"Look, I can put my issues with Stefan's brother on the back burner. Doesn't mean we'll ever become pen pals or follow one another on Twitter."

Caroline wiped her hands clean after polishing off her salad. "I have to ask…how do you feel about the other Damon potentially going away? You two have so much chemistry, I was afraid you'd set the dinner table on fire the other night."

Bonnie couldn't help it, she chuckled. "He's…nice."

"Nice?" Elena said skeptically. "Is that _all _you think about him?"

No, Bonnie wanted to admit; however, she liked her clandestine "situation" with Damon. There wasn't much she had full ownership of but when it came to her and Damon…it was just the two of them. She much preferred to keep it that way. No outside interference of any kind, thank you!

"Yeah," Bonnie responded after a while. "He's nice."

"Well, as nice as he is you have to bear in mind that he won't be here forever," Elena, the girl who liked to pop people's balloons and tell ailing children in hospitals that Santa wasn't real, reminded her friend of that harsh fact.

"Don't try to stunt her growth, Elena. Most of the people in our lives are here on a temporary basis anyways." Caroline turned to face Bonnie directly. "If you like him, which my little radar is saying you do, then give him the most awesome gift to remember you by."

"Caroline," Elena was outraged, "are you suggesting Bonnie hand over her V card," and then a sinister grin popped out on her face.

Caroline had a "duh" expression on her face. "What other card could I have been talking about?"

Bonnie put her head on the table. Why oh why did she have to become best friends with Caroline Forbes and Elena Gilbert?

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Damon was walking around the library putting away books when he stopped. He spun around, eyes darting in different directions because the air felt off. The feeling was akin to someone walking up behind you despite the fact you're completely alone. When nothing jumped out and yelled "boo" he continued with his activity.

He headed over to the historical fiction side of the library when suddenly something invisible wrapped around his neck and he was pulled clear off his feet.

He had walked into a freaking noose!

Frantically he reached for the wire that held him suspended in the air like a chicken, and the minute he touched it, it burned his hands. Vervain…someone had dipped the wire in vervain, and it was slowly embedding into his neck about to severe his head from his body.

Damon choked out. Stefan was still at school. FUCK! _Cell phone_, _Damon. Get your gotdamn cell phone_.

He tried to reach for it out of his back pocket, but every time he moved, the wire slipped deeper in his neck. Blood poured from the wound and soaked his shirt.

Approaching footsteps caught his attention. He was saved!

"How's it hanging, Damon?" dark-eyes taunted and folded his arms over his chest, the leather sleeves of his jacket squeaking in protest.

Damon didn't dare talk afraid the smallest movement would send the wire deeper into his neck. Veins bulged on his forehead and his eyes kept rolling into the back of his head.

"_guggrrrllsssgggrsl_"

Dark-Eyes cupped his ear. "I'm sorry I don't speak troll. Could you say that in English please?"

Blood and spittle ran down Damon's chin while tears dripped from his eyes. He glared at Damon.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into a bit of a pickle. I'm sure you're wondering how this happened."

Damon pulled out a chair and made himself more than comfortable. He began to admire his nails.

"I saw the damage your handling of Bonnie caused last night. I've never been in favor of a man putting his hands on a maiden unless she's a cold, heartless bitch who tried to kill you. However, Bonnie has extended you her grace by sparing your life from a fire recently, and this is how you show your appreciation? By marring her flawless skin with your_ disgusting_ hands?" all jollity fled Damon's face and was replaced with menacing fury. He leaned forward, resting an elbow on his knee.

"Yet you wouldn't dream of harming a single hair on Elena's head. I understand," the coolness returned to Damon as he sat back in the chair, crossed his legs at the ankle, and made a steeple of his hands before putting them behind his head. "She's beautiful. She's the splitting image of your Katherine, which tells me she's everything Katherine isn't, and that's why you call yourself being in love with her. But how would you feel if some mother-fuck-er," he enunciated every syllable of the word, "were to put his filthy hands on her? Don't think you'd like it much. No?"

Light-eyed Damon Salvatore couldn't nod his head, speak, or even blink without causing himself more pain. Let's just say he was learning a very valuable lesson.

"You touch Bonnie again…threaten her again…and you won't be missing one head, but two," he stared pointedly at his crotch.

Ice flowed through Damon's veins.

Dark-eyes stared up at Damon and saw he was maybe a minute away from being completely decapitated. Sighing, he rose from the chair, flashed up the second floor railing.

"I want your word that you'll never say anything untoward Bonnie _ever _again and that you'll actually start protecting her because in my humble opinion, she's the true goddess walking amongst mortals in this backwoods town. Hold up your thumb in agreement or I let my nifty little noose friend here finish you off."

It was painful but Damon forced his thumb to go up. He would have agreed to go on a vegetarian diet like Stefan and start eating skunks and porcupines if it meant getting cut down from this death trap.

Satisfied Damon cut him down.

He landed with a loud thud, and coughed violently. Dark-Eyed Damon loomed over Damon and reached for the wire and pulled it none-too-gently from Damon's neck. The two vampires eyed one another.

"Come after me if you like…but you better bring your A game if you hope to succeed," Damon tapped Damon on the cheek, threw a blood bag at him. "And you might want to think about apologizing to Bonnie. I know…" he stared at him sympathetically for a fleeing moment, "we don't like apologizing, but in this situation you can make an exception, can't you?"

Damon blinked back his tears, refusing to cry in front the clone that really tried to kill him and would have been successful.

He said nothing. Besides he wasn't sure his vocal chords were working just now.

Damon left him with a parting scowl before vanishing from the room.

* * *

><p>Bonnie was putting away her books for the day when something slipped out of her locker and was two seconds from clattering on the floor until a pale white hand interceded and caught it.<p>

She turned around coming face to face with Stefan. He handed Bonnie her small memo pad. "Thanks."

He inclined his head in the old world style of his. Stefan wasn't known to just stop by for a casual visit so she waited for him to ask for some favor.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Stefan asked.

"Okay," they began to head out of the building towards the parking lot.

"I know things have been tense between you and Damon the last few months…but I noticed something this morning."

Bonnie stiffened. She didn't mind talking to Stefan about dumb stuff but when it came to his brother, she felt she said all she needed to say to him the night she saved Damon from the fire.

"Stefan I know you'd like there to be peace and harmony but let's face it, you are related to a world-class jerk. If you don't fall in the following three categories then you're expendable," Bonnie began to check them off on her fingers. "Damon, Katherine, and Elena."

Stefan's face remained notably blank when Bonnie named his girlfriend as the final category. Not because he didn't agree but because he knew she spoke the truth. Did it bother him history was trying to repeat itself—that didn't take a genius to figure out.

Bonnie continued, "I seriously don't know how you put up with him, but then…I guess each of us can ask that question of ourselves when thinking of our own family. So that being said, I don't want to talk about Damon, and if I never see him again…well I won't exactly be crying tears of sadness over it."

Stefan nodded. Bonnie was honestly the only person he could think of that didn't take Damon's shit with a wink and a smile. Additionally, he didn't think she was being judgmental in the least because he knew his brother wasn't a saint and shouldn't escape accountability.

"And the other Damon?" Stefan flicked his gaze to Bonnie.

She looked up into Stefan's bluish-gray orbs. "What about him?"

"You hold him in a different category despite the fact he shares my brother's face."

Bonnie arched an eyebrow. "I think he's proven he's much different from your brother."

Stefan grabbed her gently by the elbow to stop her. "As different as he is…I wouldn't spend too much time alone with him. You don't know much about him and sure he might come off as being the perfect gentleman but he's still a vampire."

"Trust me. I haven't forgotten what he is. Stefan, I'm not some naïve girl who looks at him with stars in her eyes. I listen to my gut everyday, and so far she ain't been wrong about him," Bonnie smiled. Stefan merely tucked his lips in.

"Well, he's waiting for you," he inclined his head towards the parking lot.

Bonnie snapped her head in the direction in which Stefan indicated and sure enough Damon with those deep eyes of his was standing next to some expensive sports car. He grinned at her.

Sparing Stefan a glance, Bonnie trotted over to Damon."What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to give you a ride in my new baby."

Bonnie eyed the black car with the heavily tinted windows that wouldn't pass an inspection before to staring at Damon. She didn't have anything other than homework to do.

She shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do at the moment."

Damon chuckled and pulled her satchel off her shoulder. He opened the door, the kind that lifted up from the ground. Bonnie slid into the suede bucket seat. In less than a second he was sitting behind the wheel and gunned the engine that purred like a panther.

All anyone could see was a sleek black car turn into a blur with a license plate that read: SALVATORE in block letters.

* * *

><p>Damon wanted him, <em>him <em>to apologize. He'd rather die a thousand ways from Sunday than to admit to anyone he had been wrong. Yet…

He knew he was wrong.

Sure he might have torn the hearts out of a few ladies here and there both figuratively and literally, but hey they deserved it because they tried to either out him as a vampire or tried to kill him. Damon was a believer in terms of an eye for an eye, tit for tat, and getting what's yours by any means necessary. Yet even he had rules he wouldn't break and lines he wouldn't cross.

Did that make him any less of a bad ass, not really. It certainly didn't make him human, but even he understood the importance of having boundaries.

And…hindsight being 20-20 he _crossed _a line with Bonnie.

When she attacked him that day he showed up at her house, Damon had been the one to use his freedom of speech a little too liberally and yeah, he may have insulted her. So the attack was provoked. If someone had said the same thing about vampires, he'd agree before putting that individual into a world of pain.

That being said, Damon found himself standing in Bonnie's backyard.

Her window was cracked open just a fraction but it wouldn't have mattered because he would have heard every word she said regardless. But he was rooted to the spot because she was singing along to a song.

"_You look so dumb right now. Standing outside my house. Trying to apologize. You're so ugly when you cry. Please, just cut it out. Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not. Baby, when I know you're only sorry you got caught_…"

He fled the scene finding the words too prophetic to his liking.

Another day passed and still the words "I'm sorry for hurting you Bonnie" had yet to traipse through his lips.

The Friday before they were supposed to attend de la Gandara's party, Damon finally had his chance.

Elena had called Bonnie because John Gilbert was being his usual dick self and actually tried to forbid Elena from seeing Stefan. Distraught over the threat, the raven-haired beauty showed up and was promptly carted away by her brooding boyfriend and the two had been locked away in Stefan's bedroom.

An hour after arriving, Elena wanted to talk to Bonnie. So the witch had been summoned.

Damon answered the door trying to look contrite but more than likely probably appeared as if he needed to take a massive dump instead.

Bonnie barely looked at him as she slipped through the door and expected to see Elena waiting for her in the living room.

"Where's Elena?" Bonnie asked.

"She's upstairs with Stefan."

Bonnie looked at him as if she wanted to say aren't you going to go get her. Damon merely stuffed his hands in his pockets. This was ridiculous. He never apologized to anyone, not since he was human, and even then he had only done so after Giuseppe beat the words out of him.

He stared at Bonnie. To his eyes she looked perfectly fine.

Bonnie sighed heavily and headed over to the staircase since Damon was being weird and just looking at her as if he expected her to cut a jig or something.

Just as she made it to the second floor, she felt a rush of wind behind her and he was in front of her again.

"Dammit what do you want?" she whined.

"I need to talk to you," stumbled out of his lips.

Bonnie defensively folded her arms over her chest. "So talk," she barked when he remained silent.

Damon shook his head. "Not here."

Damon would be damned if he thought she was going to go in a room alone with him. The elder Salvatore turned to the first door he saw, opened it and motioned for her to join him inside.

Bonnie merely blinked at him. "Why can't you say it out here?"

"Because this is private," he said through clenched teeth.

She hesitated for a second and then against her better judgment entered the room, which turned out to be a small private study.

Bonnie walked to the center of the room, every single muscle in her body tight and uncomfortable. Damon closed the door gently behind him and approached Bonnie. Her spine straightened even more.

Several things came to mind to start a conversation, but Damon discarded them all. It had been decades since someone made him feel like a chastised thirteen year old and he couldn't stand the feeling. But even Damon knew his guilt and discomfiture would only go away until he got his apology over with.

"I…hurt you, Bonnie."

"Yeah you did."

"Can…I…see?'

"So you can get some sick satisfaction out of the fact you hurt a defenseless person?"

He kept his face blank despite how badly he wanted to roll his eyes at her. "You're not completely defenseless and you know that. Please…I just want to see the damage I caused because…" he wanted to say he needed a wake-up call. He already got that.

_This is your chance to make him eat crow, lick your boots, and wipe your ass, Bonnie. Take it and rub it in his face like a dog that just pissed on your Persian rug,_her ego declared.

Wordlessly, Bonnie unbuttoned her blouse, thankful she was wearing a camisole underneath. The bruise was too high on her arm that it would have been pointless to roll up the sleeve.

There wasn't much to see. The bruise had faded from purple and blue to a light brown discoloration.

Something indescribable sliced through Damon as he eyed the remnants of what he did to Bonnie. He lightly ran his fingertips down her arm. She flinched at the unexpected contact.

His celestial blues bored into her emerald ones for a second. "I'm…sorry. I never should have put my hands on you."

Bonnie was prepared to ask him to repeat what he just said, but Damon's head began to descend and before she could comprehend what was going on, he kissed her arm, right on the bruise his hand left behind.

She felt a jolt. Her chin plopped open in disbelief. His lips weren't cold, but tepid and it left her arm tingling.

Their eyes caught and held before he handed Bonnie her shirt. She hadn't realized she dropped it. Bonnie blinked and then she was standing alone in the room.

Bonnie turned like a rusted turnstile. "The hell…?"

**A/N: Oh, sookie sookie now...are things taking a turn for the better between TV Damon and Bonnie or was this merely a one time thing and they'll be back at each other's throats? We shall see. Things in Mystic Falls will be heating up. Stayed tuned. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Love you guys! Oh, and the song she was singing was "Take A Bow" by Rihanna which I feel was fitting for that scene.**


	7. I'm Gonna Get You Sucka

_**A/N: O**_**nce again I am overwhelmed by the people who love Bonnie, Book Damon, and TV Damon...you guys rock and here is the latest installment. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p><em><strong>You thought I was gonna go out like a punk—think again. Damon Effing Salvatore<strong>_

* * *

><p>The parasite was near. Damon could smell him. Like a posturing wolf pup wanting to walk proud like his father, Damon Salvatore reared his head back staring up at the half crescent moon and grinned. He slipped through the front door of his house, swinging the key ring around his index finger, whistling a tune. He flicked on the light in the living room, then the Tiffany lamp, and slipped his leather coat off his shoulders and flicked it on the couch.<p>

There was no need for him to do as a human would do—make his way into the kitchen and stare in the refrigerator. He had already had his dinner compliments of a redhead with a potty mouth and fake green contacts, capping it off with a hot expresso and a double wink to the cute cashier. Bonnie, if she found out which she wouldn't, would more than likely give him some sanctimonious spiel about respecting life and not taking advantage of someone weaker than him. But it was engrained in his DNA to be a vicious, brutally handsome killer, and though he liked her, _really _like her, it would take more to change his spots.

But enough about that.

Damon looked up towards the ceiling and grinned again. He had an uninvited guest in his house and there was no need in keeping him waiting any longer.

He began whistling again as he floated up the stairs, sauntered down the hall, and tossed open his bedroom door with flourish.

The inside of the room was pitch-black but that didn't matter. He could see perfectly in the dark, preferred it more than seeing during the day. Sunlight weakened his vision. Oh, he could still see distances that humans couldn't but the sting he felt was more of an irritant than anything else.

He hesitated for only a second before flicking on the light switch and flooding the room. All seemed well. Nothing was out of place; nevertheless, he sensed the vibration of another life force in his room. The flicker was minimal at best, and he wanted to laugh. _If _someone was going to have the audacity to break into his house he better be willing to back that up with force than bravado.

Damon took a step inside his room followed by another until he stood in the middle of it. He didn't bother looking around. There was no need. He already knew where the ambush would come from.

Silently slipping out of the closet, Damon aimed the crossbow at the back of his intended target. He didn't say something snarky although his tongue was itching to. He merely pressed the trigger and heard the whistle of the sharpened arrow shoot across the room.

Fell Church's Damon turned just a second before being struck in the back and caught the little stake between a closed fist. He snapped the deathly instrument in half and threw it on the ground.

"Is that what you call bringing your A game?" he asked as he glared at the other Damon.

Blue eyes merely shrugged before unsheathing a serrated edge blade and zoomed over to Damon ready to bury it in whatever body part was exposed.

The men braced arms, growled. Pushed one another back and forth across the hardwood floor. It was on.

Dark eyes kicked the legs out from under his adversary and the moment he had him on the floor, raised his boot to shatter every rib in his body, but blue eyes rolled away, jumped up to his feet and slashed with the blade throwing wild uncoordinated blows. He was normally a more controlled fighter than this, but heightened emotions had a way of making him sloppy and unprofessional. And, well killing a vampire that was well over four hundred years older than him would take more than just a pissed off ego and some nifty toys.

Sadly he was learning this the hard way as dark eyes twisted his knife arm behind his back, dislocating his shoulder.

He wouldn't cry out in pain, but he did grunt like hell and refused to be brought to his knees again.

Dark eyes hadn't broken out into a sweat. He was simply having too much fun literally wiping the floor with his counterpart, his namesake.

Would it be odd that he found this moment just a touch bit sad? Ideally if the shoe were on the other foot and Mystic Falls Damon ended up lost in Fell's Church, how would he have treated him? Would he automatically assume he was a threat that needed eliminating, or would he try to find some leverage with him and be the mentor blue eyes so desperately needed? Hmm, all important questions but a moot point right now.

"Can't you stand still gotdamnit," blue eyes lamented as he tried to swing at Damon and missed his cheek with the blade. He got served another hit to his solar plexus followed by two quick jabs to the right side of his face. The knife went skittering out of his hand and flew underneath the dresser.

Blood poured from the ruptured skin and from his split lip. _This maybe might not have been the best idea_, _Damon_, he thought to himself as he was kicked in the chest that resulted in him ramming his "good" shoulder into the wall.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Dark eyes taunted and then felt why not oblige him. After all this really wasn't a fair fight.

Suddenly dark eyes missed his brother. Stefan might have been a poor excuse for a vampire but at least the boy knew how to fight. Although Damon took great pleasure in wiping the floor with him too. Still, they were almost evenly matched. This right here…he almost felt sorry for Damon. Almost but not enough to stop.

His eye was sealing shut and Damon was positive that most of the bones on the right side of his body were broken and healing disjointedly. Despite his numerous injuries, he rose to his full height, raised his hands, and then, flashed behind Damon and finally got the upper hand by placing him in a chokehold.

"N-nice play," dark eyes complimented and strained against Damon's forearm that was braced tightly against his windpipe.

Sucking in a huge gulp of air, ole blue eyes grabbed Damon by his belt and hoisted him up until his feet cleared the floor, turned his body at a forty-five degree angle before dropping Damon on his head.

But dark eyes had excellent agility and shifted his body enough that his left shoulder took most of the damaging blow. Momentarily he saw stars and ponies dance behind his lids, but he shook his head, collected himself prior to digging his blunt nails into Damon's arm.

He hollered as he felt his skin being separated from bone and had to let go of his hold on Damon. But he remained on his feet and began kicking wildly like a man possessed. With each crunch of bone and the fact dark eyes was pulling himself across the floor, Damon foolishly thought he was winning.

Until a flash of silver caught his attention but by then, the knife was already in his intestines. He keeled over and landed on his back.

Both Damon's were breathing heavily, panting—actually trying to reorient themselves.

Dark-eyed Damon lifted his head off the floor. "Have you worked out your aggression yet? I have company coming over."

Blue-eyed Damon chortled and coughed up blood. "Let me guess...the _witch_," he spat almost contemptuously.

Dark eyes didn't like that tone. Not. One. Bit.

"If I'm not mistaken it sounded like you'd rather replace that W with a B."

Blue eyes slowly straightened himself until he was sitting up like a toddler that just took a spill on the floor.

"I don't have a problem with the witch…my problem is with _you_. Ever since you got here you've been disgustingly sweet to everyone-,"

"Charming, the word is charming. Sweet is for pansies like your brother and mine."

Blue-eyes concurred with the shrugging of his dislocated shoulder.

Dark-eyes took a causal pose on the floor by bending one knee and resting his elbow on it. He wiped at the blood on his mouth. "Yet haven't you heard of the expression you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. You're wasting your existence by acting like a barbarian thinking it's going to win the heart of the flair Elena Gilbert," Damon snorted. "Let me share some knowledge, my friend. Girls like Elena…_always _chose guys like Stefan. Accept that and move on."

Damon with those amazing light blue eyes glowered at his double. "Didn't take you for the type to give up without getting what you want."

Shrugging again, dark eyes didn't look miserable only content. "I'll admit the Elena of my world and I had a thing going and I'm sure she fell in love with me…but since I've been away for…however long it's been…I already know she's fallen back in love with my brother. And I'm simply tired of fighting him for everything."

"So that's why you want Bonnie? Is she your consolation prize?"

Damon's face hardened and he rose to his feet. "A girl like Bonnie could never be _anyone's _consolation prize. Whoever won her heart, he would be the one congratulations are given to; the one other men would sit back and envy. Now…get out of my _fucking_ house."

Mystic Falls' Damon bobbed his head and leisurely rose to his feet. Unobtrusively, he slipped his hand into his back pocket while dark eyes looked around at the destruction to his room, cataloging what could be salvaged.

Using this advantage, blue eyes zoomed over, grabbed Damon around the neck and squeezed.

"You come into my house again attempting to kill me and I'll be the one lobbing off heads and dicks," and to make sure dark eyes knew he was perfectly serious, he showed the spiked brass knuckles he slipped on his hand.

Dark eyes grabbed Damon's encroaching arm but somehow the newbie found an extra morsel of strength and was surprisingly overpowering him. The fresh human blood in his system should have been enough that he could send blue eyes careening through a wall, but he was distracted by the wooden spikes headed right for his face.

_No. No. No. Not the face._

Three angry points injected into his eyebrows and was dragged downward flaying the skin all the way to the base of his jaw.

Something inside of dark eyes snapped and he yanked Damon forward with such a great force that incidentally he threw him out the second story window.

Bonnie was singing along to one of her favorite contemporary artists and had just pulled into Damon's driveway when suddenly a body was thrown into her windshield. She screamed and slammed on the brakes.

She clutched her wheel for dear life as her jaw fell open and her eyes went wide.

Not two seconds later her car was jostled again as another body landed on top of the body that crunched her car like a soda can. By some miracle or malfunction her airbags hadn't deployed and struck her in the face.

It only took a second for the startled teen to realize that Damon was scraping with none other than himself. She hastily climbed out of her car, ignoring the damage that was done to her vehicle. She watched helplessly while Damon sat almost on blue eye's chest and wailed on him, punching his face from left to right, to left again.

Blood flew everywhere. Some of it even managed to sprinkle her shirt and face.

"DAMON STOP!" Bonnie yelled in her deepest authoritative voice.

Unfortunately the Damon she was coming to know was in a feral haze where the only thing on his mind was kill, kill, kill.

Licking her lips, Bonnie called forth her harbinger of death and made the blood vessels in dark eyed Damon's head pop like boils.

He hesitated with his punches as he tried to fight through the blistering pain, but then, when that last vessel burst, he stopped and tumbled off the car.

Bonnie nearly joined him on the ground. Bringing down a five hundred year old vampire with one burst of energy made her feel as if she had just given birth.

Yet she fought through her own exhaustion and at the last second realized she was bleeding from her nose. She wiped the blood away and blinked several times to clear her vision yet everything was still splotchy.

Damon was stretched out, unmoving on the hood of her car. She could barely recognize him because his face was severely swollen and covered in blood. Bonnie knew it would be pointless to check for a pulse because he didn't have one, but she did tap him very gently on the cheek to see if he'd respond.

When he groaned a little she released the breath she had been holding before she directed her attention to the other Damon who was slowly getting his bearings together.

She didn't even ask him if he was all right. Bonnie stomped back to car, grabbed her cell, and phoned Stefan.

"I need you to come get your brother."

* * *

><p><strong>Five hours later…<strong>

Damon was stretched out on his bed, arms folded behind his back staring up at the ceiling. Tonight hadn't gone well—at all.

He had made a lot of dumb, stupid decisions over the course of these last few months but tonight probably took the cake. Damon prided himself on being one of the most formidable vampires out there that there was even a small cult following his legend. He had done things to people that would have made guards of the Tower of London proud, yet instead of doing his most excellent work, he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter and was saved once again by a teenaged girl.

What had his life come to?

Honestly he couldn't remember Stefan coming to pick him up and ultimately nursing him back to health. All he could remember as his brain rattled around his skull was this voice like a siren ordering his tormentor to stop, and then…when he managed to open his eyes, they ran smack dab into a pair of haunting albeit disappointed emerald orbs.

Bonnie had saved him in the nick of time.

Typically he would have been annoyed by this, but again he was feeling oddly grateful to her.

Damon sighed. How many times in one year was he going to have to thank that chick for saving his life?

He wouldn't have to ponder that question for long because Stefan just let her into the house and she was stomping her way to his room.

As if on cue, his bedroom door tentatively opened and with it her scent was carried over to his nostrils. She smelled pretty good, mouth watering even, but she smelled like the other Damon too and that made his lip curl.

"I don't want to hear your shit," he began without preamble.

"That's too bad because you're gonna hear it. What was that, Damon? You decide to go and beat up a five hundred year old vampire…"

He turned his head like a cobra about to strike. "Oh, so naturally everything is my fault? Did he tell you what he did to me the other day? No? He almost killed me!"

Bonnie blinked in confusion. Why would the dark-eyed version of himself attack him?

"Why?" she asked.

"You know why," he said through clenched teeth, their recent falling out heavy in the implication.

Bonnie was a smart girl and easily figured it out. She had attempted to get details of the brawl from Fell Church Damon, but all he would say is that they were having a gentleman's quarrel and for her not to worry about it. Of course that wasn't a good enough explanation. So she decided to drag the truth out of Mystic Falls Damon because he was straightforward. When he chose to be.

The wheels were turning in her mind. Dark-eyed Damon would have only attempted to kill or hurt Damon because he saw the bruise blue-eyes gifted her with. So to avenge her, he decided to have his own version of a heart-to-heart.

That being said…could only mean one thing.

"So the only reason you apologized is because he almost killed you? Does that mean you didn't mean it?"

Damon hopped off his bed and stood to his feet. There was still a mountain of space between them.

"Of course I meant it."

"But if he never did what he did, you never would have apologized," that was the point she wanted to make clear to Damon.

If no one had stood up for her, Damon would have gone around as if it were business as usual. Undermining her skills and talents and ultimately writing her off as useless until he needed her to help him out of a jam or to save Elena.

Damon tried to appear contrite and botched it. "I would have gotten around to it eventually. But you're missing the point that I said the two most forbidden words in a vampire's vocabulary 'I'm sorry'. Focus on that and not if I would have ever apologized."

Bonnie shook her head at his haughtiness about the whole thing. "Why is that always the case with you, Damon that someone has to go to extremes to get you to realize you made a mistake?"

He rolled his eyes heavenward and approached her. "Let's just say I have a few decades worth of earwax built-up so it may take a little longer for something to process in my brain."

"And you always turn everything into a joke. You never take anything seriously."

"And what about you, you take _everything _so fucking seriously!"

"If I don't this town would go to hell in a hand basket."

"Who said it was your job to police the whole world!"

Her nostrils flared. "You didn't leave me a choice when you came here and started killing people left from right because you were bored!"

"You're judging again," his voice raised an octave.

"You're being an asshole again," she said just as sanguine.

He closed the gap between them just a little bit more. "Something tells me, Bonnie that you _like _picking fights with me."

She snorted and stared up at him. "News flash, moron not every girl in this town wants to sleep with you and not every guy in this town wants to be you. You might have the sheriff and Elena and everyone else fooled, but I know what you _really_ are."

While she was lecturing him, Damon took the time to drag his eyes over her body. She really was a curvaceous thing for being so tiny.

Damon began to walk forward prompting Bonnie to walk backwards making her realize she had fallen into a trap. Before she knew it her back was braced up against the wall.

Damon placed both hands on the wall, boxing her in.

"And what exactly am I, Bonnie?" he whispered seductively.

Her lids fluttered as she tried to get her bearings. Damon had _never _stood this close to her before.

"An opportunistic leech, that's what you are."

He smirked and for one second it made him look young not like a smart ass. "I won't disagree with you on that." Pause. He raked his eyes over her again, and Bonnie could have sworn she felt them touching her. "So I guess this means we'll never be friends," he was being sarcastic.

Bonnie placed her hand on his chest to push him away. He didn't budge naturally. "You don't want to be my friend or anybody else's because that would entail being accountable to someone and yes apologizing when you screw up."

"I wonder…did you give him the same lecture or did you save this just for me?"

"He got his, trust me."

Damon grunted and searched her face again. She didn't flinch. In fact, she never did. Not anymore at least. Not since…her grandmother died.

He moved away from her. "Oh yeah, was that before or after you made out with him?"

"None of your business," she sing song.

Damon's hand curled into an unconscious fist. "You're right, Bonnie. We can never be friends. Our agendas will never be the same."

She shook her head. Hearing that didn't make her feel sad. Not one bit. "As much as you like to act like you don't need people, Damon…I can see that you desperately want acceptance. Yet you continue to do everything possible to come off as some bad ass I-don't-give-a-damn cartoon character. The act's over and you're not fooling anyone anymore. Get a life."

With those parting words Bonnie walked out of his room and slammed the door in her wake.

* * *

><p><strong>The following night<strong>

The art viewing event Bonnie was supposed to get dolled up for and parade around on both Damon's arms was cancelled at the last minute. The host Dontess de la Gandara cited illness as his reason for rescheduling the viewing two weeks from this Saturday.

This, naturally pleased Bonnie as she stretched out on Damon's bed reading a magazine while he brushed his teeth. They had just finished dinner although it took some heavy coaxing on Damon's end to get her to agree since she wasn't officially speaking to him at the time he asked.

Bonnie could appreciate that Damon would stick up for her, but to do so in the manner in which he finally described, stringing Damon lynch style was a bit much and overkill in her opinion. And as much as it may have secretly pleased her, Bonnie didn't want anyone to hurt someone else because of her.

But dark eyes' argument for what he did transported her back to a time where a man's number one concern was keeping his mate safe at all times.

"The men of my day," he had said, "wouldn't have stood for any man to put his hands on a woman. He would have been castrated and his parts put on public display."

Bonnie bristled at the image that conjured in her mind. "But I thought women were treated like property back then?" she wanted to refute his claim.

"Well... technically but when romantic love was involved, men fought to the death over the honor of a woman. He hurt you and I couldn't stand for it because I like to think of you as an extension of myself."

Bonnie tried so hard not to swoon and landed smack dab on her proverbial face. Thank God she was already sitting down as they had their talk.

"Damon," she blushed. "You hardly know me. You've only just met me a little over a month ago."

"Your measure of time is much different from mine. I can learn everything I need to know about you in the span of one afternoon. People have a misconception that you have to spend years dissecting a person, learning their quirks and mannerisms. Not so. I can spend just an hour with you and know you as intimately as if we've joined flesh."

_Oh, my God I love the way he talks_! She inwardly squealed.

Damon cupped both of her cheeks and silently raised her up until their lips met. He consumed her breath and lost his tongue in her mouth.

When he pulled away he stared deep into her eyes making the world around Bonnie dissolve. "And I treasure every moment I'm with you like it's my last."

Bonnie cupped his cheek and felt her heart constrict. He was too good to her and letting him go when the time came would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do.

Yet she did wonder if he missed his home and the people he had come to know in Fell's Church. However, Bonnie was too chicken to ask him. She had to admit to being just a tad bit jealous because in a way she felt as if they—his circle of "friends" in Fell's Church had direct ownership of him. She was merely borrowing him for a little while.

Now Damon emerged from the bathroom and joined her on the bed.

"What are you reading?" he asked as he spooned against her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Bonnie craned her neck. "An article on Brad and Jen's secret affair."

Damon tugged the magazine away and then threw it across the room.

"Hey," Bonnie said and flipped over to frown at him. "I _was _reading that."

"Well, I have something else you can read. My lips," he dove right in and kissed her.

After twenty or so minutes passed and Bonnie's lips were raw, they came up for air. She gasped softly at the slumberous gaze Damon was directing at her.

"I want to do something but I need you to trust me," his voice was low and thick like he had woken up out of sleep.

Bonnie nodded her head and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her entire body felt energized and strummed like she was a guitar string that had been plucked.

"Lie on your back," he directed.

Bonnie did as told.

"Close your eyes."

Her lids drifted shut.

She felt him shift on the bed and it felt as if he abandoned it entirely. But then his cold hands reached for the waistband of her shorts and proceeded to pull them off.

Her eyes flew open. "Damon! I'm not…."

"Shush," he loomed over her. "I said trust me. I know you're still…innocent and I have no intentions of taking it…not tonight at least," he winked and flashed his canines.

Bonnie tried to reduce the speed of her heart as she fell against the bed once more. She shut her eyes and let her mind wonder. If she busied herself with thinking mundane thoughts she wouldn't freak out about having her first…whatever was about to happen with Damon.

She began to nibble her lips.

Once her shorts were off, she waited pensively and jumped when a lone finger traced her belly button.

"Breathe, Bonnie."

She tried her best to do as he said but her mind was flying all over the place. She was fighting against seventeen years of teaching that was hammered into her head about not letting some stupid, undeserving boy into her pants. Yet every one of those teachings was conveniently thrown out the window as Damon's nimble fingers introduced Bonnie to something she had never experienced before.

He touched her _there. _Fingers slid through the fluff of hair that covered her mound. Bonnie clutched the sheets when the sensitive lips of her sex were parted, and her silky dew was being coaxed out of her one revolution around her erect clit at a time.

Damon's fingers explored her at a languid pace making her ooze, and clench her thighs together which was a little impossible considering his hand was cupping her sex. He played her like a piano making her hit notes that were loud enough to shatter glass.

She started to move her hips back and forth once Damon slipped a thick finger inside. The invasion had been odd and caused her to stiffen, but once Damon established a rhythm of thrusting his moistened digit in and out of her, Bonnie couldn't keep still.

The young witch couldn't believe she was acting like this but more to the matter she couldn't believe she was enjoying it so much!

Damon began to kiss and suck on her neck until Bonnie viciously dug her nails into his hand. He almost bit her neck for real.

"Come for me, baby," the dark vampire moaned into her ear. He added another finger into the equation while using the palm of his hand to keep her clit hard and stimulated.

Sweat built up on Bonnie's skin, her nipples were screaming for some attention as well, but she was too caught up on the sensuous pleasure being delivered by the man spooned beside her. Her legs fell completely open as she offered herself up to Damon who sank his fang into his lip to prevent himself from _sinking _into her.

Bonnie's arousal was gotdamn mouth-watering, her warmth soaked into his pores. Damon moved his hand faster wishing he could give Bonnie the_ real_ thing.

Her brow knitted together as her back began to arch off the mattress. She moaned and Damon could tell she was fighting the inevitable.

"Just let go and come. Come all over my hand, Bonnie."

His words…they did her in and she screeched while exploding like a stick of dynamite.

Bonnie shuddered for several minutes as she buried her face in Damon's neck. Panting. Trying to locate one breath to introduce to her deprived lungs.

She was feeling hyperactive in need of a truckload of Ritalin to calm her down.

Watching her was the most beautiful and balls busting thing Damon had seen this side of the century and it made him painfully aware of his own lack of a release.

But tonight was for her and her alone.

Bonnie wanted to sing. She wanted to dance. She wanted to do both good and bad things simultaneously. She wanted to bring peace to war-torn countries while knock off a bank, hold up a liquor store, and build wells in Africa for malnourished children.

When she managed to open her eyes and saw his greedy stare, she gulped nervously and jerked against the bed as another miniature orgasm hit her.

"Will you marry me?" she said before giggling.

Damon chuckled and kissed her cheek. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Bonnie didn't know why, but she wanted to thank him. "Thank you, Damon. I've never…that's never…no one has ever…"

"I know," he said simply. "And I'm glad only I have had this privilege. How do you feel?"

"Honestly, like I can't move."

He kissed her expecting her to recoil but she didn't. "I think I've corrupted you enough for one night," he whispered.

Bonnie could beg to differ. "I think I'll be the judge of that," and proved to him in this case she had no problems being judge, jury, and executioner.

* * *

><p><strong>Some nights later…<strong>

The boardinghouse was silent and Damon felt idle.

Stefan had left hours ago with a goofy grin on his face as not-so-cryptic words tumbled out of his mouth that he had a hot date planned with Elena and told him not to wait up.

Of course Damon felt the typical emotions go through him every time he thought about his baby brother's relationship with the girl he…deeply admired.

Damon poured himself a drink but not before snorting derisively. Who was he kidding? Apparently no one but himself because everyone else could see through his veiled lies that he had a thing for a certain brunette.

Really he should hate Elena. She shared the face of the bitch of a woman who proved she didn't give two shits about him as evidence by the fact she never reached out to say 'Hey Damon I'm not in the tomb, never was now let's runaway and have hot sex together'.

For a century and some change he had dedicated his life and service to that whore, and what had it gotten him? Acid reflux and a debilitating case of Stelenaitis.

Lamenting over his past wasn't the only thing he was good at. He was also good at remembering every single thing a person ever said about him.

So he wasn't surprised that his word sparing match with Bonnie the other night was still fresh in his mind. And she may have had a point when she accused that if it weren't for his double almost killing him he never would have apologized for putting his hands on her.

Honestly that fleeting detail escaped him and he had handled Bonnie worst than that in the past. If he cared to look real close he could still see his bite mark on her neck. It was faint but it was still there. Vampire blood was good for healing nasty wounds but not necessarily making the internal ones go away. He knew he had damaged that girl. Destroyed her perception of life and being safe.

Urgh! Now he was feeling things...ewww

He sat his glass of whiskey down. Either it was the water of the town or the whiskey, more than likely it was the whiskey but something inside of Damon agreed with what Bonnie said about him. He didn't want friends because he didn't want to be accountable to anyone and he didn't want to apologize.

But at the parade he told her that he owed her—and he did. Now another purchase had been added to his tab.

Sighing, Damon picked up his car keys ready to confront this demon and no, he wasn't looking forward to slaying it. He was going to apologize and he was going to _mean _it.

An hour later and he was ready to give up his search. When he attempted to call Bonnie's cell she deliberately sent him to voice mail. He had stopped by her place. She wasn't home. He went over to the Grill thinking she might be there. The place was notably empty of the one person he was looking for. He even went over to the other Damon's residence, but the witch wasn't there either.

So he tried the very last place he should have been.

Just as he stepped on the side walk he saw Elena standing on the porch. He took a moment to observe her. She had decided to curl her hair tonight so it fell in long ringlets that reminded him of some fairytale princess. She was dressed in all black. Not something she was known for, but…from his viewpoint Elena didn't appear as if she had been on a hot date.

Maybe his brother showed his dark side and the night didn't end so well.

That was about as likely to happen as Damon going up to Stefan and saying he loved him.

Suddenly she turned around and surprise flashed in her dark brown orbs for a second before resignation flooded her cherub-like face.

"Damon," she said in that breathless way after being caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"

Damon took that as his cue to join her on the porch. When he did he noticed that she smelled different yet somehow familiar, and her eyes looked nearly obsidian instead of dark mahogany.

"I was looking for Bonnie actually. And I'm guessing she's not here since you're just getting home."

Elena didn't say anything for a while. "Why would you be looking for her?"

He snorted and then stared at his boots for a minute. "If I told you I think you'd have a hard time believing me."

"Try me," she said.

He lifted a brow; it sounded more like a demand than anything else. "I was going…to apologize. She and I got into it as usual and I took things too far. This whole being good thing is for people like Bonnie, like Stefan, like you. It doesn't really suit me but I can admit I need to change in _some _areas."

Elena crinkled a smile that kind of renewed his hope. "It's really admirable of you, Damon that you'd want to apologize. It shows how much you've grown. It also shows you're becoming the Damon I've always known you could be."

The way she looked at him as she said those words got to him when he knew deep down she was just being her nice and encouraging self like always.

Damon approached her, standing closer than usual and felt his own fire being fueled when Elena didn't step away.

"Don't anoint me as a saint just yet, Elena. Because there's still too much of the old me left."

He didn't give her a chance to contradict his words as he cupped her cheek, closed the distance between them and tasted her lips for the first time.

He couldn't say he felt explosions or heard a band playing in the background because there was just something a little _too _familiar with the way Elena kissed him back. There was a gentle urgency and a sweetness to it like a cat playing with a ball of yarn, but it was also innocent and fleeting kind of like this was a dream and he really wasn't kissing Elena Gilbert on her front porch.

Naturally the door chose that moment to swing open.

Damon turned his head away and licked his lips free of any of her cherry Chapstick.

Jenna stood there—outraged as she looked at her niece and then at the man who wasn't her boyfriend who had been kissing her.

"What the hell?" Jenna exclaimed. "Get inside, Elena!"

Elena strolled in. Both Damon and Jenna missed her sinister smirk.

"I can explain," Damon tried but was silenced by the lifting of Jenna's imperious hand.

"Save the excuse for your brother. And I really have to question what kind of man you really are to kiss your brother's girlfriend—on the front porch I might add."

Jenna glared at him coldly before shutting the door in his face.

"Hun," he grunted. "So much for apologizing."

The end.

**A/N: So for those of you who know TV Damon wouldn't just take a beat down without striking back this was for you. Unfortunately it turned out to be an epic failure but thankfully Bonnie was there to save the day. But dum-da-dum-dum Kat is back! Stay tuned peoples its about to get crazy! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Love you guys!**


	8. Mean Girls

**A/N: Here is the latest update! Thanks for reading guys!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p><em><strong>To isolate what you want, you have to pick off the pawns one by one or with napalm. –Katherine Pierce<strong>_

* * *

><p>Deep brown eyes traversed over the living space with a note of disgust. Everything was so sickeningly sweet and domestic it made her flesh crawl. She walked over to the fireplace mantle to observe the photographs taking note of who she'd get to know more intimately in the coming days. She could still hear the aunt bickering with Damon who hadn't forgotten how to kiss a woman except his notorious fire and hunger was missing from his kiss. Subsequently that told her everything she needed to know.<p>

Damon fancied himself in love with Elena. Well, she'd allow him think that for now.

"You're back from your date with that leech. I really do wish you'd find someone else to be with. He's not good for you, Elena."

Katherine Pierce pivoted towards the owner of the venomous voice and kept her face perfectly neutral.

"And I'm supposed to automatically do what you say because you're my father? Get real."

John Gilbert stood arrogantly across from her on the opposite side of the room holding a tumbler filled with whiskey. She cocked her head to one side, strolled towards him with a seductive sway to her hips and purposely brushed against his shoulder as she retreated into the kitchen.

John had no type of reaction save for a raised eyebrow in the air as he followed her like the puppet that he was. Yet before he entered the kitchen Jenna came back into the house, her face red. She spared him a brief look before pointing towards the kitchen.

"Deal with her please. I'm going to bed." Saying no more, Jenna retreated upstairs.

She had always been an inquisitive person by nature, so Katherine swung open the refrigerator to peek inside. She grimaced and shut the door. There wasn't a single bottle of champagne chilling. There wasn't even a beer. Hmm, maybe Johnny boy brought his own bottle and had it stashed somewhere. She could use a drink.

"Still pontificating your hatred for all things vampire, I see. I was hoping that little bit of family history would have diluted over the ages but I guess not."

Her back had been to John the whole time so she missed his bemused and perplexed expression.

"It's late, Elena, go to bed."

Taking that as her cue, Katherine turned around and smirked at John. He straightened to his full height receiving the challenge to his authority, but then realized he really didn't have any to begin with.

Katherine took two steps to the kitchen island and rested her elbows on it. "What are you going to do if I don't obey your command? Are you going to put me over your knee and spank me?" she purred. "Careful, I might like it."

John's eyes widened to flying saucer proportions. He sat his glass down on the counter before he lost his grip and dropped it. He walked around the island and stood only a foot away from Katherine who held her smirk in place.

He studied her intently for a second and gasped. "Katherine."

"You took something from me, John, and I want it back."

He knew exactly what she was referring to. "I don't have it anymore."

She shook her head. "That's too bad…too bad I don't believe you. _Where_ is it?"

"I told you, Katherine I don't have it."

Her face became like molten lava. "Again, that's too bad. Now I'm going to have to teach you what happens when you steal from Katherine Pierce."

The woman in question grabbed the largest knife she could find and slammed it down on his fingers, mainly the one that held the ring that protected him from supernatural attacks.

Blood spurted into the air. John cried out and gasped loudly again as the knife was plunged mercilessly into his stomach.

"If I were you I'd do something about that bias you have against vampires," she ruthlessly pulled the knife out of John, watched coldly as he slid down to the floor in a pool of his own blood. She licked the knife, grimaced and spat the next second. "You're blood tastes like shit, which isn't surprising because you're full of it."

Katherine then ground the tip of her stiletto into one of John's severed stubs. He roared in pain. She smiled in satisfaction and dropped the knife.

She vanished.

Not five minutes later, Elena stepped up on the porch with Stefan following behind her. She faced him, tossing her arms over his shoulders and kissed him.

"Thank you for tonight. I really needed it. With John being here and trying to breathe down my neck and tell me how to run my life and more importantly who I should be with…I needed a break from that."

Stefan tightened his hands on her hips. "You know I'm always glad to be of service. But it's late…"

Elena looked heavenward. "And I'm sure Jenna is up waiting for me." She pecked Stefan once more and then unlocked the front door.

The smell of blood was potent enough in the air that it smacked Stefan right in the face. He stiffened and then reached for Elena. He yanked her to his side. Confusion marred her face.

"Stef…what's going on?"

"Someone's bleeding…_a lot_."

"What?" Elena shrieked and rushed inside.

Stefan was right on her heels. She didn't really know where the blood was coming from so she hesitated and waited for Stefan to lead the way. The scent of blood led him to the kitchen and the first thing he saw were four fingers laying scattered on the countertop. He cautiously strode around to the other side of the island and there was John passed out on the floor, the entire front of his shirt soaked in blood. Immediately Stefan gums began to throb and his canines wanted to be unleashed, but he shut off his senses and fell to his haunches to check for a pulse.

"Oh, my God," Elena cried and covered her mouth before falling to the floor. "Is he dead?"

"He has a pulse but it's weak. Call an ambulance."

Elena shot up to her feet and tried to find the cordless phone. She didn't see it on the base. "Jenna!" Elena took off towards the stairs, repeatedly screaming Jenna's name. The two women collided on the staircase.

"Elena? Why are you yelling?"

"It's John. Someone…someone stabbed him. Where's the phone?"

"What?"

They rushed back to the kitchen and Jenna's eyes bulged again for the second time that night. She suspiciously looked over at Elena and then at Stefan. What went on during that five minute reprisal she last saw Elena with her father?

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls Hospital Center<strong>

Elena patrolled the halls waiting for John to get out of surgery. Once the call was made to 911 it was a circus of officers and medical technicians streaming in and out of the house. Elena had calmly answered all of the lead detective's questions to the best of her ability. Yet anytime she looked to Jenna for a comforting smile what she got was cold detachment.

Jenna had been no fan of John's, but for some reason she wanted to be his biggest advocate and wait outside of the room they would be moving him to. Something nagged Elena and said that Jenna probably believed she was responsible. Sure she might have a strong motive since the man abandoned her, but Elena wouldn't attempt to murder her father. She had very little family left so why would she then turn around and try to end the man's life?

She wasn't that type of person and at heart Jenna knew it as well.

So to begin some type of non-hostile dialogue between them, Elena bought her a cup of coffee from the hospital cafeteria.

"Elena?"

The brunette swung around and gawked at Damon. "What are you going here?"

"Stefan called me and told me what happened to John. He's back at your place gathering clues, I guess."

Elena lifted her eyebrows and pursed her mouth. That still didn't explain why he'd interrupt his busy schedule to come here to see a man he couldn't stand.

"How are you?" Damon asked tentatively.

She shrugged and took a sip of the coffee she bought Jenna. "I come home and I find John lying in a pool of his own blood with fingers missing to boot. So…I'm good," she replied sarcastically.

Damon gave her a once over and couldn't help but teleport his memories back to their moment on the porch. He knew this wasn't the right time or place to talk about the kiss, but he wanted to do it before her guard dog showed up.

"About what happened between us earlier…and I know the timing could be better, but are you planning on telling Stefan?"

Elena stared at Damon like he suddenly grew a nipple on his head. "Okay people have been talking to me in circles all night. Tell Stefan what?"

Damon sighed. Elena wanted to use the denial route, did she? Just as he was about to open his mouth, he saw Jenna stomping her way towards them.

"What's he doing here?" her tone remained glacial in reference to him.

Elena placed herself beside her aunt and handed her the half finished coffee. "I don't really know."

"Well I think it's completely and totally inappropriate for him to be here given what the two of you did tonight."

Elena shook her head, her brow furrowed and she stared at Jenna just as strangely. "Am I missing something because apparently I am? What we did? Jenna, this is my first time seeing Damon all night."

Jenna sighed heavily and pinned her niece with a "Don't give me that shit" look.

"Cut the crap, Elena. Are you really gonna stand there and treat me like some kind of idiot? I caught you kissing Damon on the front porch. What do you have to say for yourself? Stefan has been really good to you."

Elena's jaw dropped and she was stunned speechless. She pivoted on her heels to face Damon.

"I need to talk to you._ NOW_!"

The two walked to the atrium of the hospital before Elena spun around. "Did you compel her to say that we kissed?"

Damon looked offended and affronted. "No! Why the hell would I compel Jenna to say you and I kissed? She saw it with her own two eyes what we did tonight. Why are you acting like it didn't happen?"

Elena's nostrils flared. "Because it didn't!" she exploded heatedly. "I was with Stefan _all _night. So that means you didn't kiss me. You must have kissed my…" she stopped suddenly and then realization dawned on both of them.

Damon and Elena looked at one another before muttering: "Katherine."

Great! More than likely Katherine was the one who stabbed John, which meant she had an open invitation to come in and out of her house. Elena felt sick.

She reached for her phone and called Stefan. "Hey, we have a problem. Several actually."

* * *

><p>Having a network of spies at her disposal left Katherine with a lot of free time on her hands. She already knew that Elena was at the hospital with both Salvatore boys trying to play referee or interference so they wouldn't kill one another simply because Damon thought he was getting the jump on someone. She had to chuckle at that. So that meant Elena would be taking the day off from school…only not.<p>

Katherine loathed wearing her hair straight but to fit the profile of one Elena Gilbert she'd have to dress in slightly boyish clothes and wear her thick raven locks pin straight. She grimaced at her reflection in the rearview mirror of her car before stepping a single foot on the pavement.

She looked around at the meals-on-legs but she wasn't here to feed—not yet at least. Confidentially she strolled through the quad looking for specific targets. She smiled to herself when she spotted a Lockwood playing basketball.

Putting an extra pep in her step, Katherine headed towards Tyler. It didn't take long to garner his attention, and he wasn't shy about feeling her up with his dark brown eyes, eyes as deep as hers.

"Hey Tyler," she greeted.

"What's up, Elena?" He kind of looked around her expecting to see her shadow. "Where's Stefan?"

Elena rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Tyler. The move was obviously unexpected because he lost his eyebrows to his hairline. He'd be an easy conquest, almost too easy which meant he'd be no fun whatsoever. Katherine liked resistance like the equivalent of prying a tooth out of a lion's mouth. That was her idea of fun.

"Who cares where he is," she said dismissively.

Tyler's eyebrows rose even higher on his forehead.

Katherine continued. "I've been meaning to say there's just something animalistic about you, Tyler."

"Why thank you. I think."

"Who knows, I might just dump Stefan and go find myself someone with a wolfish appetite like you," she winked and sauntered off.

The next person on her list was Matt. When she saw him she literally almost melted. Katherine greeted him the same way she did Tyler, except Matt blushed profusely which made him even more delicious in her eyes.

"Have I ever told you how blue your eyes are?" Katherine purred.

"No, not recently anyways."

"Yeah, they're panty melting blue. I feel myself about to cream just from gazing into your eyes. Save me a seat at lunch, Matt."

She wanted to laugh out loud at the dumb expression that washed over his face.

Finally making her way inside the actual school, Katherine had to fight her disdain. She had forgotten how loud and obnoxious youth could be. She had to cross a few halls before she reached her next target.

"Caroline…" she gave her a thorough once-over, "have we been skipping our weekly trips to the gym?" Katherine made sure to eye the girl's waistline critically.

The smile that _was _on Caroline's face dissolved into a scowl. The blond wove her arms tightly over her chest. "What? Are you trying to call me fat?"

Katherine shrugged. "Not necessarily. I mean some guys like the muffin top look. I think it suits you."

Caroline's jaw dropped and smacked against the linoleum floor.

Katherine tossed an arm around Caroline who tried to shrug her off and found she was unable to break the girl's hold. When did Elena become freakishly strong?"

"Just remember that spandex and nylon are not your friends."

"You're being such a total _bitch_ this morning."

"I know," Katherine retorted euphorically. "Don't be late for class, Caroline. It's not a good look to be dumb and fat. It's probably one of the reasons why Matt doesn't want to fully commit," she laughed airily before making her way down the hall.

The minute that skinny-as-a-rail-trick marched herself down the corridor, Caroline pulled out her cell and began blowing up Bonnie's phone.

* * *

><p>Her foot was being nibbled. Clearly not by an animal, but definitely by something with a pair of lips that suctioned her skin. It was a pleasurable feeling that enticed her slumbering nerve cells to awaken and say hello to the morning. Bonnie tried to hold on to the last visage of sleep but was losing the battle against the sensation. The sensation was moving now, making its journey north and not before long had latched on to her neck laving her skin with something that felt eerily like silk.<p>

She was wide awake by this point yet her eyes remained closed.

There was a presence looming over her. Definitely too heavy to be a blanket yet it still felt lighter than air. Something akin to cool steel wrapped around her waist, and Bonnie took a guess that it was an arm while fingers entwined with hers.

Moaning and squirming on the bed, Bonnie was trapped. Slowly she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a brawny shoulder before they spotted messy raven hair which tickled her cheek.

"I have school," Bonnie's voice was hoarse, and though her words conveyed she had a prior obligation, her body on the other hand had a mind of its own.

Her legs tightened around the thighs of the figure shrouding her, as her arms wove over his broad back bringing him closer. He groaned his approval.

"Why go to school when I can teach you a _manner _of things here?" his lips went back to work.

Bonnie smiled devilishly. "Do any of these lessons actually involve books or clothes, I should say?"

Damon leaned up far enough to stare down into her slumberous viridian eyes. "Clothes are definitely optional. But my recommendation is something a little more Adam and Eve for the lesson I have in mind."

Heat flared through Bonnie and wasn't helped any by the darkening of Damon's irises.

As tempted as she was, and she was unquestionably tempted, Bonnie remembered there was something she needed to do today, and had planned to skip school anyways.

Tapping Damon on the shoulder, he sighed dejectedly but then acquiesced to her silent request to get off of her. Much to his chagrin.

"I'm starting to get my grades back on track, and daddy wouldn't be too pleased if I decided to place my education in the hands of a five hundred year old vampire."

Propping up against the stack of pillows and resting his arms behind his head, Damon grinned. "Wouldn't you say that makes me perfectly qualified to teach you, then? I have five centuries of information locked inside my head. Monks, clerics, and tutors weren't the _only _people I learned from."

"And I can just about imagine where you learned your…" Bonnie got a little distracted by the corded muscles that were pulled tight and were on full display thanks to Damon's lounging position on the bed.

Clearing her throat, she looked away, and then decided it would be in her best interest to get off the bed of temptation altogether.

"Learned my what?" Damon asked delighting in the fact Bonnie just ogled him.

"Never mind," she shook her head and went over to her duffel bag.

"What would daddy have to say if he knew you shared my bed at least two nights out of the week? Not exactly sure he'd be nominating you for Student of the Year."

"Probably not and what daddy doesn't know won't hurt him. In this case at least," Bonnie tacked on and began pulling out her change of clothes.

Unsurprisingly, Damon was standing behind her rubbing her arms and kissing her neck. "I like having you in my bed," he whispered.

And in all honesty, Bonnie liked being in his bed too. Things had remained PG-13 occasionally slipping into Rated-R territory, but either she or Damon applied the brake whenever clothes would take flight, and her lips became swollen, and her heart beat much too fast thereby making her dizzy and light-headed, and nonsensical where she almost caved and gave in.

Bonnie turned in his arms and faced him. She wanted to kiss him but a dragon had fresher breath than she did at the moment. Instead she pecked him on the cheek.

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"Later. Now shoo. I need to get ready."

Damon kissed her forehead and smacked her bottom making Bonnie squeal. He vanished from sight.

Digging in her bag again, Bonnie pulled out her cell. Noticing that the ringer had been turned off she had six missed calls and eleven text messages all of them from Caroline.

Bonnie opened up one of text messages and the first thing she read that happened to be in all caps: ELENA IS THE BITCH OF THE WORLD TODAY! And the rest was coded gibberish that Bonnie could do nothing but shake her head. Really? Was she their mother and had to fix their problems because they've decided not to get along for whatever superficial reason? What was Bonnie thinking? Of course she was!

But not today.

DBDBDBDBD

About an hour later Bonnie pulled up alongside the curb of a street, her rental car tires crushing the fallen leaves that decorated the road. She didn't cut the engine but allowed the car to idle.

Laid out on the passenger seat was a bouquet of flowers. Bonnie stared at them while her hands gripped the steering wheel. Her heart began to race as the minutes ticked off the clock. Today was no ordinary Wednesday in Mystic Falls, not to her at least. Today, if her grandmother were still alive, she would have turned sixty-eight years old.

With tears lining the bottom of her eyes, Bonnie looked out the windshield and towards the sight that greeted her. Mystic Falls Cemetery.

This would make her first time visiting Grams since she died. Bonnie clenched her teeth on top of one another ready to bolt, but then remembered she was a Bennett which was no light thing. She was a member of possibly one of the oldest families in America. Summoning up her inner strength, she cut the engine, grabbed the flowers, and then exited the car.

She carefully made her way down the path clutching the flowers to her chest. Her father should have been here with her but as usual he was out of town. Bonnie figured the only reason why he hadn't signed over his parental rights to someone else is because he didn't want to look bad. Consequently, everyone in town knew what a piss poor father he was. Thomas Bennett was barely home, and when he was all he did was find things to complain about. What Bonnie craved from her father was time, attention, and understanding but his responsibilities were far more important to him than she'd ever be. As a result she became dependent on her friends.

If she wanted to cross examine things, she'd realize that she was playing a dangerous game with an ancient killer because he provided the security and protection she should have been receiving from her father.

Not that she'd use that as the sole reason to justify why she liked spending time with dark-eyed Damon Salvatore. He was hot, an excellent kisser, and made her pleasure his priority.

While she was busy thinking about Damon, that's when she became aware of the fact she was being followed. Bonnie stopped walking and turned around.

Not sure what to expect, Bonnie let out a great sigh of relief when she saw it was only Elena. She smiled at her friend. She remembered it was Grams birthday.

"Elena, you scared me."

"Didn't mean to. What are you doing?"

Bonnie frowned for a minute. Okay, maybe she forgot, but if she forgot why was she here? To visit her parents?

"Ah…it's Grams' birthday. I just wanted to leave these for her. Will you come with me?"

The brunette smiled and inclined her head and then began walking beside Bonnie. Not a minute later they were standing in front of Sheila Bennett's gravestone. Bonnie bent down, brushed the debris off her grandmother's headstone and then carefully arranged the flowers on the granite surface.

A few tears slid down Bonnie's cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away. "Happy Birthday, Grams," she said quietly. "I miss you. I love you. I'm doing everything I can to keep everyone safe, but sometimes it still doesn't feel like it's enough," Bonnie grew silent for a moment. "Yet I hear your voice in my head all the time telling me to trust and use my instincts, and I do. I want you to know that, Grams. So here is my promise. I promise to be the woman you've raised me to be. And I promise not to take too long to visit you again. Happy Birthday."

After pressing a kiss to her fingers and then touching her grandmother's name, Bonnie stood up, gazed at the headstone before walking away.

She faced Elena. "You know I'm hungry. I skipped breakfast this morning. Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure. I'd love to eat."

Bonnie smiled again and then wrapped her arm around Elena and then stiffened. She removed her arm as discreetly as possible as not to draw attention to the fact she recoiled. She began to pick up her pace and reached inside her pocket for her car keys.

"You okay?"

Bonnie nodded and increased her pace. She was perhaps twenty feet away from her car, when she stopped. She knew there was no way she could outrun this chick.

She turned back around to face the smirking woman. "You're not Elena," Bonnie deapanned.

Katherine clapped. "You figured it out."

"I had help."

"Right. You're Elena's vampire hating BFF who's also a witch. I feel like I've come full circle, and have the opportunity to partner with another Bennett."

"Yeah, I know all about Emily being your handmaiden which is just a nice way of saying _slave_. And I'm not interested in working for you or any other vampire. Why are you here, Katherine? What do you want?"

Katherine didn't look offended in the least and inwardly applauded the girl. "You're being wasted, Bonnie. I mean lets review shall we. Other than your magic there's nothing remarkable about you."

Well, she didn't mince words. Bonnie titled her chin just a tad bit higher and was already summoning her power.

Katherine began to circle her. "Your two best friends were voted on the Ms. Mystic Falls court and where were you? Oh, that's right, standing in the crowd with the other losers snapping pictures for the Yearbook club. How cute," she winked. "And those same two best friends have bagged themselves a Salvatore boy."

Bonnie wasn't going to waste her breath to ask how she knew that.

"But what about Bonnie? The witch for hire, the selfless martyr willing and ready to do anything to keep my clone alive, and to punish Damon of course. From my standpoint you need someone like me, Bonnie. Someone to show you how to be great because you aren't going to find it here. Not while you live in the shadows."

"You can go to hell, Katherine. You can try your little reverse psychology all you want, but I'm not changing my mind and I'm not going to sell out my friends to help a psychopath like you."

"Bravo," Katherine grinned. "I like you, Bonnie. You have spunk and you don't take it up the ass while lying down."

To that Bonnie sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Are you done because I'm tired of listening to you?"

Katherine stopped circling her and zoomed up to Bonnie whose spine went as straight as a steel rod. Katherine smelled her fear but could admit the little tart wasn't shaking—not yet at least. But she would just like everyone else.

The giddiness in Katherine's eyes vanished having been replaced with cold malevolence. "I'm not done. Not by a long shot. Give my regards to, Elena. I'll be seeing her very soon."

"Stay away from her," Bonnie demanded through gritted teeth.

Katherine laughed. "You sound _almost_ as pathetic as Damon. Nothing is going to stop what's coming next. Ciao bella."

And like the wind she was gone.

Bonnie hustled to her car, got in, and burned rubber down the road.

* * *

><p>Damon wanted to drink his weight plus twenty pounds in booze the second he walked through the doors of Mystic Grill. After spending the morning and the better part of the afternoon being interrogated by Stefan and Elena he felt he deserved to be a little indulgent and get pissy drunk to wash away yet another failure.<p>

He could understand why Elena would be upset that he'd think she'd kiss him back and that implication, but he wasn't the liar between them and could openly admit that something brewing. However, Elena wanted to remain steadfast in her denial and sprout she cared about him as a friend.

Can someone say bull_sheeit?_

Damon could recall every lingering look she sent his way, every time she smiled at him, or laughed at one of his jokes, or came to him with a problem she didn't think Stefan was qualified to handle. She could have gone to any of her loser friends but she came to_ him_ because she knew he'd get shit done. That meant she trusted him to some degree.

Furthermore, what he couldn't understand is why Stefan was ready to take his head off when they established that he hadn't _actually _kissed Elena. It had been Katherine the whole time. So really in his humble opinion there was no harm no foul.

He snorted as he sat down at a table instead of at the bar. He'd need the space for all the drinks he was about to throw back. Damon grabbed a passing waitress and told her to bring everything they had in stock. Naturally she stared at him strangely but when he slammed a fist full of dollars down on the table top all of them hundred dollar bills, she said:

"I'll be right back, sir."

By the end of the night that waitress might end up being his best friend considering she took orders without complaint.

Damon had to chuckle because this was the first time he'd seen Stefan so rattled that Elena might actually have more than brotherly feelings geared towards him; and his little brother clearly didn't know how to handle competition. That was the only good thing to come out of this afternoon—Stefan's uncertainty about Elena and the boundaries she might cross in the future.

Stefan knew where Damon stood on the matter—somewhat.

However the thing that burned Damon the most was the subtle meaning when Elena asked, "Why would you think I'd _ever_ kiss you back?"

The way she placed emphasis on the word "ever" is what made his eye twitch. If you placed an N in front of the Ever you got Never, and that's what she basically told him. The only way her lips would feasibly touch his were if he was the last man on earth and perhaps not even then.

The waitress returned with two tall bottles of Courvoisier and a stack of shot glasses. He winked at her, filled three shot glasses and took them back in quick succession. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and proceeded to pour another drink, when a tiny caramel hand came out of nowhere, snatched the shot glass and poured the murky brown liquid on the table.

"What is your problem, Judgey?" Damon slowly brought his eyes up to her face.

Bonnie was pissed, that was the clear emotion on her face. "When were you going to get around to telling everyone your deranged ex was back in town?"

He snorted, ignored the good liquor that was wasted on the table and proceeded to fill another glass.

"I knew it, Judgey, you do like starting fights with me."

"I'm not trying to fight with you, Damon. I came over here to ask you a simple question."

"And that's why you had to pour a little out for the homies who are no longer with us?" he said in reference to the alcohol painting the table. "Let me guess, she pulled your pigtail, stepped on your saddle shoe. Go tell it to someone who cares."

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't know why she's back but she threatened Elena."

"Hmm," Damon said and tossed back another shot.

Well, that hadn't been the reaction she expected from Damon. Anytime someone mentioned the girl's name he perked up like a prairie dog coming out of a foxhole.

"You've got nothing to say about that?" Bonnie placed a hand on her hip.

He rolled his head to look up at her and smiled perfunctorily. "As I recall you said that if something was a threat to Elena you'd tell her _boyfriend_. So I suggest you run along and do just that, and leave me to my drinking."

Bonnie raked a disapprovingly glare over Damon, but had to admit he was right in throwing her words back at her. She walked away from his table and kept walking until she exited the restaurant.

"Princess?"

Bonnie stopped in her tracks and came face-to-face with the other Damon.

"You look stressed," he observed and entered her personal space.

"I'm something like that," she brushed a piece of hair off her face that was irritating her.

"Who do I have to beat up?" he asked and tucked her defiant hair behind her ear.

Bonnie smiled at the gesture prior to shaking her head. "No one. Not yet at least. It's Katherine. She's back," she muttered ominously.

Interest flashed on Damon's face before his eyes darkened. "So the wicked bitch has arrived. Did she accost you?"

"In her own special way. I'm fine. I just don't know what she's going to do next," she sighed. "Watch your back."

"I know how to handle Katherine."

If anyone was an expert on handling Katherine it would be the man standing in front of her. "Is this how it is in Fell's Church? Constant drama and having to run for your life?" Bonnie wondered.

Damon's smirk was as arresting as ever. "This is Mayberry compared to Fell's Church."

Yeah, that would be something she'd have to see in order to believe. "Do you miss your home? Are you worried about what could be going on there?"

Damon appeared reflective, guarded. "Fell's Church was never my home, but I do think about it from time to time."

Bonnie swallowed and could actually feel an overwhelming loneliness wash over Damon even if he wasn't fully aware of it. Bonnie had never felt someone's emotions so explicitly as if they were her own. That unnerved her slightly.

Nevertheless, she cupped his cheek.

"You'll get back…you'll get to see your brother again…" she wanted to add and the girl you love but that sentence wouldn't have come out even if you bashed her teeth in. She decided it was time for a subject change. "Do you have your tux for the gala this weekend?"

The mischievous sparkle returned to his obsidian eyes. "I do."

"Good." Pause. "I should go. I have homework, and tests to study for." Bonnie walked perhaps two steps before she was grabbed by the wrist.

"Not so fast, princess," Damon brought her flush against his steel chest and plundered her mouth with his until he was sure she was dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Cartoon birds flew around Bonnie's head as she tried to find her center again. She cleared her throat and stumbled away but not before Damon slapped her ass. She jumped, yelped, and growled at him.

"I couldn't resist. It was calling me," he grinned.

* * *

><p>He was standing outside of Bonnie's house again only this time there was no music playing mocking the reason why he was here.<p>

Was Damon inebriated? No because he was still standing on his feet. Was he feeling like a glutton for punishment? Kinda sorta but that was only by choice. He marched up the stairs to her porch, examined the doorbell a second longer than necessary and pressed the buzzer.

He could hear Bonnie slap her feet on the floor as she rose from her bed, the springs protesting against the shift in weight. Now she was walking down the stairs, through what he imagined was the living room from the way her foot falls shifted to avoid running into furniture, until finally she was in the foyer and stood just half a foot away from the door.

She looked through the peephole and groaned before opening the object. "What is it, Lucifer?"

He cracked a tiny smile. "No one's called me that in a long time."

Bonnie didn't say anything, merely folded her arms over her chest and stared at him.

"Look, the other night I was searching all over town trying to find you because there was something I needed to say to you."

He flashed his cyan eyes up to her and noticed that she was waiting expectantly for the punch line.

"I wanted to say…"

Bonnie's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she dropped to the floor. Damon's orbs enlarged and he froze. Was she playing a joke on him? Was this real? Was she about to have a seizure? What the fuck was going on?

"BONNIE!" instinct began to override common sense as he tried to enter the house only to bang against the invisible shield that kept him out. Damon swore long and loud. "GOTDAMMITT!"

"Is there a problem, sir?"

Damon whirled around so fast he would have been a blur to human eyes. He zoomed over, grabbed Katherine and slammed her up against the wall. The force great enough to leave a dent.

"What did you do to her?!" he growled.

"Don't tell me you like the witch? For you that's a step in the right direction although for her she'd be dating down," she laughed.

Damon braced his forearm up against her windpipe that had Katherine been a regular woman she'd be turning blue in the face.

"_Fuck you_, Katherine. Whatever you're doing to her stop it!"

The Bulgarian doppelganger looked sheepish before gaining the upper hand, maneuvering herself until she and Damon swapped positions. His face kissed the wall as the arm that was braced against Katherine's neck was pulled behind him. He winced but didn't make a noise.

Katherine ran the tip of her nose against the shell of his ear before flicking it with her tongue. "I wanted no interruptions between us, Damon. You've been a naughty boy in my absence. For all intents and purposes I was supposed to be dead, but because you loved me _so much_ it led you to comb the earth looking for a way to free me, well some of my old enemies are beginning to wonder if I _am _alive," she sighed dramatically. "I didn't want to have to come here to start problems, but you put your foot in it again and now I'm faced with the daunting task of cleaning house."

She bit clean through his ear. He may have roared just a tiny bit.

Katherine licked the blood clean from her lips and moaned.

"That's why you came back here? Not to apologize for being a conniving backstabbing whore or to lick my boots?"

Katherine tightened her grip and Damon felt his shoulder was two seconds from dislocating again.

"Be nice, Damon, that's how you play this game. You be nice to me, and I'll be nice to you. Bonnie will be fine in a matter of hours…it depends on how strong she is."

"I will find a way to end you, Katherine."

"You say that like you really mean it. But what would you be if I'm dead because you're entire life has been in worship of me?" she chortled. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I came back for two things and two things only. Once I get them, I'll leave. If anyone tries to interfere you might want to put your black suit in the dry cleaners because there's no telling how many funerals you'll have to crash. Cool? If you choose to be hard-headed which I'm sure you will be, I'll start plucking people off starting with the person you care about the most."

Katherine flicked her eyes at Bonnie to make sure she was still unconscious.

"Is that why you sliced and diced John Gilbert? Because he took something from you?"

She laughed and released Damon. "He is a bigot that needed to be taught a lesson."

He twisted his shoulder but refused to rub feeling back into it.

"I've forgotten how blue your eyes are," Katherine reached into her pocket, retrieved her cell phone and pressed a single button. "You can stop now. I think I've made myself clear." She stared at Damon and shook her head and traipsed down the stairs. But she paused on the sidewalk and looked back up at him. "Remember, Damon…be nice."

With her gone, Damon rushed back to the open front door. Bonnie was still stretched out on the floor, but then she took in a massive gulp of air and grabbed both sides of her head. She began screaming.

"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, invite me in so I can help you!"

Her screams turned into cries and Damon felt his blood run cold as blood began to gush from both of her nostrils.

"Bonnie gotdammit invite me _IN_!"

She could vaguely hear someone screaming her name but the roaring pain in her head was all she could focus on. Bonnie peeled an eye open and she saw a blurry image of someone just standing in her doorway. Is this what a vampire went through when she gave them an aneurysm?

"_Bonnie…_"

She mustered up her strength and crawled her way to the door and collapsed on the porch. Damon didn't hesitate to scoop her up and take off into the night.

* * *

><p>Alaric was grading papers wondering why he was even bothering with this crap when someone began kicking his front door.<p>

Putting his pen down, Alaric first retrieved his crossbow and then walked to the door. He peered out the peephole, saw that it was Damon, and opened the door.

His eyes widened as the vampire flew inside his apartment carrying an unconscious and bleeding Bonnie.

"What happened?" Alaric asked as he followed after Damon who deposited Bonnie on Ric's bed.

"Long story short, Katherine is back and she showed up at Bonnie's and I think she has a witch working for her and she did something to Bonnie. She was knocked unconscious or something. Then she woke up screaming, clutching her head, and she started bleeding. _Fix_ her!"

Alaric sputtered. "I'm not a doctor, Damon. She might have serious neurological damage. We gotta get her to the hospital."

Damon was determined not to step foot in another hospital. He rolled up the sleeve to his shirt. "I can give her some of my blood."

Alaric grabbed Damon by the arm. "If what's happening to Bonnie is magical in nature you're blood isn't going to do a thing." Ric picked up Bonnie's wrist and took her pulse. He pulled back her lids and was relieved that her eyes weren't rolled into the back of her head.

"Can you grab my bag? I have a small flashlight in there. I need to check her pupil dilation."

Damon flashed over to Ric's bag and was back in and instant.

He watched as Ric went through whatever protocol one followed in this situation. After checking her vitals, Ric went over to his bookcase, quickly searched the stacks and pulled one off the shelves. He flipped a few pages, read one passage followed by another.

Ric looked up at Damon and shook his head. "She needs a doctor, Damon. Either she will come out of this or she won't."

That was highly unacceptable to Damon. He sat down on the bed, pulled up his sleeve, and bit into his wrist. He reached under Bonnie, propped her up on his leg, pried her jaw open, and stuck his wrist in her mouth.

"Swallow…" he demanded and ignored how sexual that could sound under much different circumstances.

At first Bonnie wasn't responsive but then Damon felt a little suction and before long, Bonnie was drinking his blood. After she swallowed what was tolerable she began to cough and breathe heavily. Her eyes opened and crashed into concerned light-blue orbs.

Damon offered her a tiny smile and lowered her to the bed.

"Damon…? What happened to me?"

"I don't know but I will find out. You should probably try to get some sleep."

Bonnie looked around not recognizing where she was. "Where am I?"

"Ric's apartment. I'll explain later, just…get some sleep, Bonnie."

She nodded her head in compliance, closed her eyes, and dozed off.

Two hours later Bonnie woke up feeling like the energizer bunny. She popped up, looked around, and then glanced down at herself to make sure she was still clothed. She blushed in embarrassment.

Ric saw that she was awake and approached her. "Hey, how do you feel?"

Bonnie examined herself as if she were a new organism. "I feel…pretty good." Her eyes flicked over to the person strolling into Ric's bedroom. "You didn't leave."

Damon folded his arms over his chest. "I couldn't. I had to make sure you didn't do something retarded like…die," the dark-haired vampire snorted.

Bonnie offered him a small smile and then climbed out of Ric's bed. She didn't spend too much time thinking about the fact she fell asleep in her teacher's bed. Damon met her halfway.

They were silent for a minute as they merely stared at one another.

"What did Katherine do to me? One minute I remember talking to you and the next I wake up with my head feeling like someone was putting it in a meat grinder."

"I'm not exactly sure but more than likely she had a witch working with her. Are you ready to go home?"

Actually that was the last place she wanted to be because she was alone there. Katherine had been able to hurt her without stepping foot inside her house, and who's to say she wouldn't come back.

"I don't think I should go home. Can you drop me off somewhere else?"

He didn't even have to ask where, merely nodded his head.

Bonnie turned to Ric. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank Damon. He gave you some of his blood."

Bonnie looked over to the vampire and wondered if he was going to pose like a superhero as he waited for her to douse him with compliments.

"Thank you, Damon," she said sincerely, and wondered if she'd start feeling weird knowing Damon's blood was percolating in her system. Right now all she wanted to focus on was the fact her head no longer felt like it was about to catapult off her shoulders.

He shrugged. "Saving pretty girls is what I do."

She snorted and then smirked. "You think I'm pretty?" she teased.

Damon pulled one of his famous faces and opened up the door. He waited for the witch to stroll through it. "I am not about to create a monster, but you a'ight."

Alaric closed the door behind them shaking his head as they bickered back and forth like an old married couple. The next couple of weeks would be fun to watch.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Sorry guys that it took a minute for Bonnie to pop up in this chapter but I had to introduce Katherine with as much flair as possible. I'm also sorry there wasn't much book Damon/Bonnie interaction. As usual I wanted to add more to this but then I would have been writing forever. But I hope you liked it. Thanks again for reading and for the awesome reviews! Love you guys!**


	9. Preparation

**A/N: Hello All. It was brought to my attention by 1beaut—thanks gurl—that chapter 9 for whatever reason vanished. So here is the re-upload. Please let me know if you still can't view it. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>Night had shifted into early morning. Damon pressed his foot harder on the accelerator flying through yellow lights before they turned red. Mystic Falls after dark wasn't like the big cities of the world where shady business transactions took place, and illicit behavior was prevalent. Things were quiet, eerily so as the town occupants rested comfortably in their beds behind locked doors.<p>

Several times Bonnie questioned if she were making the right decision in going over to dark-eyed Salvatore's house. And she also questioned why she trusted him when she knew next to nothing about him. When someone went out of their way to protect your life a bond formed, misunderstandings could be patched up, and grievances could be settled. Yet, as Bonnie stared at Damon out the corner of her eye she couldn't escape feeling an immense sense of gratitude for what he did for her tonight.

Now, they were even.

For a second she wanted to ask him what he was thinking—if he was thinking anything at all, but Bonnie's opportunity passed her by as he made a sharp right on Damon's street and was vastly approaching the two-story Victorian.

Typically when Damon did stuff he hardly ever thought of the consequences because he was too caught up on how he felt. Damon didn't regret doing what he had to save Bonnie's life, but now he was delivering her over to his spearmint twin and something about this particular scenario bothered him immensely.

Things had become increasingly awkward when he and Bonnie walked out of Alaric's apartment. Bonnie had climbed into the passenger seat of Damon's car not sure what to say to him. They were in an enclosed space—alone, a rare occurrence for them. Bonnie chose the safe path and kept her mouth shut. It didn't escape Damon she had retreated within herself which prompted him to turn up the volume on the radio to block out the pestering silence. Doing that also afforded Damon the opportunity to regroup and overanalyze what he learned or didn't learn he should say.

Katherine was back looking to cause a whole hell of a lot of destruction. She specifically said she was after two things and two things only. Damon already knew what one of those things was, or more to the matter _who _she came back to Mystic Falls to claim. Yeah, that irritated him like falling ass first into a poison ivy bush, but it wouldn't be his life if someone didn't make their preference for Stefan known.

Damon pulled into the driveway of the two-story Victorian and killed the lights and the engine.

Bonnie twisted on the seat to look at him. "Thanks for the ride and for…tonight."

"Are you going to wig out on me now?"

No, she wasn't going to do that but she did swat his chest with the back of her hand. "I can't be mad at you because you didn't leave me to die. It's an admirable thing what you did for me."

Also sacred but Damon wasn't going to tell her that.

Bonnie finally found the courage to look him dead in the eye. Damon stared right back and she didn't wither or blink at his intense scrutiny. Not many people could do that.

He grinned. "Does that mean we can call a truce between us?" the dark vampire waved a finger between them.

Bonnie returned his grin, "No," she reached for the car door handle and slipped out of the vehicle.

Damon followed suit.

The front door of the house swung open and a figure clad in head-to-toe black strode purposefully towards Bonnie. When she was in reaching distance, Fell's Church Damon cupped her cheeks and did a visceral check for any wounds. He noticed a bit of dried blood coating her right nostril.

"You can go inside," he said.

Bonnie nodded her head but then shifted her eyes over to blue-eye Damon who kept his gaze locked on her the whole time.

She inclined her head and wordlessly strolled away.

The air grew thick with tension as the two Damon Salvatore's faced off for what felt like the millionth time in the six weeks dark-eyes had been living in Mystic Falls.

"It seems this Bonnie gets in as much trouble as my little redbird."

Blue-eyes folded his arms over his chest and leaned against his car. "Little redbird…funny how you're just _now _mentioning you have a girlfriend_._"

Dark-eyes glared at Damon. "She's not my girlfriend."

"But you care about her."

Dark-eyes shrugged. "It comes with the territory of knowing her. She's delicate."

Damon snorted rudely. "So I'm guessing my…er…Bonnie is hard-as-nails compared to the one you know?"

Dark-eyes grinned at Damon's slip and folded his frame into a casual stance by crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Bonnie of this world is remarkably strong but she's barely tapped into her potential. With my tuition she'll be unstoppable."

"Hmm…so that's your goal? Why you've been spending all your free time flitting around Bonnie because you're trying to turn her into some kind of bare knuckled warrior princess? You're going to leave one day and that's a fact you can't escape."

Dark-eyes glared at him.

"So I have to ask why do you care what she becomes?"

"Why don't you care?" Damon fired back at the lesser version of himself.

Light-eyes pushed away from the car. "I've never given Bonnie one reason to trust me. Yet she trusts you…"

Dark-eyes looked smug. "And you have a problem with that."

"I _might_," Damon bit out. "But…after tonight she might be seeing me in a whole new light."

Black eyes surrounded by thick lashes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Damon began whistling as he walked to the driver side of his car. Of course the other Damon met him there and slammed his car door shut before he could climb behind the safety of his wheel.

"I guess I must have left out the part that I had to give Bonnie some of my blood to heal her," he winked at Damon and managed to push him away from the door.

Yet Damon stopped him from getting in the car by laying a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Did you take hers?"

"No, unfortunately we didn't get to that part," he said forlornly. "Yet," he added smugly.

And Damon would have liked nothing better than to knock every last one of blue-eyes top teeth out. Instead he merely tightened his hold on his double's shoulder satisfied when Damon began to wince.

"Make sure it doesn't happen. Ever."

Blue-eyes wanted to bait him so bad that his balls began to hurt yet he had already been slapped around enough tonight. He had his limits although he typically never exercised them until it was far too late. But what the hey?

Blue-eyes poked dark-eyes in the chest. "You see I don't think you're in any position to tell me what I can and can not do. I'll pull seniority if I have to and say that I've known Bonnie longer than you and I will continue to know her well after your old ass gets sucked back into the twilight zone. She might trust you, hell she might even like you, but you'll do something to screw it all up because," Damon shrugged, "that's what us Damon's of the world do. Destroy a good thing before it destroys us."

Silence and then, "Seems you do have a brain in your skull," Fell's Church Damon said.

"Shush, don't tell anyone. It's my secret weapon," Damon clapped his double on the shoulder and was finally permitted to get in his car and drive away.

Dark-eyes ambled away and slammed the front door to his house shut. He found Bonnie in his bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed facing the large window. He could smell the soap on her skin and knew she had washed her face and gotten herself presentable.

Yet as he observed her he couldn't help but look at her differently. Damon's blood ran through her system and Bonnie stood a strong chance of picking up some of his less than admirable qualities or she might feel indebted to him. He was certainly hoping it wouldn't be the latter.

Swapping blood with a vampire could open up a pathway of emotions and inner feelings that otherwise would have remained dormant. It was how he fell in love with Elena and how she fell in love with him because they drank one another's blood uninhibitedly for weeks or it might have been days. In any case, the effect had been profound.

Damon certainly couldn't have Bonnie drinking anymore from that putrid corpse. He sat down beside her on the bed and they looked up at the moon together.

"Sometimes I feel so powerful that I can barely keep my skin together, and then some days I feel so incredibly weak it takes twenty minutes of concentration to blink," Bonnie turned to stare at Damon. "With Katherine back I can't afford to be weak."

"I can alleviate that."

"How?" she sounded dubious and shot up from the bed. "She was able to hurt me without even touching me."

"From my understanding she had a witch working for her. So don't be too hard on yourself. You're young still and can't be expected to know everything."

"But I should know the basics in protecting myself or even sensing when another witch is near," Bonnie argued passionately.

Yeah, that much was true Damon could agree. There was nothing worse than being caught unawares. He would know since he had survived being possessed.

"Like I said, Bonnie, I'll help alleviate that. I can go after Katherine and eliminate the source. She sounds like fun to toss around like a football for a few hours."

Bonnie shook her head. "She's not your fight, Damon."

He rose from the bed and caught Bonnie by the elbow. "She became my fight when she messed with you."

Naturally he'd have to say something to make her heart melt just a tinsy bit. "You're very sweet," she complimented.

His face darkened. "There's nothing sweet about me. Most of everything I do, I do for my own end," Damon paced away from Bonnie.

She stared after him wondering what switch did he just flip.

"So are you trying to say that everything that's been going on between us…you're only using me for-"

He flashed back over to the confused witch. "No, I'm only saying that you should _never _forget what I am, Bonnie. I'm not human and I don't process things the way a human does and my actions certainly aren't human," he paused for a moment. "Do you want to know what I want to do to you right now?"

She gulped nervously and thought for a moment if it would be wise to ask Damon for clarification. He took her by the hands and backed her into the nearest wall. A breathless sound escaped her lips when her body made contact and Damon boxed her in, whispered in her ear.

"_Put my head between your legs and taste your heat."_

Bonnie's eyes widened and then she found herself giggling. When Damon pulled back the mischievous twinkle had returned to his eyes.

"I'm dangerous," he said at last.

She nodded in agreement. "That you are. And explicit."

Damon shrugged a brawny shoulder. "Comes with the package."

Her eyes shamelessly looked at the prominent bulge protruding from the center of his thighs.

"But I have to help you first," he slid a gold ring he wore on his right pinky off his finger and slipped it on Bonnie's index finger. "Use this to channel my energy."

She was confused by this. "Channel? How do I do that?"

"Close your eyes and concentrate," he took her hand and placed it directly over his heart. "Feel my energy and try to draw as much of it into yourself. I'll guide you."

Bonnie had no idea what he was talking about or how she was supposed to do this. She was used to trying to decipher chicken scratch on ancient paper written in a dead language. This was practical application in an area she had no expertise in. Yet she did as Damon instructed. Closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

At first nothing really happened. Bonnie was too preoccupied with the sounds of the house, the mysterious creaks and groans it made coupled with the fire popping in the hearth. But then, like a match being struck, she felt a pulse of something cosmic. That force of energy drew her attention like a beacon, luring her closer, ready to ensnare her, blanket her. So the more she focused on it, Bonnie imagined reaching out a hand and pulling it directly into her own body.

She gasped at the onslaught of energy she felt cocooning her body. Spilling into her, filling her up with light. Her mouth fell open and her breath came out in spurts until it seemed she was only moments from climaxing.

Her head was throbbing softly now and she loosened her hold on Damon. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her with a semi-slumberous expression on his face.

"That was incredible," she breathed in awe.

He nodded and then buried his hand in her hair pulling her against him and crashed his lips into hers. He kissed her hard and thorough and kind of hissed when Bonnie's little hands ran over his hard length. He picked her up. She straddled his waist. And the next thing Bonnie knew, her pants were being unzipped and pulled down her legs, her underwear with it and a cold, frosty tongue parted her folds.

"Ohmygod," she croaked.

If he couldn't have her blood or give her his then he would do the next best thing to getting to know her intimately. Was this some type of twisted power struggle he just entered into with the other Damon? Perhaps, yet at the end of the day _he _was the one to earn Bonnie's trust and respect and as his reward he got to sample her nectar. And she was delicious.

Bonnie squirmed and arched against the bed at the foreign invasion because no one had ever done this before. Bonnie lifted her head to stare down at Damon to make sure that what was really happening, was happening. When he felt her probing gaze, Damon looked up and Bonnie gasped because there were blue-eyes staring back at her and not black.

_No. No. No. _She repeated in her head, snapped her eyes closed and groaned when that cold tongue began to swirl that tender bundle of nerves.

When she chanced looking back down again and the eyes that were boring into hers were midnight, she relaxed and focused on the tingling sensations that exploded all over her body.

Hands clutched the bedspread. Bonnie's legs began to tremble, and there was no way she would ever be strong enough to tell Damon to stop what he was doing.

Besides, he had no intentions of stopping.

* * *

><p>Vaguely he felt fingertips caress his skin. Then long strands of hair shrouded his face and urgent lips were pressed against his.<p>

Stefan moaned into the kiss and his body responded automatically to the one that was straddling his waist. This was a nice way to be awakened in the middle of the night. His wife beater was pulled up and over his head. Aggressive lips and teeth began nibbling and biting his neck. When he managed to peel his eyes open, he was met with a round face, dark brown doe-eyes, smallish lips, an oval shaped face and long brown…_wavy_ hair.

Without thinking Stefan pushed Katherine off of him. She went careening backwards into the wall where Stefan rushed over using vampire speed. He wrapped his hand around her neck.

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" he snarled.

She smiled sweetly and allowed him to be rough with her. "I was trying to fuck you," she pouted. "You can pretend I'm Elena."

He scoffed and broke his hold on her, and pointed towards the door. "Get out."

Katherine who lost her shirt somewhere between sneaking into the boardinghouse and Stefan's bedroom, which really wasn't sneaking in since he and his brother never bothered to lock the front door, stood proudly before Stefan in her see-through bra. It wasn't a difficult task for Stefan to keep his eyes above her neck.

Katherine for her part looked tickled pink. "I've missed you, Stefan."

"Sorry, I can't say the same."

She groaned and pushed away from the wall. "Don't try to be an asshole. That's not the Stefan I know. The Stefan I know risked his life to try and save me, and he said 'I love you' first," she grinned in memory.

"You compelled me," was his argument.

"Your love for me wasn't fabricated although I'm sure you'd like it to be. You were _very_ much in love with me then," she stared boldly at his semi-erection. "And you're still very much in love with me now. As evidenced by who you're dating. The poor man's version of me."

A tic began in Stefan's jaw. "Whatever you came back here for, you're not going to get. That said, I suggest you leave town, Katherine."

"Wrong again, Stefan," Katherine sing song. "I _always _get what I want, and I'm not leaving until I get it. Sorry if you don't like it but that's the way things are going to be."

Stefan licked his lips and his eyes went wild for a minute. "Your way or the highway? Bitch you haven't changed."

Katherine chuckled gleefully. And in the next instant, Stefan found himself on the floor holding his side with Katherine towering over him holding a wooden stake in her hand that dripped with his blood.

"Don't disrespect me ever again, Stefan. Or I'll use this to first sodomize you and then put you down for good," her eyebrows jumped. She fell gracefully to her knees and cupped his face forcing Stefan to look at her. She pecked his lips and felt him stiffen against the intrusion. "I love you, Stefan and nothing you say or attempt to do to me will ever change that. But you've hurt my feelings and the only way I can see you making it up to me is by dumping the doppelganger bitch. If not… I _will_ bathe in the blood of her friends each and every single night. Don't believe me? Just try me."

Stefan grunted in pain as his wound began to heel and he saw the sincerity of Katherine's threat painfully reflected in her eyes. She kissed him again before strutting out of his room.

"I'm so glad we caught up, Stefan and oh," she said and pivoted around to face him again. "Game on."

* * *

><p>There was nothing more humbling than having your ass handed to you in your own home in your own room no less, Stefan thought. He walked along the halls of the boardinghouse, shirt thrown over his shoulder. He wanted a drink—a real one because and his jaw and gums ached painfully. Elena, for her own safety had spent the night at Caroline's after spending a good half hour telling the blond that she wasn't the one who said all those awful things to her at school. But Stefan wanted to see Elena for his own piece of mind to make sure she was okay and had survived the night.<p>

Damon, when he came in, debriefed Stefan on the night he had playing nurse to Bonnie and his encounter with Katherine. It seemed that chick was taking inventory of who she could screw with and how badly. So far the only people to be physically hurt by Katherine were Bonnie and Stefan. He really had no idea what that meant.

Just as Stefan made his way into the living room, a soft knock sounded on the front door. He thought nothing of it as he went to go answer the summons. If he still had the ability to blush he would have been the color of a tomato because standing on the other side was:

"Bonnie," Stefan greeted and reached for his shirt and hastily threw it on.

Bonnie stared at him with humongous eyes for a moment. "I'm guessing you were expecting Elena?"

He nodded and then stepped aside to allow her entry. Bonnie filed past him and walked into the living room that was thankfully empty of a certain vampire. She turned around to face the younger Salvatore again.

"Nice abs by the way," she complimented.

Stefan chose that moment to stare at his feet and rub the back of his neck. "Thanks. If you're looking for Elena she's not here yet."

"Actually I came here to see you."

Upon hearing that, Stefan lifted his head and looked at the young girl standing across from him.

"Oh? About what? I heard you had an encounter with Katherine last night…how are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Bonnie glanced up at the ceiling. "Is he here?"

"He's still asleep." Stefan would have heard Damon moving around.

Despite knowing Damon was sleeping a part of Bonnie kind of perked up at the prospect that he was in the same space as she was. Uh-oh, what in the world was going on with her? Last night she tumbled into mania and actually fantasized about blue-eyed Damon Salvatore being the one to go down on her, and now here she felt an anticipatory rush in knowing that if she wanted to, she could march up to his room and gawk at him with her own two eyes.

This had to be due to having his blood. She kind of felt the same way after Stefan saved her life; however those feelings were dull in comparison to how she was feeling towards Damon. Bonnie could only attribute that to the fact his blood was stronger since he fed from humans and not animals.

Regardless it pissed her off.

Ignoring the pull, Bonnie headed over to the patio doors and walked out to the back lawn. Stefan wordlessly followed after her.

"What's going on, Bonnie?"

"I have a favor to ask you," she turned to him again. Stefan stared at her expectantly. "I need help with training."

Three lines appeared on Stefan's forehead. "Training? You mean witch training? Damon has far more experience with witches than I do…"

Bonnie shook her head and waved a hand in the air to dismiss his words. "Look, last night Damon…the other Damon taught me how to channel power and I have this reserve built up and I need to see how to use it."

A knowing look washed over Stefan's face as he folded his arms. "So in other words you need a guinea pig."

Bonnie appeared sheepish for a moment. "Yeah. I would ask 'the Damon's'," she used air quotation marks to emphasize her point, "but one would annoy me to death while the other would try to seduce me. You're the one who I know will remain the most objective. I've never asked you for anything before and I promise not to whine or complain much…"

Stefan reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders to silence her. "Bonnie, I'll do it."

She waited for his words to digest in her ears. "You'll do it? You'll help me?"

"Yes. Besides you aren't the only one who should brush up on their skills. With Katherine around there's no telling when and where she might strike and we'll all need to be prepared. When do you want to start?"

"Today after school."

Stefan looked uncertain. He was supposed to head over to the hospital with Elena to check up on John. He didn't want to chance leaving her there by herself for any length of time. Alaric had convinced Jenna to stay with him for a few days, and Jeremy had been shipped off to one of his stoner friends' house. Katherine had an open invitation to the Gilbert residence to come and go as she pleased so that meant he'd have to step up his security detail in keeping Elena safe.

"I was supposed to head over to the hospital with Elena to check on John…"

"Oh, well maybe tomorrow then."

"No, this is important and I'm a man of my word. It shouldn't take much convincing to get Elena to cut a period and head over to the hospital earlier. I'll meet you back here at three."

Bonnie smiled. "Thank you, Stefan."

He bowed his head while he spoke. "You're welcome."

The two of them headed back to the house unaware of the face in the window that had been watching and listening into their every word.

* * *

><p>"Bonnie, I can't believe you. The gala is in two days and you still haven't found a dress! You were right when you said it was an emergency. Seriously what have you been doing other than moonlighting with the other Damon Salvatore? Granted he's fine but that's still no excuse for schlepping on your responsibilities, Madame of being absolutely fabulous in a banging ass dress."<p>

Bonnie was impressed Caroline said all of that on one intake of breath. The two girls searched through endless racks and aisles of dresses trying to find the one that screamed fierce bitch yet all they could come up with is 'I didn't place first in the Southern Belle pageant because of this lame ass dress'.

There was a point in time where Bonnie loved shopping until her feet literally started smoking with her two best friends—fashionistas in crime. Now she had far more important things to worry about. Looking trendy and chic had been placed on the back burner. Sure there were cardinal rules Bonnie wouldn't dream of breaking like: never leaving the house without a stitch of make up on, wearing a matching set of clean underwear. Yet doing things a seventeen year old girl was supposed to do seemed so trivial to her now.

With the gala mean mugging her in the face and nothing to wear, Bonnie called for reinforcements and enlisted Caroline to help her hunt down and select the perfect dress for the event.

Caroline frowned at some of the choices she skimmed through before heading over to another rack.

"Gah! It's like the designer stole this design from her two year old sister," Caroline frowned at one get up made of chocolate velvet fabric, and looked incredibly tacky and uncomfortable. "These dresses are horrible. Maybe we should head over to the bridal boutique."

Bonnie scowled so deeply that Caroline laughed unsympathetically.

"Fix that face," Caroline admonished. "I'm not saying go bye a wedding dress, but we might find a suitable bridesmaid's dress that should do you justice. Who's footing the bill for this anyways?"

"Technically I am, but I'm using the funds from the money marketing account I set up. My dad doesn't pay attention to stuff so long as he comes home and the lights and water is on, then he's satisfied."

"You're practically living alone in that house like a real adult and I have to hear the good Sheriff's mouth if I forget to put the dishes away after washing them. I'm like they're washed aren't they? I guess my best just isn't good enough."

Bonnie could do nothing but shake her head.

"But seriously, what do you do with Damon? I barely see him lurking around town and when I do see him he's wrapped around you like a python."

Bonnie allowed herself one small grin as she half-heartedly searched through a rack filled with pastel colored dresses.

"We talk."

"And?"

"Sometime's there's kissing involved."

Caroline immediately stopped searching the racks and drew closer to Bonnie, her face splintering with greed to hear more gossip.

"And?" Caroline elbowed her.

"And sometime's he makes me tongue-tied and crossed eyed."

Caroline's eyes widened and she threw her arms around Bonnie nearly choking her. "Skanky! You gave him your V card?"

"No!" Bonnie pinched Caroline who yelped loudly. "But he's gotten a lot farther than others have and that's all I'm going to say on the matter."

"I can't believe this. You like this Damon Salvatore but the one you actually know…you can't stand him."

"It's all a matter of perspective. I'm not seeing anything in here, Care. We might as well try your idea and head over to the bridal boutique."

The two girls made their way to the boutique on foot.

Caroline resumed their earlier conversation. "You say it's all a matter of perspective but, Bonnie as much as I love that you're exploring your sexual side I do have to caution you about getting too serious with Damon. He's going to leave one day and I'd hate to have to cross dimensions in order to track him down and beat his ass if he breaks your heart."

Bonnie laughed. "I'm not going to take it that far with him because of the fact he isn't here to stay," she said on a sigh. They entered the boutique which was blissfully empty. "He's been nice to me."

"Which I find hard to believe but if you're letting him round bases," she winked, "I'd be nice to you, too."

Bonnie popped Caroline on the shoulder. "Sometimes I really think you're a guy," Bonnie commented.

Caroline snickered.

A sales lady came out of nowhere and stopped the girls in their tracks. "Hi, ladies and welcome to Giselle's Boutique. So who's the lucky bride to be?"

Caroline pushed Bonnie forward. "She is and she has two grooms and has the daunting task of picking which one she'll actually walk down the aisle towards. So please do her justice."

The sales lady's eyes lit up like the Fourth of July as she began to tug Bonnie's arm. "We'll…aren't we blessed? We have a wonderful new, modern selection that just came in from New York…"

"Caroline," Bonnie growled as she was toted away.

What felt like hours later, Caroline yawned and then switched her weight from her right butt cheek to her left as she waited for Bonnie to emerge from the dressing room.

The door opened and Bonnie came out. The fabric of the gown swished against her legs as she stepped up on the dais.

"Oh, Bon…" Caroline fanned her eyes to keep her tears at bay. "You look so beautiful."

Even Bonnie had to admit she looked like a real Disney princess in the ball gown. She pirouetted for Caroline and then brought her gaze to the sales lady who was already counting up her commission in her head.

"Is this your dress?" the sales lady asked.

Bonnie nodded her head enthusiastically. "This is my dress."

* * *

><p>The following day Bonnie dragged her sore body into the Salvatore living room. Her training with Stefan had gone the way she expected it to go. She had spent a majority of their session being knocked on her ass and knees and being taken by surprise. Trying to track a vampire sounded good in theory—in theory—she mentally reiterated but doing so in real life—priceless.<p>

As usual she spotted Damon hovering near Elena as they went through Alaric's collection of torture devices and toys. She studied them for a moment taking note of the way Damon's eyes kind of lit up whenever Elena threw him a tiny smile, and that he constantly found some reason to touch her to draw her attention.

Bonnie felt her own skin tingle as phantom fingers grazed her flesh in the places where Damon touched Elena. Inwardly she growled and rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous.

She turned away from them and went upstairs to the bedroom Stefan said she could use to freshen up.

Once locked inside, Bonnie pulled her dirtied shirt over her head and stood in her sports bra and jeans.

Cold hands wrapped around her waist and Bonnie shrieked. Laughter tickled her ear and she spun around ready to slap the intruder across the face, but he caught her wrist in his palm and held it suspended in the air.

"Careful, gorgeous wouldn't want you to break your hand trying to slap my lips off my face."

Bonnie snatched her hand away from Damon. "You scared me."

He winked at her. "I figured that much."

"What are you doing here?" she questioned and then reached for the towel that was left on the bed.

"Elena asked me to stop by. She wanted to pick my brain on how I was able to deal with the Katherine of my world. She wasn't happy with the story I had to tell her."

Damon took it upon himself to unbutton, unzip, and pull down Bonnie's jeans who stepped out of them. He had seen her naked from the waist down twice already, but as his hands reached to strip her of her sports bra, Bonnie felt her heart take off in her chest.

His eyes darkened considerably when Bonnie turned around giving him the pleasure of watching the muscles in her back flex as she pulled her bra off. She quickly wrapped the towel around her body and began fashioning her hair into a ponytail.

"What's the story you had to tell her?" she questioned.

Damon sighed and took a seat on the bed. "Elena sacrificed herself in order to kill Katherine," he replied nonchalantly, ignoring that foreign pang that cut through his heart at the memory.

He lied backwards on the bed resting on his elbows. Bonnie sat down beside him. She was positive for as cool and unaffected as he tried to appear, Bonnie knew this was a hard topic for Damon to talk about.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"Katherine began affecting Fell's Church. Turning animals on their owners. Causing all kinds of chaos in her quest to kill Elena. She was successful, but Elena had Stefan's blood in her and she became a vampire. As a vampire, Stefan had given Elena Katherine's day walking ring. But Katherine had captured Stefan so Elena and her friends went to go rescue him, and I showed up attempting to be the dashing hero, but I soon learned that a mad vampire is an extraordinarily hard vampire to kill and she got the jump on me.

"I lost consciousness for a time and when I became lucid, Elena and Stefan were bound. She no longer had her day walking ring and tried to talk Katherine out of murdering the lot of us because her plan to unite me and my brother failed tremendously. And she wasn't too happy that we were once again fighting each other for the love of a woman who bore her face.

"While Katherine raved, Elena saw her opportunity to strike, but that meant she'd have to place herself in the path of the sun in order to snatch Katherine's day walking necklace off of her. So that's what she did. She had managed to unbind her hands and flew after Katherine, ripped her necklace off, and the both of them died in the sun."

There was the note of finality to his words but it was his eyes that told of the grief he felt at losing Katherine and Elena at the same time. Bonnie wanted to reach out and lay a comforting hand on him but part of her figured he wouldn't want that.

"Damon…you still love the both of them…don't you?"

He finally looked at her and whatever was in his eyes before had vanished now. He rose from the bed.

"Love and humanity are a vampire's greatest weaknesses, and unfortunately it's what keeps us alive." Damon bent and kissed Bonnie's cheek and walked over to the door. He paused before exiting. "I can't wait to see you in that gown you bought for the gala."

She sulked at him in disbelief. "Caroline showed you the dress?"

He tapped the side of his head. "She's an easy enough book to read. And I may have snuck a peek while you were out playing in the forest with Stefan."

Bonnie flipped him the bird to which he reared his head back and laughed heartily. "Don't take too long. Those people downstairs are increasingly boring."

Bonnie chuckled and hoisted herself from the bed. She sauntered her way to the connecting bathroom.

"Then go tell some jokes Eddie Murphy."

**A/N: Finally we'll be getting to the gala where things will take many interesting twists and turns. And I had Katherine lay low this chapter but trust and believe she's not done wrecking havoc. Not by a long shot. Thanks for reading people. R&R! Love you guys!**


	10. I'm No Cinderella

**A/N: Here is the long awaited Gala chapter. I'm sorry it took so long for me to produce this. Life got in the way and I lost my muse for the story because I knew the Gala would be very detail-oriented and I hate writing detail-oriented moments because it's hard to write down everything you visualize in your head and have it make sense on paper. I'm not completely happy with this. But I hope you guys like it and thanks for being so patient. And special shout out to PEL1 for her encouraging words that got me through a couple of hard days.  
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Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sunlight spilling into his room like an intoxicated lover—loud, belligerent, and unwelcomed—irritated Damon until he finally opened his eyes. Blue-eyes burned like a methane flame as he tried to remember the last visages of his dream. It was dissolving into a vat of nothingness, but there were key parts he remembered. He was in a room, at some fancy hotel or resort, drinking champagne straight from the bottle. He had been staring out the large picturesque window at the city lights below, when, having heard spike heels tap against the floor, he turned around and offered up a cinematic smile.

She had said something to him—something that made his smirk deepen, but he couldn't recall exactly what she said. He was distracted, having spent a majority of his time staring at her legs, manicured hands and feet, and those lips infamously shaped into Cupid's bow.

Damon groaned and buried his face in his pillow. It was too gotdamn early in the morning to be having thoughts about _her. _

But his thoughts were in control this morning as he rolled until he lied flat on his back. He had been absolutely serious when he asked Bonnie for a truce and she outright told him no. No one handled rejection well, least of all him, but typically he would have just brushed her comment off as if it were lint on his shoulder. Unfortunately that's not what happened at all.

Something uncomfortable had lanced through Damon, and his "let's make a deal" smile instantly vanished from his face.

He couldn't exactly figure out why earning Bonnie's respect was so important to him. Damon had met hundreds of people, tens of thousands of people in his lifetime, and not one of those people outside of Katherine and Elena's respect did he want to earn.

Damon saw himself cutting back flips like a trained poodle in trying to find some middle ground with Bonnie. She lived in era of black and white—there was no grey area with her, and grudgingly he had to admit that was one of the reasons he secretly admired her.

Great, now he was wasting his time thinking about her admirable traits.

Damon sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position in bed. This was definitely a first. Thinking about Bonnie instead of Elena first thing in the morning. He could pin it on the fact that he and Bonnie along with that abomination with his face would be attending an uber-formal gala tonight. That was probably the only reason for it.

Yeah, right.

His eyes waltzed over to the corner of his room where his tux sat perched on a hanging rack. His shoes were polished, and his diamond encrusted cufflinks sat on top of his dresser. It went without saying Damon hated formal wear but looked damned good in it.

Voices from outside caught his attention which prompted Damon to get to his feet. He saw Bonnie and Stefan heading towards the back of the property. He didn't need to open the window to hear what was being said between them, he could hear every word as if he were walking beside them.

"Do you think you'll finally be able to land me on my ass today?" To Damon it sounded as if Stefan was smiling, he never smiled, he smized—smiled with his eyes but that was about it.

Bonnie turned, her curls bounced against her shoulder. "I've perfected a few spells over the week, so we'll see. You might need a doughnut hole to sit on once this is all over."

"Bring it on, chump."

"Oh, its already been brought'n."

"What?" Stefan chuckled.

"Just go with the flow, dude."

Those two, in Damon's high opinion, were the whackest people he knew. But also the ones he most loved to annoy.

It was time to get dressed.

* * *

><p>Bonnie knew Stefan could be bad-ass when he wanted to be. She knew about the little visit he decided to pay John Gilbert in the hospital to grease information out of Elena's dead-beat father about why Katherine would attack him. She wasn't certain how much of the story Stefan decided to reveal to Elena other than admitting what she had already figured out-that he threatened John. Yet Bonnie saw the events unfold in her mind—when Stefan placed his hand on her shoulder earlier today to ask if she were ready for training.<p>

At first she was stuck, rooted to the spot over the fleeting image she caught of Stefan, first choking John, then ruthlessly biting into his wrist and shoving his bleeding appendage in John's mouth. Of course she couldn't "hear" what Stefan was saying to John, but she was a smart girl and got the gist of it. And as much as she wanted to question Stefan and that little awkward transaction, she had to focus because right now he was literally running circles around her.

She was currently running through a grocery list of things she needed to do before attending the gala. Caroline was slightly outraged that Bonnie didn't want to swap her training for a day of beauty instead. And she had warned Stefan none-too-gently about what would happen to him if he returned Bonnie with a bruise or a scratch on her flawless face, or laceration of any kind. And there had better not be any broken bones, sprained ankles or wrists, or she'd do something interesting with his balls and forceps. Yeah, Bonnie really didn't want a mental picture of what Caroline might have had in store for the younger Salvatore.

Her mind should have been focused on pinpointing Stefan's exact location so she could flush him out, but right now she was expelling her concentration on the butterflies throwing a rave in her belly. It would be one thing if she were going to the gala with the Damon she actually liked, but Mystic Falls Damon would be escorting her as well.

For days on end she had been trying to screw her head on straight. Ever since Damon gave her his blood to heal the damage Katherine's witch had caused, she felt as if a piece of herself no longer belonged to herself. She noticed that whenever he stepped into a room she immediately became aware of him. And though they pretty much kept their distance from one another, and their comments to the bare minimum, there was a sliver of Bonnie that felt disappointed by that.

Not as if she didn't have another distraction to focus on.

There was of course sensual-eyed Damon Salvatore that made her feel like a woman, and never once tried to undermine her abilities. In fact he was all for her relishing and expanding them. As much as she may like him, Bonnie knew he was here on a temporary basis.

The air shifted again and Bonnie made a sharp right to avoid being planted on her tailbone.

"You're not concentrating," said the disembodied voice. "If I wanted to, I could have snapped your neck by now. Focus, Bonnie!"

She growled in response to the criticism, but had to concede Stefan was right. Her personal life was interfering and she couldn't get caught making herself into an easy target.

Bonnie took a deep breath, closed her eyes and visualized turning up the volume in her ears. She tried to push her sensory senses out as far as she could. She really had no idea if she was doing this right or not, but it didn't take long for Bonnie to hear the minute sounds of the forest. She knew somewhere to the northeast that two squirrels were chasing one another. The air was warm in certain spots, so she discarded heading in those directions. Up above is where she found a cold spot and something else, so when she spun around, flinging out her arm, making the tree branch Stefan was standing on explode—she had to smile a little at the brief flash of surprise that highjacked his face.

The move, unfortunately didn't plant him on the ground. He had vampire sped off somewhere else. Bonnie cursed and stomped after him.

She may have walked twenty meters west when she knew he was standing right behind her. Bonnie executed a roundhouse kick and connected with his temple. The force was great enough that he _did _land on the ground but quickly got back to his feet and tried to make a grab for Bonnie who hopped out of the way. She grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it into his eyes and took off running.

Stefan gave chase ignoring the sting of the individual dirt particles scratching his eyes. He was within reaching distance of Bonnie who was running full steam ahead towards a tree. Stefan checked for a moment but continued going when it became apparent Bonnie wasn't going to shift her trajectory to avoid smashing into the tree.

What she did though astonished him. She simply increased her speed, and used the tree as a spring board as she planted one foot on the tree, then the other, arched her back, and did a back hand tuck to land behind Stefan who turned just in time for his shoulder to take the brunt of the blow.

"Gotdamnmmm!" he swore long and loud, and slid along the tree until he sat awkwardly on the ground.

Bonnie stood proudly before him, and approached.

It was taking longer to reorient himself and he was breathing rapidly. Bonnie didn't take his being down meaning he was out for the count, but she folded herself to rest on her haunches and simply touched the side of his head.

"Sleep, Stefan,"

His entire body shut down without his permission. He could hear nothing, see nothing, do nothing, but walk around the blackness clouding his mind.

Where in the world did she learn to do that?

Not two seconds later everything came rushing back to him. His eyes snapped opened and he involuntarily began coughing.

He wearily stared at Bonnie who merely gazed at him curiously.

"If you're wondering what I did to you…it's my trade secret and I'm not giving it up."

Stefan blessed her with a crooked smile. "I don't know if I should be impressed or scared. It was like…I was lost in my own head for a second, completely vulnerable."

Bonnie's smirk increased and that did not help Stefan feel any better about himself.

"The world is not going to know what to do with you," Stefan continued to praise Bonnie.

"Kind of the point don't you think?" Bonnie held out her hand towards Stefan, and brought him to his feet.

The two silently began heading back towards the boardinghouse.

"Sometimes I do wonder if it's ethically right for me to use my power to hurt people—vampires included,"

Stefan's eyebrows lifted at her admission. "You have the right to defend yourself, Bonnie. There would be no point to you having the ability to do what you do, if you couldn't protect yourself and the people you care about."

"But see that's the thing. I read in this book that my grandmother had in her library that the more a witch uses her power it can change her. And I'm not talking about her looks, but her views about the world, it can skewer the line between right and wrong. Some people can get lured in by the seductiveness of being able to cast spells…"

"You're talking about dark magic?"

Bonnie nodded her head. "Honestly I never want to be placed into a position where I'll have to decide to who gets to live and who has to die. And something tells me it _will _come to that point sometime in my future."

Stefan gently touched Bonnie on the elbow to get her to stop walking. He stared at her seriously. "Do you feel that way because Katherine is back in town?"

Katherine was part of the reason why she was feeling the way she was feeling, but it went deeper than that to Bonnie. Everyone she cared about, and even those she didn't or didn't even know all that well stood the chance of being used as a pawn in Katherine's childish game to start sh*t simply because she could.

"She's part of the problem—yes, but not the entire reason for it. The last few months have made no sense and each day the stakes keep rising. What happened to me the other night, the attack on John, even the other Damon being here, it all feels connected and disconnected at the same time. I can't relax in my own skin for longer than two seconds, Stefan. Something bad is going to happen, and I'm not sure if I'll be strong enough to stop it."

Stefan was an intuitive person—had been his whole life. "You have help, Bonnie. You don't have to shoulder this alone. Katherine is dangerous and I'm going to try my best to convince her to leave town for good—is it a crap shot—probably but it's worth a try. And maybe once she's gone, your feelings of dread will disappear too."

Bonnie didn't think so but she didn't want to burst Stefan's optimistic bubble.

"Or maybe she's just sexually frustrated."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and looked at their visitor who materialized out of nowhere. Light-eyed Damon stood across from Bonnie and Stefan, leaning casually against a tree with his arms folded over his chest.

"Perfect timing," Stefan mumbled under his breath.

Damon didn't even acknowledge him, just kept his laser-like eyes on Bonnie who all of a sudden grew interested in staring at the sky.

"Are the two of you done playing Hogwarts? The 'glam squad'," Damon used air quotation marks to emphasize his words, "just arrived and their impatient asses sent me to find you. Now, I don't mind running errands so long as there's some type of incentive for—,"

Bonnie couldn't take listening to the sound of his voice anymore. She simply began to walk towards the boardinghouse.

"Thanks for the lesson, Stefan."

Damon snorted as he watched her walk away with a bemused expression on his face. "In the incomparable words of Stephanie Tanner…how_ rude_!"

"She already has to spend the majority of the night with you, why are you trying to get on her nerves now?" Stefan questioned as he began heading back to the house.

Damon pushed away from the tree and began following his brother. "The girl acts like she's about to go to a maximum security prison. I know I might have a bit of a prickly demeanor but I am not that bad."

Stefan chuckled boisterously at that. "You have no idea what a dick you are, do you?"

"That wasn't me being a dick…I know I'm going to have to kiss her arse all night, but the least she could do is look at me when I talk to her. Yet I'm the one who gets called out for rudeness but no one ever says anything in my defense when someone is rude to me."

"First of all, you're a grown man, Damon, you might want to try to remember that. Bonnie is a seventeen year old girl so that gives her a little leeway on the matter."

To that Damon simply rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and explain to me the point of these little group therapy sessions of yours?"

"That's between Bonnie and me," Stefan said with a bit of finality to his words.

Damon shrewdly picked up on that. "It's kind of insulting she'd come to _you _with helping her practice like she's got a recital or something," Damon snickered and twisted the door knob to open one of the French doors that led into one of the dens.

* * *

><p><strong>Three hours later…<strong>

"You got to suck it in, Bonnie," Caroline commanded as she tightened the laces to the corseted back ball gown.

Bonnie sucked in a deep breath and wanted to yelp. She was sure one of her ribs just cracked no thanks to Caroline's manhandling.

"You're gonna kill her, Caroline," Elena came to her friend's distressed rescue. "Bonnie is already small enough, she needs to have _some _type of waistline. And do you want her to turn purple? Loosen it up a bit."

"I'm trying to make her boobs look awesome."

Bonnie looked over her shoulder to glare at her friend. "My boobs already look awesome. And if you tighten this thing anymore I'll be able to suck on my own nipples."

Caroline scrunched up her nose before laughing. "That is so gross. I'm sure Damon wouldn't mind watching that, though."

Silence immediately blanketed the room.

"Oh, will you two get over yourselves, seriously," whined Caroline who tied a perfect bow at the end of the corset and stepped back to admire her handy work. "Done."

Bonnie let go the chair she had been using as leverage and flexed her fingers, and cracked her knuckles. That's how tightly she had been holding on to the chair. She slowly turned around to face her friends' head on. Caroline—the drama queen, covered her mouth with her fingers, and all Elena could do was repeatedly say "Wow".

"Don't move! I have to take pictures."

Bonnie pulled a face of impatience and placed a hand on her hip. "I know I'm wearing a wedding dress…kind of…doesn't mean I want to have a photo-op."

"Your attitude stinks and you need to change it because obviously you aren't seeing what I'm seeing," her blond friend admonished and began snapping away.

Meanwhile downstairs, the two Damon's eyed one another neither one wanting to say that the other looked dapper or smashing. Stefan couldn't help but feel he was stuck in the middle of some science fiction movie as he looked between dark-eyed Damon Salvatore who chose to wear a regular black tie with his tux, to his brother who went the more traditional route with donning a bowtie.

There was nothing but straight silence. Stefan had tried to engage either Damon in conversation, but gave up after he got nothing but one word replies.

Thankfully he heard Caroline and Elena coming downstairs. They entered the living room with giddy, child-like expressions on their faces.

"Where is my girl?" dark-eyed Damon directed his question toward the blonde. It didn't take him long to figure out Caroline was the most outspoken of the group. She reminded him _exactly _of the Caroline Forbes of Fell's Church who had earned herself a well-deserved reputation for being boy crazy and a bit easy.

Caroline quirked her lips at Damon and vaguely pointed over her shoulder. "She's coming. But you know she has to make an entrance."

Light-eyed Damon who had been hovering near the wet bar only snorted and proceed to fix himself a drink.

Not long after he poured a liberal amount of the good stuff in a crystal glass did he hear Bonnie making her way downstairs.

Her heels tapped lightly on the stairs accompanied by the rustle of her dress. He kept his back to the main entrance of the room. Why? Maybe because he wanted to "hear" rather than see everyone's reaction to Bonnie's transformation from something of a plain Jane into a beautiful swan.

Dark-eyed Damon didn't dare blink. He saw the bottom of her skirt as it entered the room before she did. Bonnie rounded the corner, and all thought as well as knowing how to talk escaped Damon as if he were suddenly slapped stupid.

Stefan whistled. Elena and Caroline beamed at one another for a job well done. In under three hours they had made Bonnie look like a high fashion international model. Her makeup was simply flawless. Everything they used only highlighted her already alluring features. Her green eyes simply popped against her caramel skin that glowed and look absolutely sun kissed. Her lips sparkled as if she bit into a ripened melon. And how was it until now he realized how full her cheekbones were. She wasn't exactly smiling, but she might as well have been because that's how plump they were.

Her hair had been done in a style that took Damon back to his years of being a courtier. Half of her hair had been pulled back and braided into an intricate web while the remainder rippled down her back in waves.

But the dress, the dress only augmented Bonnie's beauty and didn't distract from it. The color Damon could only describe it was being barely mint. To a human they might think it was white, but it wasn't. The color went well with her eyes. The skirt was full and heavily beaded with authentic crystals. But it was the bodice which was the most interesting piece of the dress.

It had a sweetheart neckline that opened and dipped to the end of her sternum that left plenty of cleavage exposed, but in a tasteful manner. And it was embroidered with lace so sheer it almost appeared as if Bonnie were wearing lingerie.

Her neck had been left bare and only tiny diamond stud earrings decorated her lobes. She didn't need to drown herself in heavy jewelry. Her hair, makeup, and the dress was enough.

Damon wiped at the phantom drool on his chin as he made his way over to Bonnie. "For I have not seen true beauty until this night," he said quietly to himself.

Light-eyes felt it was safe to finally turn around to see what all the hoopla was about. When he did, his eyes widened, his jaw plopped open. He had seen Bonnie almost everyday since he moved back to Mystic Falls, but why was he feeling as if he were seeing her for the first time?

He knew Bonnie was beautiful—hell she was hot—but seeing her dressed like a true American princess, he felt heat crawl up the back of his neck.

_I gotta have her. _Wait? What? He'd think about that later.

Dark-eyes was already approaching and something in Damon told him not to let his double get to her first. Because what was it Nelly rapped out in his song Number 1 _"two is not a winner and three nobody remembers…"_

Drink forgotten, Damon went to go intercept but unfortunately his knees crashed into an end table that popped up out of nowhere.

"Sh*t," he said as he hastily reached for the lamp before it toppled over and crashed on the floor.

This of course caught everyone's attention.

"What?" he barked and managed to set the lamp back on the table—disaster avoided.

Bonnie kept her eyes glued on light-eyes while he pulled his tuxedo jacket down. Damon had decided to use a comb and hair gel to tame his notorious disheveled locks. He actually looked civilized and very much like Clark Kent.

Without her permission she smiled at him which earned her his customary smirk.

Dark-eyes inwardly growled at the tiny bit of affection that passed between Bonnie and Damon. To break that up, he reached for Bonnie's hand, kissed it, and began complimenting her in Italian.

She giggled. Bonnie didn't understand everything he said, but she caught the gist of his expression. He thought she looked like Aphrodite. Venus—the perfect woman.

The charmer.

"Thank you," she said and felt the irrational sense to curtsy. She didn't. "You look handsome as usual."

"Its kind of hard to make perfection more perfect," he said.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Vain much?"

Light-eyes finally approached. He didn't reach for her hand. He merely said with his eyes what he thought of her. Bonnie held his challenging stare for a moment before running her hands over her skirt.

Damon wasn't sure of the strength of his voice, so he cleared his throat prior to speaking. "There's no need in wasting the night away. The limo's here."

Dark-eyes slid into position next to Bonnie and held out his arm. Wordlessly she slipped her hand around it. To her surprise light-eyes offered his other arm. She stared up at Damon and reluctantly took his arm.

The flash of a camera caught their attention. Bonnie narrowed her eyes at Caroline. When she learned how to take things apart with her mind—Caroline's digital camera would be the first casualty.

"Have fun, guys, and please…don't leave a whole bunch of dead bodies around," had been Elena's friendly word of advice.

"Don't wait up kids," dark-eyes boasted. "It's going to be a long, crazy night."

_Perfect, _Bonnie thought as she was led outside sandwich between two men who shared the same name and looks but differed severely in personality and temperament.

Yet Bonnie couldn't lie and say she wasn't feeling thrilled about showing up with not one but two dates. Not like anyone she knew personally would be at the gala. Only the crème de la crème would be at Dontess de la Gandara's art viewing.

The driver already had the back door open. Both Damon's released Bonnie and allowed her to climb into the limo first. It took some cute maneuvering to get into the limo without her dress flying up over her head. She kind of felt like cream being stuffed into a pastry.

She became hyper aware when the two Damon's got in and the car pulled away from the curb. The both of them made it know they were staring at her.

Bonnie felt her defenses going up. "What?"

"Nothing," both Damon's answered in union. They looked one another and frowned.

This would make for an interesting night.

* * *

><p><strong>De la Gandara Estates<strong>

The estate was the type of place Robert Leech would visit to do an interview of the world's rich and famous. It was a sprawling mansion that sat on five acres of land surrounded by lush forest and imported trees from Bali.

Bonnie tried to keep her face impassive, like she was used to being in a room full of relics. In fact she laughed at the fact she had arrived with two relics. She snickered and giggled as she waited in line to pass through the metal detector wands. After having passed her inspection, she waited for both Damon's.

Dark-eyes captured her hand. "What's so funny, gorgeous?"

"Oh, nothing," Bonnie said and fixed her eyes on the fresco painted ceiling.

Light-eyes bent his knees a little to whisper directly in Bonnie's ears. "Are you thinking about what a relic the other Damon is? He'd fit right in. Just stick him in a glass box."

Bonnie craned her neck to stare at him and actually smiled at the bastard. Spurred by this, blue-eyed Damon took Bonnie by the other hand and sort of yanked her away from his counterpart who frowned until wrinkles magically appeared on his forehead. He twirled Bonnie around once.

"Where are you going with her?" midnight-eyed Damon demanded.

"We're going to go have a look around," the other Damon responded simply.

Midnight-eyes reached for Bonnie, capturing her by the other arm. "Bonnie needs to stay with me."

"Um, hello," the girl in question interrupted. "Bonnie is standing right here and she'll decide where she's going to go and with whom," and with that she yanked her arms out of both of their possessions and swayed into the crowd.

Dark-eyes growled. "Go and try to blend in with her," he said and walked off in another direction.

Damon had never been good at following directions but when he noticed that several men had taken an obvious interest in Bonnie, he figured he might as well approach her and insert his machismo. But he held off and merely watched her.

Couples and singles milled about the main floor staring at all the pieces from de la Gandara's collection. Bonnie for a second wished Alaric had come with her so he could fill her in on all she was seeing—call it her history nerd syndrome kicking into higher gear—it would have been nice to have a personal orator at the moment.

Yet she felt Damon standing beside her and she hadn't looked up to acknowledge him. That's how constantly aware she was of him and it sickened her. She had a mind to ask Stefan how long vampire blood was supposed to linger in someone's system. She knew it was only supposed to last for twenty-four hours, but it had been days since Damon gave her blood. And she felt him wiggling under her skin like a virus.

Damon was finding it a bit hard to keep his eyes on the glass encased mask and not Bonnie. She had her head tilted to the side offering up a tantalizing view of her neck and that jumping vein. And the perfume wafting off her skin made his mouth water and his gums throb. He shook his head to clear it. No one had infected his thought pattern like this, no one since Katherine, since Elena. He gulped nervously. He didn't want to feel anything for the witch. She'd flay him alive if she caught a hint of what he was currently thinking about.

Music coming from another room caught Damon's attention. He stared down at Bonnie.

"We should dance."

She flashed her emerald eyes up at him. "Why would we do that?"

"Because its fun and I need to break in my shoes. Come on, Judgey."

"Damon we're here to look for something, not to actually enjoy ourselves."

But she was already being tugged off to another room were several couples were showing off years and years of being subjected to ballroom dancing lessons. Bonnie groaned and stared wearily at all the moving couples.

And of course Damon would drag them to the dead center of the room.

"Follow my lead."

"Damon," Bonnie attempted to protest which she already figured would be pointless. Once Damon had his mind set on something it was next to impossible to get him to change course. Seeing she didn't have much of a choice by this point, Bonnie laid her hand in his, and didn't have any kind of reaction when Damon wrapped his other hand around her waist and drew her closer. There was still a proper amount of room between them, yet all this did was made her painfully aware of him.

Her skin began to burn—annoyingly so—and she huffed a bit before forcing herself to make eye contact. Big mistake. His eyes were simply mesmerizing, arresting, the kind of eyes that lured you in—like a Venus Fly trap.

_Dark Night of the Soul_ by Philip Wesley began to play.

Bonnie attempted to glare at him and it faded once their feet began moving across the floor.

She allowed Damon to lead although her insides were screaming that she dominate. But Bonnie was simply tired of being strong all the time, of having to shoulder responsibility that really should have landed on the shoulders of someone with far more life experience than she had. Yet she accepted the card she drew, her short stick.

Bonnie was exceptionally light on her feet. Didn't really surprise him because when she was a cheerleader she was always on top of the pyramid.

Dark-eyed Damon tried his best to ignore the interaction between them. He had his own problems to deal with and that was finding a star ball or a master key to get back to Fell's Church. But watching Bonnie and Damon pulled him up short and made dark-eyes yearn for having a treasure of his own. For so long he had engaged in competition with his baby brother. Attempted to kill him at every chance he go, or at least throttled him every chance he got, yet he never stopped to ask himself what was the point.

Damon had accepted his nomad lifestyle with a grain of salt. But deep down he wanted to be loved by a woman who loved him just as intensely as he loved her. And watching Bonnie and Damon, seeing how well they could potentially mesh together if they stopped being so obstinate made Damon feel things he hadn't experienced in five-hundred years: intense loneliness and intense jealously.

But there was a flip side to this as well. He wanted Bonnie. Wanted her in ways that made very little sense to him. He wanted to be her everything. He wanted to be her first. Yet that path would be filled with little land mines all painted with his face and blue-eyes.

Breaking his attention away from Bonnie and "friend", Damon bolted up the stairs to do a quick sweep of security and hidden rooms.

This was probably by far the longest Bonnie had gone being nice to Damon. She was thankful there was no talking required with dancing because otherwise she would have abandoned him on the dance floor ages ago. Instead she was spun out and around, dipped, and even lifted a few times, and felt a heated rush go through her each and every time Damon lifted her off her feet.

She knew he was strong, but feeling him lift her without grunting, making a face, or breaking stride was a true testament that she kept company with something inhuman. Not saying she was the heaviest person in the world to lift, but Bonnie was assured that if Damon wanted to throw her out the window, he'd do so without a conscious thought.

"Are you feeling all right, Judgey? You haven't said one rude thing to me in the last five minutes."

She smirked at that. "Am I making you nervous?"

Damon scoffed. "Please. Nothing makes me nervous."

"I'm sure I can think of something that would though."

"Good luck with that. But if anyone should be nervous between the two of us…that'd be you," and with that Damon spun her out.

"How do you figure?" Bonnie asked once she was in first position again.

Damon boldly pressed his body against Bonnie's whose eyes widened and eyebrows lifted as the only indication she was surprised by the move. He smirked a little when he heard her heart beat triple.

"See, you're pulse is practically racing just from my touch."

And right before Bonnie was about to reply, she found herself being torn away from Damon by the other Salvatore.

"What the-,"

"I said blend in not make a scene," Damon said through gritted teeth.

Bonnie self-consciously looked around and saw that she and Damon had garnered a small audience. But she ripped her arm out of Damon's grasp and glowered at him.

"And you just made everything ten times worse by storming over here and acting like a jealous boyfriend."

Damon rolled his midnight-eyes. "I may have found something. It's time to get to work, _princess_," and he said that with a biting edge to it.

Well, this was a new development, Bonnie inwardly seethed. Damon was jealous and he was going to cop an attitude with her. Unfreakingacceptable is what it was and she had every mind to tell him off, but her inner submissive side chose that precise moment to kick in. Bonnie spared blue-eyes a look before following after Damon.

The three of them climbed the spiraling staircase all the way to the third floor of the mansion that was blocked off by a red velvet rope.

"Some high tech security," blue-eyes scoffed as he merely stepped over the velvet rope. "Honestly, where's the challenge? A three-year old could rob de la Gandara blind."

"I incapacitated the guards who were patrolling this floor, idiota," Damon chastised.

Bonnie only shook her head.

"Do you feel anything, princess?" dark-eyes asked a little softer this time.

Bonnie closed her eyes and expanded her powers to see if anything supernatural might strike her radar. She felt something akin to an electrical buzz but figured it might be the furnace or air conditioning system. She walked down the polished hall, expanding and retracting her power, and felt absolutely nothing.

She opened her eyes. "I'm not feeling anything, Damon."

"We'll do a sweep just in case," Fell's Church Damon ordered. "Remember the star ball might resemble a snow globe, and the key could be in the shape of an animal: fox, wolf, lion, check everything. Leave nothing to chance."

There were four doors on both sides of the hallway. And all of them were locked. With some twisting, locks were broken and both Damon's slipped inside and quickly did sweeps of the rooms. Bonnie kept watch and tried to expand her powers to feel for any anomaly and then…then she felt it.

"Guys! Check the last room on the left."

Two figures blurred into the room.

It didn't take long for her to hear footsteps coming up towards her. Bonnie pushed away from the wall she was leaning on, and reached inside her dress.

To her horror it was a security guard, decked out in a customary tux that showed off he was a frequent attendee of a gym. He was speaking into a mouth piece clipped to his wrist, alerting his team of his current location.

Bonnie attempted to smile seductively and probably only succeed in looking as if she needed to use the bathroom.

The guard was a bit startled to see her up here, but he remembered his authority and asked in brusque voice.

"Ma'am no one is allowed up here. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to vacate this part of the premises and return to the party."

"Oh, I will in one second."

The guard noticed that several of the doors lining the hall were open and his hand dropped to his firearm. "Is someone up here with you, ma'am?" suspicion heavily coated his voice.

Bonnie shrugged and appeared as innocent as a newborn. "You could say there's two somebody's up here with me," she winked.

The guard brought his hazel-green eyes back to her. They narrowed. "How old are you? Let me see some ID."

"Okay," Bonnie agreed. She stepped up to the guard and with lightening fast reflexes, jammed a hypodermic needle in his neck, and pressed the lever. Thanks, Alaric. He had supplied her with vervain, and a local anesthetic to use just in case.

The guard croaked, reached for her hand and fell unconscious to the floor. The guard landed with a muffled thud.

"We leave you alone for two seconds and you're already knocking them dead," blue-eyes said as he bent to drag the guard off into one of the unlocked rooms.

Midnight-eyes slipped out of the final room he checked. Bonnie noticed that he slipped something bronze into his inner jacket pocket.

"Did you find-,"

He placed his index finger up to his lips to silence her. Bonnie clamped her mouth shut and waited to hear whatever it was that caught Damon's attention.

"We need to leave. But several guards are coming up here. They must have heard your little exchange."

"Well, I did the only thing I could think of," Bonnie muttered in her defense.

"Eh, yo, we take the roof," blue-eyes suggested. Bonnie looked appalled, but if the guards were currently on their way up here, she knew both Damon's could easily take them on, but then that could lead to a riot. People would have to be compelled left and right. They simply didn't have the time for that.

But to have to escape using the roof? Were they out of their freakin' minds? She was wearing five inch heels damnit!

Blue-eyed Damon rolled his orbs at Bonnie who was frozen. "Don't get all prissy on me now, Lara Croft. Move it."

Bonnie said nothing, only approached the window and threw it open. She stared down at the nice manicured lawn waiting for her "head" down below.

Bonnie had no fear of heights, but she would literally have to scale the tiled roof—in heels—and pray she didn't twist an ankle, break a nail, or lose an extension that could be traced back to her.

Midnight-eyes took her by the hand. "I won't let you fall, Bonnie. Grab on to me."

They had officially run out of time.

"Freeze!" several guards shouted simultaneously and the next thing Bonnie remembered is being catapulted out of the window.

Blood-curdling screams was ripped involuntarily from her lungs as she saw the ground growing inexplicable closer to her. She snapped her eyes closed and then, her downward movement stopped.

Slowly she peeled her eyes open, but didn't have much time to reorient herself with standing on land. She was then being whisked away across the lawn, her feet barely making contact with the ground. She wanted to laugh hysterically because she had felt nothing like this, moving so fast that it was exhilarating and stomach churning at the same time.

"Oh, my God I'm gonna dieeeeeeeee," she said as Damon, the one she liked, carried her almost like a football through the surrounding forest of de la Gandara's home. He ran so fast, smooth, and sharply Bonnie had no idea how they hadn't crashed into a tree.

"Not on my watch," midnight-eyes said, and flipped Bonnie until he carried her bridal style.

They had now made it to the valet section of the property. "Find the gotdman limo," midnight-eyes said to blue-eyes who jumped over the hoods of waiting vehicles like he was an international spy that just went rogue.

Damon cradled Bonnie in his arms. "Are you okay, love?"

She silently nodded her head before placing it on his chest. "Or I will be in a few decades. Let's not do that again."

When he laughed, the rumble of it coming from his chest soothed Bonnie. She closed her eyes very briefly.

"Did you find the key?"

Damon managed to unearth the key from his pocket without dropping Bonnie. He passed it over to her.

She studied it for a second. It looked more like a painted dog whistle which was in the shape of an owl. Bonnie figured it might look like a skeleton key, but not something this elaborate. The second she touched it, sparks flew every which way and it stung her fingers.

"Okay, ow," she said.

"It's good that my instincts are just as sharp here as they are in my world."

The screeching tires of the limo rounded the curve, and Damon threw open the doors. "Hurry up. They're two seconds from putting this joint on lockdown."

Bonnie and Damon hastily climbed inside the limo which sped off into the night.

"So now what, Sherlock?" blue-eyes asked.

"Now, we find the doorway this unlocks," midnight-eyes replied.

Hearing that made Bonnie want to jump out of the backseat of the car onto the pavement.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Her skin felt raw and inflamed. Her lungs screamed in being able to expand to their full capacity after having been squeezed to death for several hours in her corseted dress.

Bonnie slipped into her favorite T-shirt and a comfortable pair of jeans. She stared at her beautiful dress—regrettably. It would be a while before she got the opportunity to wear it again. She traced the neckline with a lone finger and had a quick flashback of being at the gala and feeling like Cinderella.

Not until now it never bothered Bonnie that her two best friends had been nominated and voted on the Miss Mystic Falls court. Bonnie had never bought into the whole pageant, beauty contest thing mainly because she shied away from being in the spotlight. Come to think of it, if Elena and Caroline had never signed up to be cheerleaders, Bonnie wouldn't have tried out for the squad either.

However, she _was _that bubbly girl that everyone flocked to for advice on what to wear and who to date. Or maybe she simply molded herself to that role because it was expected of her. When you were best friends with two of the prettiest girls in school, you couldn't just sit around and be anti-social. People were aware of her familial background, called her Grams a drunk and her father aloof—they told the truth to a certain point, but it was a stigma Bonnie fought tirelessly to overcome.

Tonight kind of brought everything to a head that she wasn't set in her ways. She was still cultivating her life and didn't fit one mold explicitly, nor did she want to. There was still so much for her to learn, first as a person and second as a witch, but in the interim, there was little Bonnie did just for her.

Attending the gala hadn't been about her, but finding a way to send Damon back to where he belonged. In all honesty, she didn't want him to leave. In such a short span of time he had carved out his own special place in her life and in her heart. But her morality police told her it was wrong to keep him or ask him to stay when she was sure he was needed back in his world. How could he not be considering all the sh*t that was unfolding in hers?

But it had been nice simply being twirled around the room by a handsome man and eating up the attention no matter how displaced it might have been. Bonnie was sure Damon was picturing Elena in his head the whole time they danced together. Normally Bonnie wouldn't have cared either way, but…

She did feel a twitch as she thought about it.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

It was Elena. "How was tonight?"

Bonnie gave her a brief synopsis of what happened.

"Do you want him to leave, Bonnie? You'd have to be blind to miss the connection you have with the other Damon."

"He's not my pet, Elena. He deserves to go back to his world…where he belongs. The Bonnie and Elena he knows…they might be in trouble if their town is anything like ours. I'd feel bad if I asked him to stay and something happened to them, and he wasn't there to save them."

Elena nodded her head in understanding and then stared down at Bonnie's dress. "If…if he asked you go with him…would you?"

Bonnie stared at Elena for a while and realized that her answer could make or break this moment. "I can't leave. I made a promise to Grams that I'd protect the town, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Duty before love. How sweet."

Both girls groaned and turned towards the intruder.

Damon had shun his formal threads for his customary black on black ensemble. And he still looked hot.

Bonnie could do nothing but stew.

"We're trying to have a moment here, Damon," Elena hinted.

"Don't mind me…in fact let me go grab my camera."

That same invisible force that knocked Damon out of the tree, pushed him back into the hallway and slammed the door in his face.

Twenty minutes later, Elena left the room and Damon slipped inside. Bonnie was zipping her dress up in the bag.

"About to go?"

She didn't jump, which he was impressed, but she did pause for a moment before turning to face him.

"Yeah. Tonight isn't exactly slumber party night."

The both of them kind of stared at each other before Damon spoke again. "Well, I'll let you go."

Damon took two steps out of the room, stopped, and faced Bonnie again. She merely looked at him expectantly.

"You looked really beautiful tonight, Bonnie."

The room was silent for a while and then Bonnie muttered, "Sh*t."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Like I said earlier I wasn't happy with this. It's too long and I still feel like I left out some very key dialogue but I'll just round that off to the next chapter. I have no idea how I want things to develop between Book Damon and Bonnie now that she's more than aware of TV Damon. They [TV Damon/Bonnie] won't be seeing each other naked any time soon, guys. Let me know what you think. Love you guys. **


	11. The Longest Day Ever

**A/N: Hi y'all. Here is the latest is kind of long and a lot goes on. Sorry, this happens when I have too many ideas in my head fighting for dominance. But nonetheless I hope you like it.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

His eyes were so dark that when a patron sitting at the adjacent table struck a match to light up his cigar, the flames resonated in Damon's eyes. It was a startling sight at first, and when he focused those orbs on Bonnie she felt her womb tighten and quiver.

Damon extended his hand and pulled Bonnie on her feet. Keeping their gazes locked on one another, he led her off to a corner of the restaurant and began dancing to Bad Company's "She Brings me Love". He imprinted his body against Bonnie's thrusting his lean hips in a provocative manner that let her know if it weren't for their clothing, he'd be doing something equally sinful to her.

The sounds of the voices of the other patrons began to fade from existence and all Bonnie saw was Damon, all she heard was the sound of the music as it taunted her sensibilities.

Caroline watched with her mouth in the shape of an incredulous O. She was well aware of the chemistry Bonnie shared with mysterious dark-eyed Damon Salvatore, but it was still a shock to see it play out in high definition. And as happy as she was that Bonnie was taking full advantage of Damon's attention, she could only feel a little apprehensive because one day, very soon, he would be leaving.

It wasn't something Bonnie discussed after the gala and Damon found what he suspected was a key that could open up inter-dimensional doors, or whatever the heck it was supposed to do. Bonnie had a way of avoiding topics that stressed her out, and though she'd never admit it, having to say good bye to Damon was stressing her out.

"She really has no shame," the other Damon Salvatore criticized and bit into a chicken wing.

Caroline rolled her eyes before shifting in her seat to look at him. "Jealous much?"

"I don't get jealous. It causes wrinkles. And it's a freakin' waste of time."

In her head this is what Caroline wanted to say, _"So says the man in love with his brother's girlfriend." _Two months ago that would have been an accurate statement, yet as Caroline switched her attention from the Damon who was seated next to her at the table, to the one having his wicked way with her best friend, she couldn't be too sure that blue-eyes loyalties still lied with Elena Gilbert.

Sitting across from Caroline was Stefan and Elena who grew noticeably quiet. Caroline had no idea what Stefan might be thinking because he only voiced his opinion or objection about something when he felt truly passionate about it. Elena on the other hand, as much as she wanted to pretend that blue-eyed Damon was only a friend, she couldn't help but cast a weary look his way.

Caroline kicked her friend under the table and then motioned towards the ladies room.

"Ah, I think we're going to the bathroom?" Elena stated as if it were a question. Caroline rolled her eyes before slipping out of the booth. Elena followed after her.

Thus, this left the two brothers alone and they had never been prone to engage in idle chit-chat, but Damon was curious about something.

"How's her training coming along? Must not be going well because you're still alive," he smirked.

Stefan shook his head and threw his balled up napkin over his half-finished plate. "She's getting stronger, faster, her reflexes are through the roof, and her endurance is building. We still have a lot of ground to cover but, Bonnie, she's a quick learner."

"Sounds to me as if you should up the ante. She needs a _real _challenge."

Stefan caught on to the underline meaning. "She doesn't want to train with you, Damon so whatever you're trying to cook up in your head…don't."

In the bathroom the two girls eyed their appearance in the mirror.

"You dragged me in here for a reason, Care, what it is?"

"Has Bonnie talked to you at all about how close she's willing to get with Damon?"

For a second Elena had to silently question which Damon Caroline was talking about. She decided to go with the one Bonnie actually liked.

"I've tried to get her to open up but you know how she is. She keeps things private and plays it close to the vest. If she wants us to know something, she'll tell us."

"See that's just the thing," Caroline went on to argue, "Bonnie spends most of her free time with old black-eyes and when she's around us, she won't say more than two words about him."

"Caroline, what is it you want to know or say?"

"I want to know if she's gonna sleep with him. That way if she does, we can prepare her for it."

A toilet at that time chose to flush and out came an elderly woman whose frowning face raked both girls over disapprovingly. Elena and Caroline moved out of the way so she could wash her hands. Both girls turned red in the face, and held their breath as the old lady dried her hands, fluffed her hair, and headed for the door.

But she stopped and faced them. "Who a lady chooses to screw is no one's business but hers," she sniffed and left the bathroom.

Both girls looked at each before bursting out into laughter.

Bonnie was shamelessly grinding herself against Damon. Sweat began to pepper along her hairline and began to form on her upper lip. Had someone raised the temperature? Before she started dancing she was perfectly fine, had actually felt a little chill, but the minute she found herself in Damon's arms it was like she was dipped feet first into a boiling cauldron.

Not exactly a comforting thought considering that was one preferred method of executing a witch.

Someone from behind Damon's shoulders cleared her throat, and the pair reluctantly pulled apart.

Bonnie blushed all the way up to her hair follicles when she saw that it was Sheriff Forbes who did not look as if she were stopping by to say hello. Not by the stern expression on her face.

Damon instantly turned up the charm. He had a soft spot for women in uniform.

"Hi, Sheriff Forbes," Bonnie greeted and tried to disengage herself from Damon, but he wouldn't allow it. He tightened his hold around her waist.

"Bonnie…Mr. Salvatore," she was still grappling with the fact he looked _exactly _like Damon that apart from his eyes, they were twins. "I just came to say that this is a family-owned restaurant and your…dancing is not appropriate. Please try to keep it clean."

Bonnie dropped her eyes to her feet. "Sorry about that, Sheriff Forbes."

The good sheriff nodded her head but made no move to go. "And," she turned her full attention to Damon, "the age of consent in the Commonwealth of Virginia is eighteen."

Bonnie really wanted to die after hearing that.

Damon smiled charmingly in response. "I am eighteen."

Liz Forbes compressed her lips into a thin line and her hand unconsciously landed on her side arm. "I might have been born at night, Damon, but not last night. There's no way you're only eighteen, and even if you are, she's not."

If she started talking about statutory rape Bonnie was going to find someway to either teleport or liquefy herself to another place. This was so embarrassing.

Yet Bonnie thought, hmm seems you failed to have that talk with your daughter and Elena since they threw their v-cards in the trash a long time ago. Bonnie decided it would be best to bite her tongue. Liz was armed after all.

"Remember," Liz said in closing, "keep it clean."

The pair watched her walk away. Bonnie closed her eyes and crashed her head into Damon's chest.

"Well, she's no fun or has no imagination. In either case there's tons of ways I can bring you to pleasure that don't involve penetration."

Oh, geeze, Bonnie thought. "I think I need some water."

"And a fresh pair of panties if what I'm scenting on the air is correct," his grin was practically sh*t-eating.

Bonnie slapped him on the chest and moved back towards the booth where her friends at the last second tried to pretend they weren't just gawking at her and Damon.

"What did my mom want?" Caroline interrogated the moment Bonnie reached the table.

Instead of answering Bonnie locked eyes with the two vampires and glared at them. Stefan tried to keep a straight face—couldn't. Damon looked equally amused and also a bit—smug. She didn't know why.

"She threatened me with gong to jail if I so much as touch Bonnie's…"

And the girl in question slapped her hand over his mouth. "She just wanted us to tone down the dancing."

Blue-eyes picked up his shot glass and snickered before throwing it back. "That wasn't the only thing she wanted toned down," he rose from the seat, all eyes on him. "That Liz sure is an outstanding cock blocker, I'm gonna go buy her a drink."

"Well, I think that's my cue to go," Bonnie announced and reached for her purse. She went around the table to hug Elena and Caroline goodbye and then, dark-eyes rose from his perch, intercepted her hand and led her out of the restaurant.

Once they were seated in his car, there merely stared out the windshield. Damon leaned over the console without warming, grabbed Bonnie lightly by the chin, and began kissing her, softly at first until aggression took over and he simply devoured her.

She couldn't breathe, didn't want to breathe, just massaged his tongue with hers, bit gently on his lower lip, and moaned every now and a then.

When he knew she needed air, Damon pulled away but then nipped the corner of her mouth. "It feels like it's been months since the last time I kissed you."

Bonnie could only nod in agreement. She had yet to find her tongue.

"Your place or mine?" Damon asked.

"I've still yet to invite you in."

"My place it is," he cranked the engine but Bonnie's hand on his arm stopped him from putting the car into Drive and speeding away.

"I actually need to go home tonight. My dad…he's back in town."

Damon's lip curled at the mention of her father. For as long as he had been trapped in Mystic Falls he could fit the number of times he saw Thomas Bennett on one hand, two fingers actually if he wanted to be technical about it. When he was growing up, Giuseppe had been no picnic but the louse was _always_ around. He couldn't fathom how a man could allow his beautiful and tempting teenage daughter to practically live alone when there were so many dangerous things out there—like himself. This just didn't make sense to Damon.

"And I know what you're thinking," Bonnie said. "But his job keeps him on the road and that's just how things have been for years now."

"Stop making excuses for him, Bonnie. He's never here and he has nothing set up for your protection."

She pressed Damon with a peeved look. "I'm not exactly defenseless, you know."

He rolled his eyes and ran a hand over the steering wheel. "I know that, but he doesn't, and a man's first priority should be the safety of his woman."

He was so old-school it was cute, but a bit annoying. "Thanks for worrying about me, but my dad's stuck in his ways and I don't think anything is going to change that."

Hmm, Damon would see about that.

"Have you decided when you'll start looking for the door the key will open?" she asked.

"I'm in no rush to get back," he brought his dark eyes back to her. "Besides there's too much for me to do," and with that he winked, gunned the engine, and tore out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Katherine was feeling neglected. And when she felt neglected people died. She had been quiet for too long now and she was steadily growing impatient with the lack of mayhem her sudden arrival back to Mystic Falls had caused. She had expected Damon to act like a mumbling idiot and try to convince her that he was the brother who was the most loyal and loved her more than anything, and she expected Stefan to ditch Elena, and come chasing after her.<p>

Well, none of the sort happened.

Now it was time for her to implement Plan B.

And Plan B consisted of starting a little rivalry between old friends.

She cornered Matt as he was exiting his house on his way to school like the wholesome, Apple pie little boy that he was. She grinned at him as he came up short not expecting to see "Elena" so early in the morning.

Matt slowed his steps as he closed the distance separating them. "Hey, Elena. What's up?"

Katherine draped an arm over his shoulder. "I need you to do something for me," she stared directly into his blue eyes, felt herself melt just a tiny bit before resuming her focus. "I need you to start a fight with Tyler and don't stop not until he kills you. What is it you have to do today, Matt?"

Like a zombie he muttered, "Start a fight with Tyler and don't stop until he kills me."

Katherine grinned and when she couldn't resist it she kissed him full on the mouth. He had soft lips to boot. Okay, focus Kat.

"Well, I guess that's the only good thing I can say about Elena, she has good taste in men."

Katherine distanced herself from Matt, ending the compulsion and disappearing. On to the next one.

* * *

><p>Elena flopped on her side in her nice comfy bed and felt a body pressing up against her. A smile bloomed on her face and she turned around and nearly fell out of her bed when she saw it was Damon and not Stefan lying next to her.<p>

She pushed him but naturally he didn't budge. "What the hell are you doing in my room, Damon, in my bed?" she tried to get him to move, but he merely laid there stretched out with his arms crossed behind his head.

"I feel like I've been neglecting you."

"Trust me when I say I didn't mind." And since he wasn't making any move to get out of her bed, Elena did, and grabbed her robe because she was dressed in a tiny pair of shorts and an even smaller T-shirt. She threw the robe over herself and tied a knot in the belt. She glared at him and he smirked in return.

"I need you to go," she attempted to sound stern while ignoring her rapidly beating heart. Damon was a hard man to ignore especially when the sun was bathing him in light making his blue eyes seem unreal.

"Come on, Elena…we're friends. I'm not allowed to stop by and see my friends?"

"Not at six o'clock in the morning and especially when said 'friend'," she used air quotation marks to illustrate her point, "didn't invite you in. You've abused that open-door policy enough."

"Do you have any idea what you're boyfriend is doing right now? He's with Bonnie. They're doing spells," he said it in a manner to make it suggest that were filming a porno.

Elena shrugged. "And? What's so shocking about that?"

"Admittedly nothing, but it's just they've been spending an awful lot of time together, being physical with one another. I just have to say I commend you for sharing your boyfriend with your best friend. Not many girls your age could handle that maturely."

Elena snorted. She knew what Damon was trying to do; he was attempting to blow something that was completely innocent out of proportion and she wasn't about to fall for that trap, and start acting like a raging jealous girlfriend.

"All right, you've said your peace now get out."

Damon stared at her for a second. Even without a stitch of makeup and the fact her hair looked like she tussled with squirrels she was still undeniably beautiful.

Yet that punched-in-the-gut feeling he used to experience whenever he was alone with Elena had kind of dissolved. He still had the hots for her but it wasn't as extreme as it used to be.

Odd. What changed?

Damon groaned and lifted himself off her bed. He approached Elena, taking her by surprise and merely stared into her eyes. She held his gaze but without challenge but with something else.

He smirked and leaned forward as if he were going to kiss her. Elena turned her head.

"Stop it, Damon. You're brother means everything to me. I need you to remember that."

"I remember. Doesn't mean I respect it," cupping her cheek Damon walked around her and left her bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

"I'm not sure but I think that's supposed to be a G, no probably a B, or maybe an E. What do you think?"

Stefan examined the faded words on the old ancient paper and shook his head. He had no idea what the heck the word was supposed to say, it was Latin after all.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I should go grab a magnifying glass, maybe that'll help."

Bonnie shrugged a shoulder. Stefan's cell rang. He stared at the incoming number, didn't recognize it but he answered it anyways.

"Hello?" he said tentatively.

"Stefan, we need to talk."

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "What do you want, Katherine?"

Bonnie's eyes bulged a bit and her arched brows lifted.

"Meet me on the edge of the old Lockwood property in twenty minutes or I'll have my little witch friend put the whammy on your little witch friend again and no amount of vampire blood will be able to revive her."

Stefan snapped around to face Bonnie who stared at him questioningly. "Fine," he agreed on a low growl and ended the call. "Look, Katherine wants to see me. Please, just stay here."

"Stefan I don't think you should go by yourself."

"I'll be fine. Can you let Elena know I'll probably be late picking her up for school?"

Bonnie nodded her head.

"And please don't tell her where I'm going. I don't want her worry."

Yeah, just leave it all up to me to worry, she thought. "Call me when you leave, and if I don't hear from you, I'm coming to look for you."

"No, Bonnie just stay out of it. I don't know what Katherine has planned and no one else needs to get hurt. Please. But I'll call you once I leave."

He was gone before she could offer up anymore protests.

Bonnie wasn't alone for five minutes prior to the front door opening again. She rushed to the atrium, saw it was only Damon and her relief turned into dread again.

"You look like you were expecting to see someone else."

Bonnie folded her arms over her chest. Would it be a smart thing to tell Damon that Stefan had gone off to meet with Katherine? Stefan could handle himself, but with the three of them together could only spell sudden disaster.

"I was," she admitted.

"The other me?" his grin was sardonic and he brushed past her. Bonnie followed him back into the living room.

"No, your brother."

"Did he step out?"

"In a manner of speaking…he got a phone call from Katherine and he went to go meet up with her."

Damon who was busy pouring himself a drink, paused, and looked at Bonnie over his shoulder.

"Katherine's back?"

"Or she never left."

"Do you have any idea where he was going?"

"I think she might have said the old Lockwood property. Stefan didn't exactly have his speaker phone on, but I caught the gist of that."

Damon cursed to himself and then headed for the door. Bonnie followed after him again and caught him by the sleeve of his jacket.

"Damon, please don't do anything to piss her off."

"I'm not," he said a little too innocently. "I'm just going to give her the proper welcome back I should have given her when she first flew into town on her broom—a stake through the heart."

With those heartfelt words, Damon offered up his customary sarcastic smile and left the boardinghouse.

* * *

><p><em>This whore, <em>was all Stefan could think as he stood there and listened to Katherine sprout out all the reasons he should be kissing her feet and thanking the universe for her existence. But what really got his goat were the multiple threats she made against Elena all in a five-minute time span.

"Are you done? Because I'm tired of hearing your voice."

Fire erupted in her dark brown orbs and Katherine took a pause from her soliloquy. "You know that expression don't bite the hand that feeds you, don't interrupt the women who holds your life in her hands."

"Enough with the threats, Katherine! I'm not breaking up with Elena. I don't give a sh*t about what you have to say because all it mounts to is lies and garbage."

"Come now, brother, her mouth is only good at one thing and I think we both know what that is."

Katherine, peeved, slapped a hand on her hip and swung to face Damon as he approached.

"Ah, so good of you to join us, Damon. And I'm equally glad you were able to tear yourself away from Elena's bedroom."

Stefan's face twitched as he looked at his brother. "You were at Elena's?"

Damon shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"Not only was he there, lying in her bed I might add, he also helped her pick out her outfit for the day. So gentlemanly of you, Damon. I remember when we used to play dress up, or more to the matter raced to see who could get undressed quicker."

"Or as I liked to refer to it as Pimp and Hoe," Damon replied.

As he looked at his brother and saw his forehead was brooding, he was already preparing himself to hear a very boring lecture.

Katherine turned back around to face Stefan and saw that he was boiling and seething. "Don't be too angry with Damon, besides he wasn't the only one spending time with a girl who's not his girlfriend."

How was it that she knew everyone's business, Damon thought.

Katherine approached Stefan, placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Stefan jerked his head backwards and all Katherine could do was smirk.

"You two have a lot to talk about so I'm going to leave you to it. Don't forget our discussion, Stefan. It won't be pretty if you continue to ignore me."

Katherine slithered over to Damon before departing. "Look at it this way, if Stefan caves and gives me what I want, that would leave the door open to Elena, and we both know how much you like to rub one out while thinking about her," she grinned and kissed his cheek as well.

She left the brothers to deal with one another.

Stefan folded his arms over his chest. "You were at Elena's? I thought we had agreed you'd keep your distance from her.

Damon snorted. "When did I decide that?"

"Oh, I don't know the day after John was stabbed and Elena told me you thought you kissed her."

"We already went over that, Stefan and I ain't in the mood to rehash it. I kissed Katherine and your precious Elena isn't a backstabbing slut who likes going between brothers."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Could you be anymore of an asshole? Look this chick has barely been in town for five minutes and she already has us bickering like old ladies in a knitting circle."

"What were you two talking about?" Damon was in the mood for a subject change.

"Doesn't matter because she's not going to get what she wants." Stefan turned to walk away.

"Let me guess that that is…she wants you."

Stefan didn't stop walking.

"Everyone wants Stefan!" Damon shouted to the air which terrified a few birds.

* * *

><p><strong>REL Gymnasium <strong>

Months had gone by since the last time Bonnie stepped into her crimson and black cheerleading uniform. Her father had been riding her back about picking up all the extracurricular activities she dropped when stuff hit the supernatural fan and she had to learn years of spells in days to counterattack the madness around her.

This was a nice reprieve although her body felt like it was on display for the whole world to see. It was the first official basketball game of the season and for some reason her uniform seemed skimpier. Her hiatus hadn't been that long but her skirt seemed as if it lost three inches off the hem which had hit her about mid-thigh during football season. Right now it tickled the underside of her backside so if she so much as bent over, yep the world would know exactly what her mama gave her.

The top wasn't so bad. It was a long-sleeved mid-drift that thankfully didn't expose any cleavage but everyone saw her impressive six pack.

Bonnie sat off to the side, doing her stretches. Caroline was there helping one fellow varsity member with her ponytail. Surprisingly all the girls had welcomed Bonnie back with open arms. She was sure that after leaving the "sisterhood" they would give her the stink eye but so far everyone had been positive about her return.

She sat down on the floor to work on her butterfly stretch. She wondered if Fell's Church Damon would show up. She had told him about the game, and he looked severely disinterested yet when she mentioned she'd be cheering, he perked up a bit and said he'd stop by around half-time.

The gym was semi-packed but they were expecting a full house. Sports and pageants were big events in a small town like Mystic Falls.

Up in the stands she spotted Elena and Stefan. Both of them waved whereas Elena looked giddy like a child. Bonnie waved back and got to her feet since the girls were about to have a quick team meeting.

She hustled over to the circle and listened to Caroline's upbeat yet threatening speech. If you messed up because you were nervous she'd forgive you of the first infraction, but after that, it would be your ass.

They said their chant, slapped their hands on top of one another, and then shouted a girl power war cry. Several boys had crowded the end of the bleachers where the cheerleaders would be positioned. Bonnie had forgotten about those pervs and tried her best to ignore them and their overly loud commentary as she picked up her pom-poms and strolled to the center of the court to usher in the home team.

The music started, the emcee got the crowd hype while the cheerleaders did their dance routine.

Heading back to their designated spot on the court, Bonnie looked out into the crowd again and spotted Damon—the one she was slowly beginning to tolerate.

He wiggled his fingers at her and she pointedly didn't return a single friendly gesture, merely brought her attention back to the activity taking place on the court.

The two captains of the team stood in the center of the court and waited for the referee to throw the ball up in the air.

Matt lunged for the ball and was able to capture it for the Timberwolves. Caroline took that as her cue to lead the first cheer of the night.

At first nothing really interesting happened. Both teams played hard defense and the score had been close for the first twenty minutes of the quarter.

And for Bonnie it had been an easy transition from being just a spectator to being part of a unit that helped keep the crowd energized. Because she knew how to tumble, when one of their guys got fouled and were at the free throw line, if they made the shot, Bonnie would run from one end of the court and execute a somersault followed by a back hand spring or a standing back tuck.

"Who knew Judgey was so flexible?" Damon said as he titled his head for a better view.

Things were going more than well, but then suddenly, Tyler and Matt for some reason began fighting over the ball.

"Matt, what the hell is your problem?" Tyler grunted as he attempted to rip the ball from Matt.

"You're my problem," he said and to prove his point, slugged him in the head.

The crowd gasped and then a hush fell and from that point on, it was like someone tore off the lid to Pandora's Box because the next thing that registered with Bonnie was that people in the crowd began fighting.

Friends turned on friends and began duking it out. Even two cheerleaders began cursing and accusing one another of making moves on someone's boyfriend. Hair was being pulled out, nails were being dug into flesh and leaving nice long welts in their wake, even a few teachers got in on the violence, picked up chairs and threw them on the court unmindful of who it might hit.

Caroline and Bonnie stood frozen for a minute but got into action when people began to diverge on the basketball court like locusts.

"We need to get out of here!" Caroline screeched, reached for Bonnie's hand and the two of them took off running into the safety of the night.

"Wait! Elena!" Bonnie remembered perhaps at the last second.

"Stefan's with her!" and as far as Caroline was concerned she was all right.

However, the minute the girls and several other people fled the gymnasium out into the parking lot several guys wearing skeleton face masks were armed with Molotov cocktails and began chucking the burning bottles at cars.

Boom! Boom! Boom! rang in their ears as the heat from the fires licked against their skin and the bright light stung their eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline said and then was pushed ruthlessly from behind. She landed on the pavement and was unable to catch herself. Her head bounced against the concrete and she was out cold.

Bonnie screamed her name and fell down to assist her but not without being stepped on or having people plow their kneecaps into her head and torso.

Stefan materialized out of nowhere and snatched Caroline off the ground. "Follow me!" he said and Bonnie took exactly two steps before she saw Katherine standing in the distance watching the show. Bonnie changed direction and headed right for her.

Thrusting out both hands she sent a pulse of energy towards Katherine which caused her to go careening backwards some twenty feet. A windshield of a car broke her fall.

Katherine pushed her long hair out of her face and stared at the diminutive witch with a new respect, however, she wasn't going to let the bitch getaway with that.

In one heartbeat she was adhered to the car and in the next she had her pale white hand wrapped around Bonnie's warm throat.

"That was impressive but very stupid," Katherine wrenched her mouth open, fangs bared and was about to inject them in Bonnie when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder and threw her to the side.

Bonnie heaved and tried to get some air back into her lungs, but the smoke from the fires was too thick. She briefly made eye contact with good ole' blue eyes before he was pushed into a fire that burned not too far from them.

Damon gave an undignified cry and quickly catapulted out of the fire. Unfortunately his pants were already lit as well as the sleeves to his leather jacket.

Katherine admired her handiwork before uttering, "Oops."

With her distracted, Bonnie jumped on Katherine's back, held on as tightly as possible and began to channel Katherine's power. She held out one hand towards Damon who was doing a piss poor job of putting himself out. As she concentrated the fires all around began to dim, but she had made sure to put Damon all the way out. Smoke rose from his clothes.

Katherine groaned in irritation and felt her reserves weakening. The witch has used her power somehow to get the fires under control. No matter. She wrenched Bonnie by the arm, and bit clean through it.

She screamed in response and immediately dropped her hold on Katherine who instantly took off into the night.

Bonnie felt her adrenaline waning and she dropped to her knees and semi-crawled over to Damon who was leaning up into a sitting position on the pavement.

He saw that she was two seconds from passing out, so he grabbed her up and settled her on his lap.

"You saved me again. You keep this up and I'll start to think you like me. Hell, you might even l_ove_ me."

Instead of laughing she began to cough violently.

Sirens could be heard growing closer to the mayhem. Whatever had caused people to wig the hell out had ended with Katherine's disappearance. Some people looked around in confusion, others in anger, many more in disillusion.

Damon scooped Bonnie up bridal style and "made" an EMT assist her and also feed her some oxygen.

Fifteen minutes later Bonnie was feeling a little less light-headed and more like herself. She climbed out of the ambulance and then began searching for her friends.

She was relieved to see Caroline was up on her two feet despite the fact the left side of her hairline was caked with blood.

"Caroline!" Bonnie said and hugged her friend. "You're okay."

"Yeah, Stefan…helped me."

Bonnie nodded her head in understanding and then moved over to hug Elena who managed to remain unscathed.

* * *

><p>Katherine could see her car parked deep in the woods and was two seconds from smiling in victory when suddenly she was tackled from behind, thrown to the ground, and pinned.<p>

She tried to wrench herself free and was a little surprised to find she couldn't break this vampire's hold.

"Damon, get off me," she said and wiggled against his grip.

He smiled and leaned down until their noses were almost touching. "I'm not who you think I am."

Katherine ceased her movements and really looked at Damon and realized his eyes were the wrong color. She frowned.

"What the-?"

"You picked the wrong time to have a bonfire, Katherine Pierce I presume."

Now she was equally confused. Why was Damon pretending not to know her?

"I don't know what kind of game you're trying to run but you have exactly two seconds to get the hell off me before I get nasty."

"From what I heard you have the lock on that patent. Go after Bonnie and her little friends again and this," he produced a stake and plunged it in her midsection. Katherine gasped wildly for air and groaned in pain. "Will land in a place more permanent," he kissed her forehead and rose to his feet. He glared down at her.

"And for the record I am Damon Salvatore…but not the spineless version you know," and with that he vanished.

* * *

><p>Back at ground zero Bonnie began searching the crowd for one person in particular. She spotted Matt sitting down on the pavement with an EMT wrapping his hand in a gauze bandage. All she heard him say over and over again was, "I don't know what happened. I don't know how this happened."<p>

Compulsion, more than likely, Bonnie figured and then rushed her steps as she saw Tyler being assisted away by his mother.

She ducked in front of him blocking his path of escape. "What the heck happened, Tyler?"

Fury clouded his face. "Why the hell are you asking me? Go ask Matt! He was the one who threw the first punch. He's lucky I didn't kill him after the stunt he pulled."

Carol Lockwood decided to intervene. "All right, Tyler that's enough. Let's go."

Tyler attempted to shoulder his way past Bonnie put she placed her hand on his chest and then jumped. One, because his eyes changed color when he glared at her, and two his chest was scorching hot.

When he attempted to move forward again, Bonnie did not stop him.

Dumbfounded Bonnie turned around and saw Damon standing there like a misplaced statue. He was naturally composed and clean as a whistle in comparison to everyone else.

Bonnie approached him.

"So is this how all basketball games turn out? Nearly being burned alive and/or trampled to death?"

"Only during homecoming."

He smiled and pulled her to his chest. "I see now what my purpose is, Bonnie. I wasn't just dumped here as some cruel joke by fate, but I was placed here to help you kill that woman."

"Katherine?"

"Yes."

"Good. She's gotta go."

"My sentiments exactly. Let's get you home."

Across the parking lot, the other Damon watched Bonnie leave with her perpetual shadow. A soft hand touched him on the arm and he found himself staring down at Elena. Damon had stopped two girls from double teaming her after she was separated from Stefan during the melee.

"We're leaving."

"I drove myself so…I'll see you later."

He watched her walked off and then joined hands with his brother.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Damon entered the premises feeling several levels of pissed. He began to check off the things that irritated him about today. One, being dismissed like he was nothing by Elena. Two, his encounter with Katherine and Stefan in the woods. Three, once again feeling underappreciated for all he had done.

There had been only one highlight of the day, Bonnie had saved him from being turned into a burnt offering, but she turned around and ran off with the guy who showed up for all of two seconds and received all the kudos.

Un-freaking-believable and un-f*cking-acceptable.

His clothes reeked. His ass hurt, and he was craving blood and whiskey in that order. Damon threw what was left of his leather jacket on to the nearest chair but then froze.

Sitting innocently on the leather sectional was the bane of his existence. He snorted humorlessly.

"It isn't good for a woman your age to pout," he said and went over to the bar.

"Why are you always trying to hurt my feelings, Damon? Because you wasted a hundred and forty-seven years looking for me? You have no one to blame for that but yourself. I met someone tonight."

"I'm not surprised," he muttered drolly.

"Seems like I'm not the only one who has a doppelganger."

Damon looked at her. "He's not my doppelganger. And I'm not his. He's not from this dimension."

The only indication Katherine gave that she found this astounding was the lifting of her perfectly arched brows.

"Well, whoever he is, he's strong, powerful, and stuck on the witch."

Yeah, Damon didn't need any helpful reminders of that.

"Think he might be interested in a threesome? It's been a long time since I was thrown around like that."

This chick was perpetually in heat. And instead of exciting him, it sickened him. Katherine rolled her eyes at seeing that he wasn't going to take the bait.

Damon sipped his drink and wasn't surprised to see Katherine standing in front of him when he turned around.

"I came to say goodbye, Damon."

"Yeah, right. You just don't start a war and leave without collecting the treasure."

She smiled. "I think you do know me as well as you claim. But I think I've cause enough damage that I believe my point has been made," and she smirked.

Damon did not trust that smirk.

"So say good bye."

"I will after I drive a stake through your damn heart."

"Go ahead," she brushed her long wavy hair off her shoulders, revealing more of her skin in the black tank top she was wearing. "But kiss me first. Kill me or kiss me, Damon, the decision is up to you."

She was standing so close and looking so good, but it wasn't Katherine he was picturing in his head right now.

Damon dropped his glass, reached for her and pummeled her lips in a bruising kiss. He deserved something after all the crap he went through today.

His back was slammed up against the wall, but then he pushed Katherine to the ground. Both of them fought for dominance. His hands grabbed the fabric of her shirt and ripped it revealing the black bra underneath.

He licked a trail from her clavicle up to her jaw before taking her lips again. Katherine shot up from the ground, taking Damon with her and pinned him up against the wall where she returned the favor and ripped open what was left of his shirt.

He bit her neck, tried to unbutton her jeans but then he stopped. He needed to know something first, and the answer to this question could either make or break him.

For all her bravado Katherine behaved like a heartless bitch, but her feelings were easily hurt just like a humans. And if that were so then it also meant she was capable of love.

She stared at him quizzically for a moment. "Why'd you stop?" she demanded.

"I need to know something first…at any time you and I were together…did you love me?"

Katherine pursed her lips together and merely glowered at him.

"You owe me that much."

She wanted to f*ck she didn't want to talk about _feelings. _And hearing this from supposed bad-ass Damon Salvatore just left a rotten taste in her mouth.

"You don't want to know the truth. That would ruin the fantasy."

"Stop playing me for a fool and be real with me, Katherine, for once!"

"Fine. Damon, when you were human you were barely a man and you're even less of one now," she smirked evilly. "And why don't I plunge the knife a little deeper and twist it a little harder and say I never loved you or respected you. I mean how could I when you're a bigger pussy than the one between my legs."

_Twitch_. All Damon could envision was backhanding that bitch across the room, watch as her body flew in a graceful arc before she landed face first into the blazing fireplace.

"I came back for Stefan. And he's the only Salvatore I _ever _loved. Does that answer your question?"

She strolled past him, bra showing and all and never looked back.

**A/N: After the disaster that was 3x15 I didn't want to write any more chapters in my current fics because I felt like it would be a disservice to Bonnie, but I've finally made my peace with it and here is the finished result. A lot still has to happen in terms of development with this story, but I don't believe any more chapters will be as complicated as this one-maybe, more than likely, we'll see. But thanks so much for reading! Love you guys! **


	12. Morning After

**A/N: So very, very sorry for such a long wait for an update. I started working on this chapter about three weeks ago but I didn't like what I wrote so I redid some scenes. Enjoy! This picks up right after The Longest Day ever.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Stefan entered his house rubbing the sand out of his eyes. This had been the most exhausting and long day of his life, and as the antique grandfather clock struck midnight, he permitted himself to sigh in relief that it was over.

Closing the door and actually turning the lock, Stefan headed towards the living room instead of going upstairs to take a shower and fall face first in bed. However, he slid to a stop on his feet as he gawked at the destruction of the living room.

Several pieces of furniture had been demolished as if someone let loose the Tasmanian Devil. "Damon!" he bellowed as he stepped around overturned chairs, grimaced every time he stepped on shattered glass. "Damon!" Stefan shouted again.

His brother materialized out of nowhere. Stefan glared at him and noticed that his black T-shirt was ripped, but he didn't see any blood on his brother yet he couldn't exactly rule out he hadn't been attacked.

Stefan held out his hands. "What the hell happened?"

Damon had his eyes focused on Stefan but they were opaque and appeared as if he were either looking through him or was trying to figure out what was so special about him.

Not finding what he was looking for, Damon pivoted on his feet and disappeared out the front door. Stefan cursed. Leave it to Damon to force him to clean up another one of his messes.

* * *

><p>Elena eyed her reflection in the mirror prior to turning out the light and leaving her bathroom. At first she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and nearly swallowed her tongue when she realized that Damon was sitting on her bed.<p>

"Damnit, Damon.!" She slapped a hand over her heart in a knee-jerk reaction to make sure it stayed in her chest. "What are you doing here?"

Damon said nothing as he stopped studying the grooves in the hardwood floor and brought his cyan eyes over to Elena. In his mind's eye he knew he was dealing with Elena, the sweet girl who only wanted to be his friend, yet the picture would sometimes become disjointed and he saw that wavy haired bitch that pretty much ate his heart with a bowl of Cheerios.

"Katherine is gone," he began without preamble.

"Good. Let's just hope she stays away."

Damon shook his head in the negative. Katherine was relentless—one of the things he admired about her, but also a trait that could be increasingly annoying. If she had hoped that her tactic of compelling the citizens of Mystic Falls to start randomly attacking one another would drive the updated version of Romeo and Juliet apart, she severely underestimated her competition. Her death threats would only mount to driving Stefan and Elena closer. They were idealistic that their love could conquer all.

Damon wanted to spit.

But where did he fit into the puzzle? Or was he merely an afterthought?

"Don't you get it, Elena, she's only beginning. She's not going to stop until she gets whatever she wants, and what she wants is Stefan."

Elena took in a deep breath and crossed the room to stand next to the window. "He doesn't want her and that's something she's going to have to learn. Stefan can't be manipulated."

"Oh, but I can?" he scowled.

Elena frowned as she ran her eyes over Damon. They widened when she realized his shirt was ripped. "Did something happen to you, Damon?"

"You could say that," he replied and rose from the edge of the bed. He approached Elena, backing her into the proverbial corner. Elena already had her arms stretched out to keep him away. But Damon was stronger and more determined. He caught her around the shoulders, leaned forward and sealed his lips over hers.

Elena jerked her head back and studied the glassy look to Damon's eyes. "Damon stop!"

"Admit that something is going on between us and I _will _stop," he challenged.

"I care about you, Damon, but that's all. It's Stefan I love, it will always be Stefan."

Damon grunted and ripped himself away from Elena. His face twisted into a snarl. Jeremy chose that precise moment to saunter into his sister's bedroom.

"Everything all right in here?" he questioned.

Elena nervously licked her lips. "Everything's fine, Jeremy. Just go to bed."

"Yeah, Jeremy," Damon growled but then sped over to the boy, pushed him up against the wall, and held him by the throat.

Elena gasped. "Let him go Damon!" she commanded which fell on deaf ears.

Oh, he'd let go all right. Damon braced one hand on Jeremy's frightened face, the other on his neck and twisted in opposite directions.

Elena screamed, Damon fled, and Jeremy lay on the ground—dead.

* * *

><p>He drove through town in a daze, the lyrics to Eminem's "Space Bound" effectively putting into words the inner workings of his brain. Damon wasn't sure if he was coming or going, what he would do today, tomorrow, or next week. As much as he may have wanted to write off being rejected twice in the same night, and go about his business, he couldn't because he was marked.<p>

However, if he thought about it he could see Katherine and Elena's rejection as poetic justice. How many lives had he ruined? How many people did he kill on a whim? How many necks had he snapped without batting an eyelash?

Pain twisted in his gut as he was brutally reminded of the new person who had been added to his blood filled list.

Jeremy had been nothing more than a bystander, in the wrong place at the right time. Damon reacted how he was so prone to do, overreacting and not thinking things through. Elena might very well hate him for the rest of her life; he could accept that—however when the rest of the Brat Pack found out—they would definitely give him a piece of their mind if not outright put a stake through his heart.

The number one candidate to serve on the board of executioners was Bonnie.

Making a sharp right and cutting off an oncoming car that honked its horn belligerently, Damon took the familiar path until he pulled on Bonnie's street. He spotted her car parked in the driveway, and as he looked up to the window of her bedroom and saw no light was on, he parked and then listened.

He couldn't detect a single heartbeat. Growling, he headed over to the other side of town and pulled up across the street from the two- story Victorian.

Damon not only heard her heart beat but also the sound of her voice. Her debated if he should just leave well enough alone; he had already capped off his lovely evening with a failed attempt at seduction and a murder. But as much as Damon wanted to leave, he remained parked right where he was and listened to what was going on inside.

"Are you sure you're okay, Caroline?" Bonnie nibbled her thumbnail as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She listened to friend's voice on the other end of the phone.

"I'm good, Bon. Stefan fixed me up with a few sips of his blood and I'm as good as new," Caroline replied cheerily.

Bonnie was glad that Stefan had been around to help but she couldn't avoid feeling anxious. She was well aware of the fact vampire blood circulated around a human's system for twenty-four hours. Katherine was still out there somewhere and was completely unpredictable. Bonnie wanted to ask Caroline to stay indoors until the time window of her being turned into a vampire passed, but she didn't want to be superstitious.

She was momentarily distracted as Damon strolled into the bathroom.

"Where are you by the way?" Caroline asked.

"Hmm? What? Oh, I'm not at home," she could imagine Caroline grinning from ear-to-ear and bouncing around in her chair.

"Yeah, I figured that much so that's why I asked where you are. Never mind because I already know. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. You know when people escape death it makes them horny."

"Good night, Caroline," Bonnie shouted into her phone and promptly hung up. She faced Damon and spotted the knowing grin on his face. He took her cell out of her hand.

"I'll take this. You take that," he handed her a glass of ginger ale. All the smoke she inhaled made her nauseous.

Bonnie took a sip before placing the glass on the bathroom sink. "I won't bother to ask how much of that you heard."

Damon pulled her forward by the hands and then grabbed a hold of her cheerleading top and wrenched it up. Next to go was her skirt and she stood before the immortal in nothing more substantial than her sports bar and spanks. Bonnie gulped nervously yet kept her eyes trained on Damon as he began a thorough inspection of her body.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Intense heat can cause burns as well," he said and circled her body, checking her arms, legs, torso, and back. He didn't find anything remiss and stood in front of Bonnie again, his unfathomable eyes burning her, searing her just like the heat of a fire. He slipped one hand under the band of her bra and slowly pulled it upwards. She obediently lifted her feet when Damon dropped to his haunches to assist her out of her underwear.

Her heart beat maniacally in her ribcage not because she was standing naked in front of a gorgeous man, but because no one had paid this much attention to her, or placed her well-being first and foremost in their mind.

Damon stared up at Bonnie from his kneeling position and ran a hand over her sculpted calf muscle. "You need a shower because you smell like smoke."

Her eyebrows lifted and Damon was back on his feet advancing on Bonnie forcing her to walk backwards to the shower. Her heels bumped into the tiled step and Damon reached out and caught her around the waist before she tumbled backwards.

"Careful," he whispered and turned on the shower.

Bonnie stepped inside and wondered if he would join her or not. She watched unabashedly as he began to undress until he stood proudly before her in his birthday suit. There weren't enough words in the English language, in any language really to convey how perfect his body was. He rippled with muscles which poured over a symmetrical skeletal frame. She couldn't spot a single imperfection, not even his feet, and Bonnie knew it was probably the ugliest body part of a man. It was kind of unfair that a side effect of vampirism was ethereal beauty, and Bonnie did wonder if Damon looked this spectacularly handsome when he was only human. She knew the transformation only augmented what was inside of a person, and for as beautiful as he was, she wasn't naïve to think he wasn't as lethal.

She placed her back to his front and proceeded to wash the smell of sweat and smoke from her skin. She moaned when Damon worked his fingers through her hair and over her body, ebbing away the building stress that usually came with no climatic ending.

Butterfly kisses tickled the skin behind her ear and the junction where her shoulder and neck met.

"I don't think I can resist not having you for much longer, Bonnie," he said right into her ear. She was beginning to feel the same way but Bonnie had made a promise to herself. She wouldn't give herself away to a man who was going to leave her one day whether voluntarily or involuntarily. She couldn't and did not want to take the risk. Already Bonnie felt she was in too deep and would have to fight tooth and nail to get her life back on track once dark-eyed Damon Salvatore left. There was no need to become a glutton for punishment.

However it was hard resisting him as well. Especially when he took such excellent care of her, put her needs first.

Bonnie bit her lip again. "We can't, Damon," she said sadly. "It just…you're going to leave one day."

He sighed not wanting to admit the truth to her words. "So?" he said despite wanting to be noble.

Bonnie turned around and faced him.

"That didn't come out right," he amended. "I want to be with you in every way possible and I know you want to be with me, too. You can use my leaving one day as an excuse for why it can't happen, but there's another reason, one you don't want to examine too closely."

There was no need for her to act ignorant of what he was trying to imply, however, he was way off base.

Damon continued. "We can continue to do this back and forth thing, but you're going to have to make a decision on what it is _you_ want." Damon shut off the water and handed her a towel.

Together they dried themselves off and then the silence between them was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Damon threw on a bathrobe and left her alone in the bedroom where Bonnie did the same. She waited for Damon to return as she dried and then wrapped her hair in a towel.

When Damon reentered the room he did so with a pizza and a bottle of wine. She smiled. "That's so very Italian of you," she grinned.

Damon kicked the bedroom door shut with his foot and joined Bonnie on the bed. "I figured you hadn't eaten anything."

"I'm supposed to eat this medium sized pizza by myself?" she asked skeptically.

Damon shrugged. "If you want to."

Bonnie opened the hood to the pizza box and inhaled the scent of the pepperoni pie that greeted her. She picked up a slice.

"Damon…have you ever been afraid of anything?"

"No."

"Not even when you were human?" she bit into the slice.

He shook his head, and picked up a pepperoni and popped it in his mouth.

"Humans were much more fragile back then, so susceptible to disease and leading a premature life, but I never feared dying. It was considered an honorable thing to die in battle, or during a joust. A man back in my times was considered elderly if he reached his fiftieth birthday."

"All I that I understand," Bonnie interrupted. "But had you ever gone through something you weren't sure you'd survive?"

Damon thought of her question for a moment before a memory struck him. "I was sixteen years old and my father had relented and bought me a beautiful stallion that I named Alexander after the great general. I was teaching Alexander to rear—stand on his hind legs—but the animal overcompensated and tipped over. He landed on me, nearly smothered me to death, but I rolled with the blow so he wouldn't smash me completely.

"After all that I suffered a broken leg, cracked rib, and probably a concussion at the time though it wouldn't have been called that. That was the only time I actually feared for my life."

"But you never feared riding horses after that?"

Damon shook his head. "Why would I? Besides if I had my father would have beaten me to get back on regardless," he said it so cavalierly that it caught Bonnie off guard. Had he really been a victim of child abuse back then?

As much as she wanted to ask, Bonnie was shrewd enough to know it was a sensitive subject no one wanted to talk about unless they started the conversation themselves.

Damon reached over and wiped marinara sauce from the corner of her mouth, and stuck the digit in his mouth. "Why all the questions about fear and death? Is it because of tonight? Did you think you were going to die?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I didn't think I'd die I just didn't want anyone around me to get hurt because of some crazy broad's vendetta."

"Bonnie…has anyone ever asked you not to fight?"

She thought for a moment. "No."

"So if you didn't live in this town that's overrun with the supernatural…what would you be doing?"

Bonnie dropped the crust of her slice of pizza in the box. "I would be making out with a really hot guy," she giggled.

Damon grinned and in less than two seconds, the pizza box was on the floor, and Bonnie's back hit the bed.

The recessed lighting cast interesting shadows on his face that Bonnie found herself unable to look away. She reached up and cupped his cheek. Damon turned his head to place a kiss in the palm of her hand. He hiked her right leg higher on his waist and cleared the distance separating them.

They lips met like inflatable safety bags ejecting from a car dashboard. Pleasure and pain equally zipped through Bonnie as she angled her hips to feel more of Damon rubbing against her.

The heat was rising on her skin and in the room, so thick that it instantly made sweat pop out along her hairline. Damon's fingers untied the knot in her robe, the material fell apart revealing her toned body to his hungry eyes.

He kissed her. Bonnie hissed, arched her back and tunneled her fingers through his hair—hair so soft it felt like animal fur. Blood pounded in her ears it was the only sound she could hear yet it was accompanied by Damon's groans.

Damon looked at her. "Do you want me, Bonnie?"

Speaking was difficult so she nodded her head.

"Are you certain?" Damon asked for clarification.

Bonnie hooked her legs around his hips. "Please."

He kissed her recklessly and was fully prepared to move things between them to the next level when something crashed into the window. Bonnie gasped loudly, Damon growled and stared murderously at the crow that sat perched on the windowsill. It winked at him before flying away.

Damon dropped his eyes to Bonnie. She had her head turned away and a tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away and then removed himself from between her legs. "Do you want to keep going?" he asked hopefully.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "No, I think we should stop," and she pulled her knees to her chest. She was both happy and sad about the interruption. She was still her, still Bonnie, nothing had been ruptured, but if the interruption had come just two seconds later, her virginity would have been a thing of the past.

Damon fixed his robe. "I'd have to disagree with that, but…I will honor your decision."

"Thank you…Damon," Bonnie said and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>The following morning Bonnie found herself driving almost madly towards Elena's. She hastily parked her car, ran up the front lawn rather than using the path, and rushed inside.<p>

"Elena!" Bonnie called the second she was in the foyer. Stefan appeared at the top of the stairs and motioned for Bonnie to come up.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Bonnie entered her best friend's room. Elena was red eyed and red nosed. Stefan retook his perch next to Elena who crumbled against him.

"What happened?" Bonnie sat down on the bed.

Elena wiped her nose. "Damon came over here last night and…" she choked up.

Bonnie looked at Stefan to fill in the blanks. "Damon snapped Jeremy's neck."

Hearing that made Bonnie shoot off the bed as rage coiled inside of her. "He's dead?" she gulped thickly.

Stefan shook his head while Elena continued to cry. "He was wearing his ring that's been spelled to protect him against supernatural attacks. He's fine. He actually went to school this morning."

Bonnie released the breath she had been holding. "Your damn brother, Stefan," Bonnie cursed. "Why did he break Jeremy's neck? What has he said for himself?"

"He hasn't said anything," Stefan told her. "He came home just minutes before dawn. He ignored me when I tried to pump him for information. But something tells me Katherine probably paid him a visit."

"Figures," Bonnie threw her hands up in the air. "So because Katherine hurt his feelings he came over here hoping you'd lick his wounds, Elena, and when that failed, Jeremy…"

"Got caught in the crossfire," Stefan concluded.

"Your brother is _asking _to be staked," Bonnie seethed.

"He killed my brother right in front of me like he was nothing," Elena mumbled. Bonnie fell back on the bed and reached for her friend's hand.

Stefan tightened his hold on Elena. "I'll deal with him, Elena. I just want you to stay as far away from Damon as you can."

Elena rolled her eyes. "The only way for that to happen is if I moved out of town."

Bonnie thought chick had a point. Damon wasn't the type to just leave something alone no matter how toxic it was to his own health. Thoughts began to zip through her head and all of them were unpleasant, but she and Damon had established an impasse as of late, which she could use to her advantage to talk some sense into his concrete head.

"I'll talk to him," Bonnie volunteered.

Both Stefan and Elena looked at her like she was just abducted by aliens. "No!" they said simultaneously.

"If he broke Jeremy's neck without a second thought, Bonnie…he could do worse to you," Elena implored her friend.

"I can handle Damon, and I'm sorry Stefan," she made eye contact with the nicer of the two evils, "but you're probably the last person he wants to talk to and the last person he _should _talk to. Hate to sound harsh but you're pretty much Damon's ground zero for everything that's foul in his life. Or that's the way he perceives you. Me, I'm Switzerland. We have our beef, but I'd like to think he respects me, and sure that respect might only fill up a thimble."

Elena couldn't suppress it she chuckled.

"But it's there nonetheless," Bonnie added.

"I can't just let you be alone with him when he's in a volatile state, Bonnie" argued Stefan.

The girl in question rose from the bed. "I get your objection about it, Stef, but it's my choice."

"Bonnie!" he called after her as she headed towards the door. Stefan approached her. "Damon is my problem."

She shook her head. "He's everyone's problem, Stefan. Just…keep Elena here and entertain her. Have sex or something, I don't know," she snorted. Stefan dropped his eyes to his feet. "I'm just going to have a nice friendly chat with Damon. That's all."

* * *

><p>This friendly chat included slamming the front door of the Salvatore boardinghouse with enough force that she rattled the old oil paintings on the walls. Bonnie stomped her way into the living room. It was empty. She tried the library—he wasn't there. Sighing, Bonnie headed up to his bedroom. It was near pitch-black inside because the heavy drapes were drawn to keep the sun out. Bonnie marched over to them and wrenched the curtains a part.<p>

She turned back to face the bed and noted there was no movement or grunts or complaints. Bonnie marched over and poked the lump that was buried under the comforter. Nothing. Taking hold of said comforter she threw it off and revealed Damon who was staring aimlessly up at the ceiling.

Bonnie wanted to slap him. "Damon?"

He didn't respond. Bonnie stared at him dispassionately instead of through fire and brimstone, and noticed that Damon looked utterly defeated. Kind of like a kid who watched his blind grandfather run over his puppy.

_No mercy, Bonnie keep your wits about you. _

"What is wrong with you, Damon? Katherine pisses you off and you go around snapping necks?"

Nothing. Silence.

"I'm talking to you!" she shrieked.

Nothing. Silence.

This wasn't how this argument was supposed to play out. Damon was supposed to jump to his feet, get all into her personal space and call her every single euphemism in relation to a female dog he could think of. Then Bonnie would have put the whammy on him, wipe her hands clean, and tell him kiss her ass.

"Damon?" Bonnie leaned over him so she could peer into his eyes. They were soulless, flat, void. There was absolutely nothing there. Not anger. Not sadness. Not grief. Nothing.

Okay, this was new territory for her. She had dealt with an enraged Damon, a violent Damon, a passive aggressive Damon, snarky Damon, if she kept this list going she'd have a whole shelf worth of collectible action figures.

Bonnie considered her options: A) leaving him there in his misery. B) Giving him an aneurysm just to see if that might jump start anything. C) Lecture him until her throat ran dry. However, Bonnie had always been a results driven person. And she wasn't leaving here until Damon at least blinked.

Sighing, she reached for Damon's arm to tug him out bed. Naturally he wasn't budging. "Get up, Damon."

Moving him this way wasn't working so Bonnie climbed on the opposite side of the bed, braced one hand on his arm and the other on his torso and pushed with her knees. She didn't stop pushing until Damon tumbled over the edge of his bed landing face first on the floor. She looked over the edge and was greeted with the sight of his naked ass. Blushing, Bonnie looked around for something to cover him up with, couldn't find anything, so she sucked it up. She had seen a naked man before; this was nothing different.

Bonnie thought this was taking far more exertion than she would have liked to put out but she was doing all of this for the greater good, really she was doing this so he wouldn't snap and go terrorizing the citizens of Mystic Falls.

Bonnie snatched Damon by the wrist and began to drag him towards his bathroom. "Move it, Salvatore. Get up."

He mumbled something incoherently prior to slapping a hand against the cold tile of the bathroom floor and pushed himself up. Finally, some recognition flared in his eyes and Bonnie dropped her hold on him.

"Get in the shower and get dressed," Bonnie ordered. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs." Saying nothing further Bonnie left him alone.

Approximately thirty minutes later Damon stomped his way downstairs where he found Bonnie sitting on the couch flipping through one of his books. His eyes narrowed and he wondered why she was here, pushing him to be productive when all he really wanted to do wallow in all of his failures. She sensed his presence and looked up from the book, and gave him a once-over noting he was dressed in his usual uniform. Bonnie stood up from the couch. She said nothing as she strolled towards the door and tossed it open.

Damon followed her outside, into the blinding sun. Really, would it be too much to ask for it to be a cloudy day to match his dark mood? It would seem even the world wanted to rejoice in his misery.

The next time he blinked his eyes, Bonnie was parking her car at the only hiking trail in Mystic Falls. Together they climbed out of the car and walked silently through the thicket of the woods until they reached a clearing. It didn't take him long to realize there was something different about this spot in the woods, a place he couldn't rightly say he had ever ventured into. The air felt lighter here as if he were standing on the moon in zero gravity. Dust moats, birds feathers and flower petals floated past his line of vision.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Bonnie looked over at Damon. So far he didn't seem too impressed with the view.

"Why'd you bring me out here?" Damon questioned finally using his voice for the first time since last night. "To kill me?"

Bonnie smirked and folded her arms over her chest. "Just like the way you_ tried_ to kill Jeremy?"

Damon blinked. "He's not dead?"

"No, he's not," Bonnie told him. "What's gotten into you, Damon? I'll tell you what's gotten into you. For every good deed you do, you do five horrible things in succession. Katherine is your Achilles Heel, Stefan is your punching bag, and Elena is the girl you've put on a pedestal you can't reach, and because of it the rest of us gets punished when things don't go your way."

Damon rolled his eyes and a tick began in his jaw.

"Since you've been a vampire you've done nothing but kill discriminately and indiscriminately, trying to mold yourself into what exactly? Someone worthy of love? Well news flash, Damon, you've _always _been capable of being loved."

His brows lifted at hearing that particular proclamation.

"You destroyed the best parts of yourself and placed the blame on others, mainly your brother. And what has it gotten you? Certainly no friends. You make it so hard to have faith that you aren't a heartless bastard who acts off emotion and impulsion."

He snorted and looked away. "You don't know anything _about _me, Bonnie. You've been too busy trying to get your cherry popped by that imposter who's gonna leave your ass high and dry one day," he spat venomously.

Anger flashed through Bonnie yet she ignored it. She was getting too close to his insecurities and to back her off, he was going to resort to what he did best: assholery.

"This isn't about me, Damon. This is about you and accepting responsibility for your faults and failures. The rest of the town isn't going to pay because Katherine and Elena rejected you."

When he smiled Bonnie felt ice run through her. "You're scared of what I'll do. That's why you brought me out here to the middle of no f*cking where to stage an intervention," Damon began to advance on her to which Bonnie took steps back. "I could just as easily drain you dry before you even got the first word of a spell out, or I could just punch my fist through your chest and find out what color your blood _really _is."

There was very little space keeping them apart. "Damon, stop."

"Come on, Bonnie," he cooed and then cupped her cheek. "I can do you once before killing you. I can make both experiences painless."

This time she did slap him-twice. If he was expecting her to tremble in her shoes, piss her pants, or scream and run, he was sadly mistaken. Bonnie wasn't spineless—she was made of tougher stuff. Damon stuck his tongue on the inside of his cheek. _Wow, _he thought, _that actually hurt._ He turned his head slowly to glare at her.

When he took another step forward Bonnie placed her hand over his heart and began to channel.

Damon stilled when he felt something akin to phantom hands moving through his body. "What are you doing?"

"Whatever I want. I could rip your spine out, or your heart, or turn your blood acidic and have you bleed from every single orifice of your body. You're just as vulnerable to me, Damon as I am to you." Bonnie held his challenging glare for a moment before removing her hand. "But that's not what I brought you out here for, to see who's got the bigger dick."

He snorted.

"Are you going to allow the woman who you turned into a monster for have dominion over you?"

Damon twisted his day walking ring on his finger—looking uncertain yet furious.

"You want my advice?"

"No," he barked.

Bonnie ignored his sentiment. "Here's what you should do the next time you encounter Katherine. Look that trick right in the eye, throw up the middle finger, and take her damn head off."

The fury that sparked his eyes until they almost appeared silver vanished and was replaced with consideration.

"You're not my favorite person, Damon, but you have heart and honor when needed," Bonnie stared down at her feet momentarily. "I trusted you to save my life. Can I trust you to save yours?"

"I still don't understand why you're here with me trying to give me a pep talk. I killed your best friend's brother. Shouldn't you be the general heading up the firing squad?"

Bonnie held up a finger. "You didn't kill him. You snapped his neck, but he was wearing a ring that protects him from supernatural attacks. And don't think I'm in anyway condoning what you've done. But even I know that right now what you need in addition to a nice, good ass kicking is a friend."

"You want to be my friend?"

Bonnie hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure I'd make a good friend for you. You're looking for an enabler."

"And you like to judge."

Bonnie's eyes rolled.

"But I'm a lousy friend, Bonnie. I'm more likely to get you in shit rather than getting you out of it."

"I know that."

"I have impulse control issues."

"Know that, too."

"I really shouldn't be around civilized people."

"I won't disagree with you on that."

Damon sighed. "I don't apologize if you're hoping I might go offer up some to Gilbert Jr. or his wishy washy sister."

She couldn't help it; she chuckled but cut it off prematurely. "All I want you to do is find your soul, Damon, and hang on to it because something tells me you will be tested, but your success will be entirely up to you." Pause. "Let's go."

They took two steps before Bonnie stopped and looked up at him again. "If you lay another hand on any of my friends or members of their family again, I collect your balls."

Damon had to resist cupping himself because Bonnie was being deadly serious. "Got it, Lucy Lawless."

Bonnie dropped him off at the boardinghouse and zoomed away. Damon remained outside playing back Bonnie's words to him. She thought he was capable of being loved, and she wanted to know if he trusted himself enough to save his own life. He wasn't sure of the latter but the former…certainly intrigued him.

"Clever girl," Damon said and entered his home.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I really struggled with this chapter and the direction I wanted it to go in. So much has yet to happen in the development in this story so I'm going to try to simplify things a bit and not have so much happening in one chapter. But I wanted Bonnie to talk to TV Damon instead of him dealing with his brother or Elena b/c he and Bonnie are at a place where their willing to listen to one another without instantly jumping into a fight. But I hoped you guys liked it. Sorry again for the hiatus. Love you guys!**


	13. Carnival

**A/N: Hi Guys! Here is the latest. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Gilbert Residence**

"I don't understand the appeal to watching shows about the supernatural when we're caught in the middle of it?" Caroline tucked her socks covered feet under her and ripped open a bag of potato chips.

Elena sat down on the middle cushion of the sofa and grabbed the remote. She gave her blond friend the briefest of looks before turning on the tube and switching the channel to MTV. Tonight was the mid-season premiere of Teen Wolf.

"Because it's nice to watch a fictionalized version of what we go through day after day. Or it's just a weird case of morbidity. Regardless, the guy that plays the older wolf…freakin' hot."

"I can't disagree with you on that. Look at you," Caroline grinned. "You're all Bella."

Elena shook her head and popped a chip in her mouth. "I'm nothing like her. Besides I don't know any wolves." That she knew of, Elena wanted to add but didn't.

"Bonnie!" Caroline yelled to which Elena grimaced. "The show is about to start!"

"I'll be down in a minute!" Bonnie yelled back from Elena's bathroom. She washed and dried her hands and studied her reflection in the mirror. Bonnie felt a headache coming so she opened up the medicine cabinet in search of some aspirin. Finding a bottle, Bonnie dumped two white tablets in the palm of her hand and popped them in her mouth. She bent down to slurp water from the faucet to help wash it down.

When she stood back up and shut the medicine cabinet, she gasped loudly at the person standing behind her.

Bonnie spun around and hit Damon—the one with the light-eyes—on the shoulder. "Jerk."

He smirked. "Did I scare you?"

Bonnie ignored his rhetorical question and turned back around. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard it was girl's night. Where else would I be?"

"If Elena sees you I can't promise she won't try to sodomize you with a stake."

After hearing that Damon merely pressed Bonnie with a bored, unaffected look. Elena could try to do what she wanted but even he knew at the end of the day she'd never agree to someone attempting to end his life. Killing wasn't in her nature, neither was sanctioning the murder of someone else no matter how much they might deserve it.

"Seriously, Damon why are you here?"

He shrugged and moved out of the way when Bonnie made a move to leave the bathroom. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Not here, obviously, but come by the boardinghouse in the morning."

"Seriously?" Bonnie deadpanned. "I still don't understand why you couldn't text or call like a normal…" Bonnie stopped her sentiment when she realized she wasn't dealing with a normal person, that there had never been anything normal about Damon Salvatore.

As if he were reading her thoughts, he winked. This wasn't his first time seeing Bonnie after their heart-to-heart in the woods. In fact, he had been keeping tabs on her, not because he feared for her safety or some sappy crap like that, but because…well he hadn't exactly figured out why yet. But he did need to speak with her about something vitality important.

"Never mind," Bonnie amended. "Is it important in general or just important to you?" she asked.

Damon winked at her. Bonnie had always been shrewd. "It's important in general and yes, it's important to me as well. So can I expect you to be there?"

Bonnie thought for a moment. She had a hair appointment in the morning but it wasn't until ten. Saturdays were her designated sleep in days. This weekend was the carnival and Caroline had blackmailed her into helping with the set up and of course manning several booths of which Bonnie wasn't looking forward to. This year she would be helping out at the kissing booth. Now Bonnie felt that was simply archaic and wanted no part of it, but this was just one of the many sacrifices she'd have to make since rejoining the cheer squad.

Crikey.

"All right. I'll be there around nine."

Damon nodded his head and then vanished. Bonnie frowned and soon heard someone approaching. When she saw it was Elena staring at her strangely, Bonnie disarmed her mounting concern with a lopsided grin.

"Hey," Elena began tentatively. "Where you talking to someone just now?"

"Yeah, myself," Bonnie explained and walked out of the bedroom. "Has the show started yet?"

Doe-brown eyes bored into Bonnie and she held Elena's gaze without wavering. "Yeah," Elena finally replied. "Caroline is having a conniption fit."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Well, let's not hold up her drooling session then."

* * *

><p>The following morning Bonnie searched the stacks in the Salvatore library. Her eyes ran over titles that dated back to the nineteenth century. She felt the air shift behind her and when she turned around she saw Damon leaning against the threshold attired in customary head-to-toe black.<p>

"You wanted me here so what's so important?" Bonnie began without muttering a single hello or good morning.

Damon snorted, pushed away from the wall and entered the library. He walked up to Bonnie leaving hardly any breathing room between their bodies. He gazed down at her, his eyes categorizing every minute detail from the way a dimple formed above her left eyebrow when she was in deep conflict with something. They dropped to her lips that were slightly parted and he could see her bottom teeth. A sweet floral scent coated her skin, and her heart was beginning to pound.

Bonnie felt her mouth growing dry so she took a healthy step backwards from Damon. He only infiltrated the breathing room of someone he was trying to intimidate or overwhelm with his presence so to say his behavior was throwing her for a loop was a gross understatement. He typically reserved being this forward with Elena, and the mayor, and the sheriff on occasion, but not her.

"How's Damon?" Damon chortled and stepped away from her.

Bonnie snapped her jaws shut and looked away. "He's Damon," she replied. "And he's been MIA since the night of the basketball game gone wrong. I think he's been trying to find the doorway for that key."

Damon nodded his head. Hopefully soon they could all be rid of him and everything could go back to the way it was. Well, Damon thought, he _didn't _want things to go back to the way they were because Elena had been giving him mixed signals, and he was having a hard time resisting killing just for the sake of killing and trying to be this better man his brother thought he was still capable of being.

And if things were to go back to how it was when he first returned to Mystic Falls, Bonnie wouldn't spare him a second look, thought, or touch. And vice versa.

"Smart man," Damon said. "The quicker he can get the hell out of here the better things will improve. Now," Damon slapped a stack of papers on the table. "There have been some new developments and I wanted to run them by you."

Surprise flitted across Bonnie's face as she tentatively stood beside him. She looked down at the documents strewn across the table. They were photocopies of journal excerpts. Bonnie picked up a page and read it.

"Whose journal is this from?"

"William Lockwood circa 1864."

Bonnie stopped reading and stared up at him, curiosity lining her mint green eyes. "A Lockwood journal? Why are you looking into the Lockwoods?"

"Because yesterday I was with the mayor and she wants me to take over the Council."

Bonnie's jaw dropped. "You?" she snickered—couldn't help herself. "I don't mean to laugh but apparently she's clueless on what you are. A vampire heading the Founder's Council who've built their ideology on destroying all things supernatural. Classic."

Damon could agree with the irony of the situation, even laugh at it himself, but this put him at a far greater advantage to know the humans' move so he could stay one step ahead of the enemy. It was ingenious if you asked him.

"You know what this means, Judgey?" Damon asked and poked her on the shoulder. "It means you have to be nice to me in every way imaginable. We wouldn't want your little witchy secret to come to light now would we?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. Yep, leave it to Damon to try to capitalize on his new elevated position. "Do what you like, Damon. Just remember people squeal when they're being tortured."

He winked at her and picked up a page to examine. "But…that's not the only reason why I wanted to talk to you. Mason Lockwood, Tyler's uncle has conveniently blown into town and he was asking the punk all sorts of weird questions, but what he's really after is some so called family heirloom. A moonstone. You wouldn't happen to know what that is, would you?"

Bonnie shook her head. This was her first time hearing of such an object. "You got all of that during your meeting with Carol Lockwood?"

"That's the beauty of being a vampire. We are excellent multi-taskers."

"So I'm learning. I'm guessing this is your new hobby? Snooping into the Lockwood family secret vault."

"That and so much more," he said suggestively and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Bonnie leaned away from him. "I know you're not trying to flirt with me."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Bonnie grinned and shook her head. "My plate is already full in that department. Thank you very much."

And before either of them realized what they were doing they were grinning at each other. It took a moment for Bonnie to catch on to what she was doing and as a result shook her head, and looked back down at the paper in her hand.

"So how do you plan to grease information out of anyone in the Lockwood clan? And why do you even care if Mason—that's his name right?" Damon nodded. "Why do you care if he's looking for a moonstone?"

"I care because anyone new coming into town looking for something usually don't have good intentions in mind. And…I vaguely remember this witch I knew way back in the day telling me that curses could be placed on objects…geological objects. If he's looking for a moonstone it serves a much greater purpose than being a stupid family heirloom."

Hmm, when Damon broke it down like that, when something seemed innocuous it could have many layers attached to it. But she figured with Damon busy with a task that didn't involve pining over his failed love life and wreaking havoc because of it, she would support it, only if he had no plans to use violence at a later date.

"I don't get why you're telling me this, though."

Damon barely resisted kissing her on the forehead. Barely. "Because we're trying this whole truce thing, right?"

"I guess," Bonnie hesitated.

"And I know that Mason and Tyler will be at the Carnival tonight. Play the dumb cheerleader and get them to talk."

Bonnie squeaked. "Excuse me? Umm you're not dragging me into this. I…appreciate you sharing with me your plans, but come on, Damon."

"Come on, Damon what? I thought you'd be happy with the idea of us putting our sinister minds together for the greater good."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "So far Mason and Tyler haven't threatened anyone…" Bonnie stopped abruptly. Her mind retrieved the memory of trying to interrogate Tyler after the basketball game and she saw his eyes change color. She hadn't imagined it as much as she would have liked to. It was real. And it happened. Did that mean Tyler Lockwood was supernatural also? She had touched him plenty of times and knew without a doubt he wasn't a vampire. So what was he? Or had she just inhaled too much smoke that night and saw things that weren't there?

Damon stared at her expectantly. He reached out and gently laid a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "What? What is it?"

Her eyes blinked rapidly and she looked up at Damon. "I…it was nothing."

Damon's naturally built-in radar that could detect lies and bullshit was flying off the charts.

"You remembered something," he said sagely. "What was it?"

Bonnie had opened her mouth to respond when someone chose that moment to enter the room. Both Damon and Bonnie redirected their gaze towards the door. A tick began in Damon's jaw when he realized it was Gilbert Jr. Bonnie's eyes widened and she wondered why Jeremy would show up at the Salvatore pad knowing what happened the last time he saw Damon. Had he really killed that many common sense brain cells when he spent his days popping pills and smoking weed?

"Jeremy," Bonnie said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you," he answered and kept his gaze locked on Bonnie and not Damon though it was with some difficulty.

Bonnie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. How would he have known to come here to look for her? She hadn't told anyone about her early morning meeting with Damon.

"We're in the middle of something, skippy. Show yourself out."

Jeremy's hand balled into a tight fist. He attempted to glare at Damon. "I need to speak with Bonnie. I'm not asking for your permission," he spat.

Damon's eyebrows nearly lifted off his forehead and the surprise that was on his face dissolved into calculation. Bonnie saw this and touched Damon on the arm.

"Give us a minute," she said softly to the vampire. The two men held challenging gazes until finally Damon walked towards the door but not without shouldering his way past Jeremy.

Jeremy snorted and approached Bonnie. He smiled. "You're a very easy person to find," he said by way of an explanation. "I called your friends and they said you weren't with either one of them. So I figured you might be training with Stefan."

Oh, right, Bonnie remembered. Everyone pretty much knew Stefan helped her from time-to-time with developing her powers and a few extra defensive skills.

"What's up, Jer?" Bonnie folded her arms over her chest.

Jeremy extracted his sketchbook. "I know this is last minute and asking for a lot but I have an art project due next week. I have to draw a subject from life and well, the whole fruit bowl thing has been exploited enough. So…I was wondering if you'd sit for me? I brought some samples so you could see I'm not a stick figure drawing Picasso or anything."

Bonnie smiled and looked through a few of Jeremy's sketches. From what she saw, he was very good, but only the content was dark. Most of what he had drawn here ghouls, and men with fangs.

"Sure," Bonnie easily agreed. "What day did you have in mind?"

"Whenever you're free."

"How bout this coming Wednesday?"

"Okay," he breathed in relief. "Thank you, Bonnie. You're a life saver."

She smiled at the compliment. Jeremy stuffed his sketchbook back in his bag and then looked at Bonnie.

"I'm not trying to get in your business or anything…"

And anytime someone started a sentence with that line meant they were about to do just that. Bonnie felt her defenses flaring up. No, she wasn't in the mood to justify why she was talking to Damon in any capacity.

"Jeremy…" Bonnie said warningly.

He held up his hands. "I know it's not my business. But Bon…he _tried _no he _did _kill me the other day, and he kissed Elena. I don't understand why you'd have anything to do with him. He's bad news."

Bonnie sighed heavily. This was the thing, she knew perfectly well the kind of person Damon was or was trying to portray himself to be. She wasn't naïve about it.

"If anyone can keep Damon in line…it's me," she said. "He and I…we've come to an understanding and I know it probably doesn't make sense to anyone else, but it's not for anyone else to understand."

Jeremy licked his lips. "He's dangerous. One minute you think you're dealing with someone who has all of his marbles and in the next second…he wigs out and you end up on the floor with your neck snapped in three places. I don't want him to hurt you."

"I get your concern, Jeremy, I do…"

"But you're not going to stop hanging around him. Are you?"

Bonnie thought of a proper response before muttering an answer. "He needs my help with something," was all she'd commit to saying.

Jeremy reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial that was filled with a pale yellow liquid. He handed it over to Bonnie. "Take this."

She accepted the vial and studied it for a second. "I don't need this, Jeremy."

"I know, but just in case."

Bonnie balled the object in her hand before handing it back. "You'll probably need it more than me. I'll be fine with Damon. He needs me for something and I'll be safe."

"No one is safe with Damon. Even if he does need your help. Once he gets whatever he's after…you're nothing but collateral damage. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that parting sentiment Jeremy left the library.

Damon reappeared within nanoseconds. Of course he heard every single word of their conversation.

Bonnie studied him.

"He's right about me," Damon said.

To that, Bonnie shook her head and stared up at Damon. "You won't hurt me, Damon. And you want to know why I can say that with confidence while everyone else can't?"

He waited for her answer with an eyebrow cocked in the air.

"Because you promised Emily Bennett that you'd protect her line, and if you kill me…I'm sure there's some nasty consequence attached to it."

Damon snorted and picked up the photocopies. He shrugged. "If you say so, little witch. I have other reasons for needing you to remain alive other than some promise I made to your ancestor when I should have known better. And no…" he ran his eyes over her again, "it has nothing to do with using you for your powers."

There was that flirty connotation again. Papers in hand Damon headed towards the door. Bonnie followed and then found herself crashing into his back when he stopped abruptly.

Bonnie stumbled on her feet and Damon reached out, grasping her by the arms to steady her.

"Tonight…can I depend on you to get something, anything out of either Lockwood?" he asked.

"Why do I have to do it?" she whined.

"Because you have boobs and a vagina. I don't. They'll be more receptive to opening up to you than to me."

Bonnie couldn't disagree with that logic, but still. She was a horrible actress, they'd see right through her act in minutes. "Do I have a choice?" she asked.

Damon pinched her cheek and winked at her. "Of course you have a choice. Your choice being you do what I tell you to do," he said flatly.

Bonnie snorted and with the flick of her hand tossed him into the nearest wall where his shoulder made a nice dent on impact. Bonnie stepped over his awkwardly sprawled legs and proceeded down the hall.

"You're not the boss of me, Salvatore. Remember that."

He chuckled and groaned. "Oh, yeah, I'm in love," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>The Carnival<strong>

Her elbows were aching and Bonnie stood up again. She had been manning the kissing booth with Tika of all whores, and so far she's had to lay one on the undesirables. Not trying to be mean or anything, but she was basically kissing the cheeks of all the guys who _had_ to pay to get kissed. It was an unfortunate lot they pulled and Bonnie was trying to make the best of it.

As the night wore on, the temperature began to drop. Caroline had banned them from wearing coats so Bonnie was beginning to shiver her in Timberwolves halter top and jeans.

"This is for you," Elena handed her a cup of hot chocolate.

Bonnie took the cup and smiled a huge grin of gratitude. She took a sip and felt the heated liquid defrosting her internal organs.

"How much longer before the shift changes?" Bonnie asked.

Elena checked the time on her cell. She would be relieving Bonnie and Tika. "Another twenty minutes." Pause. "Jeremy told me you were at the boardinghouse talking to Damon."

Inwardly Bonnie rolled her eyes. Could no one keep their mouths shut? "Yeah," she replied nonchalantly. "He wanted my opinion about something."

Elena nodded her head. "Bon…I don't know what's going on with him because I've been doing like everyone has been telling me to do—staying away. I just don't want you to get sucked up into any of his schemes because people have a tendency to die when they attempt to help Damon."

The vampire in question stood a hundred yards away from the kissing booth next to the ring toss. He had his hearing tuned to their conversation and couldn't keep the grin off his face. So far both of his targets of study were there. Tyler and Mason had just finished proving how macho they were at the dunking booth.

It was cute that Elena tried to pretend she was worried about her best friend's safety when he knew the truth of the matter. Elena was waiting for him to ambush her again and try to get her to confess she had feelings for him, and because that wasn't happening, she was beginning to pout. Tough. She had her chance and she blew it. Damon could thank Katherine for this one thing: opening his eyes to the chump he had been for the last hundred and forty-five years.

He wouldn't be falling into that trap anytime soon.

"What are you doing here, Damon?"

The dark vampire turned around and grimaced. It was the sour-faced Gilbert boy. Damon stood across from Jeremy and saw the asshole try to puff out his chest like a rooster. He laughed on the inside.

"It's a free country last I checked. And last I checked I don't have to answer to you, _child_."

Jeremy nodded his head but not because he was agreeing with Damon's words. "Whatever you're trying to suck Bonnie into…leave her out of it. She's a good girl."

"Aww that's so cute," Damon gushed. "You're crushing on the witch."

"Just _stay_ the hell away from her. And we won't have any problems."

Heat passed through Damon and he took one giant step forward pitting himself against Jeremy, standing toe-to-toe. His electric blue eyes deepened to a dark indigo.

"And what pray tell are you going to do if I don't?"

Jeremy opened up his jacket to reveal the stake he had inside. Damon dropped his eyes to the object and in half a second, held Jeremy in a headlock and slid the boy's ring off his finger.

"You make it _so _easy to kill you, Jeremy. I could snap your neck, break all the bones in your body before you'd have the chance to piss your pants," Damon said through clench teeth and tightened his hold on Jeremy's neck.

The boy began to choke and wince as he tried to find purchase on Damon's arm to rip himself clean of the demented vampire.

Damon released Jeremy and pushed him away. He held up the ring. "You think you're invincible because you have this. I'll shove this ring so far up your ass, you'll really have something to choke on," and then Damon chucked the ring at Jeremy's forehead and smiled when it bounced off. Damon took two steps away, but then stopped to face the frightened boy again. "And Bonnie _is _a good girl. But she won't be. Once I get done with her."

Bonnie held her tongue as she listened to Elena's long list of reasons why it would be a bad idea for her to continue to have any contact with Damon.

Out the corner of her eye Bonnie saw a man with curly, sandy blond hair, and blue eyes approaching her. She had never seen him before but the first thought to penetrate her mind was: predator, animalistic. There was some weird vibration coming off the man who was built like a linebacker. He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

Tika instantly perked up, interest lining her onyx eyes. "_Finally_," she lamented and quickly swatted her lips in gloss. "Someone who could certainly have me on my back in no time flat."

Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes.

"How much?" Mason Lockwood asked revealing that small gap between his front teeth. He had his eyes planted on Bonnie who swallowed nervously, however that didn't stop Tika from trying to cap the sale.

"It's one dollar. But if you'd like a free sample I'm open."

"If it's free that means it's cheap," he told the girl.

Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from exploding with laughter.

"I'm gonna go," Elena said and began to walk away but not without winking discreetly at Bonnie.

Tika made a noise of disgust. "Elena you can take my spot. I need to use the bathroom."

Elena slid behind the booth and tried to look out in the crowd and ignore Mason and Bonnie, offering them a modicum of privacy.

He handed the money over to Bonnie who folded the bill and placed it in the lock box.

"It's been a while since I kissed a cheerleader," Mason smirked. "I'm Mason by the way."

"Bonnie," she replied. "And Mason as in Mason Lockwood?"

The man nodded his head. "Do you know my nephew Tyler?"

"Yeah, since I was little. We're not close or anything."

"Now that's a shame because if I were him I'd make it my business to get to know you."

Bonnie blushed and dropped her eyes to her shoes.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Just a little," she shrugged.

"Then let me get my kiss and vacate the premises."

Bonnie took a deep breath and then leaned forward as Mason did the same. His lips which were warm—very warm pressed against her cheek almost kissing the corner of her mouth.

Several seconds ticked off the clock before he pulled away but not without burning Bonnie with a single image. She tried to keep her game face on to reveal that nothing was remiss. Mason reached for his wallet again and extracted another dollar bill, this time handing it to Elena.

"I'm all about helping out these days," he explained and gazed at her intently. Bonnie saw this and wondered what he could be thinking. Elena for her part accepted the money and quickly kissed his cheek.

Mason smiled at each of them before walking away. The two friends stared at one another and giggled but for far different reasons.

Elena's mirth soon dissolved as she saw Damon approaching. "Damon."

He said nothing to her only smiled tightly. When Damon stood on the opposite side of the both, he only glanced at Elena before bringing the brilliance of his eyes on Bonnie. Damon pulled a money clip out of his pocket and pulled a hundred dollar bill from the stack. He slid it across the crude wood of the booth towards Bonnie.

"You got change?" he asked.

Bonnie snorted and shook her head. She leaned over the booth but to speak into his ear. "I saw something when I touched him."

"Come find me later," Damon pulled away then cupped Bonnie by the cheeks and sealed his mouth over hers.

She squeaked just a bit and was tempted to pull away, but then she began to relax into the kiss. Damon had surprisingly soft lips and he kind of nibbled on her bottom lip. And how fitting that there'd be actual fireworks going off in the background, the little explosions rendering the loud crowd into silence. The suction and pressure he used was top-notch and a moan or two slipped out that Bonnie couldn't hold in. But she pulled away the moment she felt Damon's tongue snake against the crease of her mouth, seeking entrance.

The whole while Elena stood and watched with her eyes leaping out of their sockets.

"You got your kiss," Bonnie pushed him away and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

Damon made a deliberate show of licking the residue of her lip gloss from his mouth. "You were worth _every_ penny," he taunted. "I'll talk to you later, Judgey." He walked off.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

Bonnie nodded her head. "Yeah. I think I need to use the bathroom. I'll be back."

Of course the bathrooms would be located in a poorly lit area of the carnival. Bonnie entered the premises and turned the water on in the faucet and stared into space. The back of her neck was hot and she felt hysteria in the form of uncontrollable laughter knock on her door, but she suppressed it. It was just a kiss that barely lasted for a full minute, so why did her skin feel like it was about to ooze into a puddle around her feet? Bonnie sighed, washed her hands, and checked her reflection before leaving.

Bonnie looked around her surroundings. She couldn't escape the feeling she was being watched from various angles. However, she halted her progress when she felt an ominous feeling coming from behind and she quickly spun around—her heart in her throat.

She relaxed considerably when she noticed it was only Damon. "What did you see when you touched Mason Lockwood?" He approached her in that self-assured way that bordered on cockiness but came off as being nothing but unadulterated sexiness.

Bonnie gulped and stared up at him. Well, for appearances sake it would seem only she had been slightly shaken up by that kiss.

"He saw himself in a fit of rage, uncontrollable anger…and his eyes changed color."

Well, that hadn't been what Damon expected to hear. "In the manner a vampire's eyes change when it's about to feed?"

Bonnie shook her head and pushed a few stubborn strands of hair behind her ear. "No, this was something else. The whites his eyes became black, the irises they were like a tawny gold color. Have you ever seen anything like that?"

Damon shook his head in the negative. "He's something supernatural," he said more to himself. "Was that all? Not the moonstone?"

"No, that was all I got."

He smiled down at her and Bonnie didn't like that smile. Not one bit. "Good job, Judgey. I'll take things from here until I need you again." He attempted to walk off, but Bonnie restrained him by the arm.

"Damon…you aren't going to do anything to hurt him are you?"

He looked offended by the implication that he couldn't control his impulses. So sue him he hadn't been a very good advocate in his own case that he wasn't a raving lunatic, but he had changed. In some areas. If Mason Lockwood turned out to be a threat then yes Damon would act accordingly, but until that hypothesis was proven, he wouldn't harm a single hair on Mason's pretty little head. Keep in mind he said _he _wouldn't do the harming.

"I'm not going to do anything to the man," he tried to assuage Bonnie's concern.

She twisted her lips in disbelief. "Yeah right. The day you start practicing restraint is the day I start my career as a porn star."

Damon laughed. "I'll be first in line to buy your video."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Damon. We just got done with Katherine's craziness. Please don't start another round of useless attacks and deaths."

He had never been good at making or keeping promises. So Damon took Bonnie by the shoulders and bent his knees a little so he could make direct eye contact with her. "I give you my word that I won't use violence against him _unless _he makes a move against me first. I have to watch my back. I'm the only one who can."

Bonnie was tempted to say she could be added to his list of people to watch his back but she didn't want to be too presumptuous. She was well aware of the fact Damon preferred to work alone so for him to trust her with the information he shared with her said a lot. However, she didn't trust him to handle this like a boy scout. That didn't fit his M.O.

"Just bear in mind that I will have to do what I have to do if someone innocent gets hurt," and she pressed him with an unwavering glare.

He couldn't help himself. He tweaked the end of her nose. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Pause. "You have such sweet lips, Bonnie. It's a shame you're wasting them on the other me."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I hope you enjoyed that because it's never gonna happen again."

"That's what they all say," Damon replied in a sing song voice. "You should head back to the carnival. It's not safe out here. Safety in numbers—remember that."

Bonnie watched him walk away. "Where are you going?"

"To start the first phase of my project."

Well it turned out the first phase of Damon's project in unlocking the Lockwood mystery was compelling one of the carnival helpers to start a fight with Tyler in the parking lot. After Stefan failed to beat Mason Lockwood at arm wrestling, Damon's curiosity about the testosterone driven males of the Lockwood branch only intensified.

He observed as Carter…that was his name…held his own against Tyler, but when Mason showed up flying through the air like a squirrel and backhanded Carter into unconsciousness, Stefan had to intervene and ruin everything. If his self-righteous brother had held off for a few more seconds, Damon knew Mason would have revealed what he was to Tyler. Something had happened between the uncle and nephew that had Tyler freaking out and saying something unexplainable happened to Mason's eyes who tried to play it off.

The two immediately got missing when mall cops showed up with their flashlights. Damon joined his brother who tried to help Carter who became lucid and looked around like a lost puppy. Stefan interrogated him and once it became glaringly obvious the young man had been compelled Stefan came to one conclusion.

He shoved Damon. "You could have gotten that boy killed in your quest to out the Lockwood secret. I thought I'd be happy you weren't going to slide back into your destructive behavior after Katherine's rejection, but you haven't changed, Damon. And you never will!"

Damon, who was tried of Stefan's sermon, punched his brother across the cheek. "You done? My ears are starting to bleed from your shrill voice. And here I thought _you'd _be happy I wasn't spending my days and nights conspiring to break you and Elena up and claiming her for myself," Damon sucked his teeth. "Seems neither one of us is going to get what we want out of this situation."

Damon made it to his car but then found his back braced up against it with Stefan's little fists balling the lapels of his leather jacket.

"Jeremy said you've got Bonnie involved. Leave her out of it, Damon."

The vampire in question thrust Stefan away from him who went catapulting backwards and crashed into a vehicle setting off the car alarm.

"Bonnie is not your concern," Damon pointed his finger at Stefan. "She and I have come to an understanding."

"If you hurt her, Damon…"

Damon's eyes went heavenward. "Why is everyone under the impression I'm going to hurt her?" he practically growled the question.

"Because you turn everything you touch into shit, that's why," Stefan answered.

"Here's a shocker for you, Stef and please feel free to spread this around. Bonnie likes me. Likes me," Damon laid his hands on his chest to emphasize his point. "And I didn't have to use compulsion or my notorious mack daddy skills to achieve this. And the kiss I laid on her didn't hurt either," he grinned wickedly.

"Everything is a game to you."

"Life is a game to anyone who is willing to play. Good night, brother."

* * *

><p>Caroline ran her fingers through her hair, and wiped excess lipstick from the corner of her mouth when the ringing doorbell caught her attention. Bouncing up from the vanity in her room, she walked through the foyer and threw open the door.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet up at The Grill."

"There's been a change of plans. Can I come in?"

Caroline nodded her head, "Sure, come on in."

A brown boot followed by the other crossed over the threshold. Caroline closed the door and walked around her visitor making her way back to her room.

"So what's the change in plans?" Caroline tossed the question over her shoulder.

When an answer didn't follow Caroline halted and turned around. She stared at her friend. "You okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just…I'm not sorry I have to do this to you, Caroline."

Caroline frowned and then watched with horrified eyes as red veins began to wiggle under Elena's eyes. Caroline barely got her scream out when she felt her head being painfully wrenched backwards by the roots of her hair, and sharp teeth plunged into her neck.

In a tenth of a second she was thrust around and a bleeding wrist was forced into her mouth.

"Game on," Katherine Pierce whispered in her ear and twisted Caroline's neck in opposite directions. She watched unsympathetically as the girl fell to the floor with a hard thud. Katherine stepped over her and retrieved Caroline's cell phone. She quickly sent a text message.

"Bonnie can u stop by my place? Important."

Katherine grinned at her handiwork, wiped Caroline's innocent blood off her lips, and exited the Forbes residence.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Sorry there was no Book Damon in this chapter. Not to worry he's still lurking around Mystic Falls, but I just wanted to show the beginning of the TVDamon/Bonnie partnership. And of course Katherine wasn't going to stay away for long. Can't promise when the next update will come, but things will definitely heat up and only get more complicated. Love you guys! And thanks so much for the continued support of this fic. **


	14. Up to You

**A/N: Happy Good Friday everyone! Here is just something to tie you over until the next update. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Caroline's home had been like a third home to Bonnie. She could find her way there blindfolded and in the dark. Her own home had been empty and cold from the time she became cognizant that she lacked the nuclear family structure which was discussed in her social studies and psychology classes. So driving to her friend's pad this beautiful morning felt no different.

Bonnie gyrated in her seat as she sang and drove at the same time. Her father had finally relented and bought her a replacement Prius after her first one was destroyed by the two Damon's. What she should have done was sent them the bill. They were loaded and it wouldn't have made a dent in their wealth. Bonnie switched her thoughts, and clicked her left turn signal just a second before making the turn on Caroline's street.

A few neighborhood kids were taking advantage of the warm weather and rode their bicycles or skateboards. She smiled as she remembered the first time she attempted to ride a skateboard. It rolled from under her feet and she landed on her ass in front of the boy she was crushing on. He had bent over, literally bent over in her face and laughed. She could recall the smell of Funyuns rolling off his breath as he did so and well it went without saying her crush was over, and she spent the rest of her formative years on a hate, slandering campaign against him. She had cleverly started the rumor that he poured his mother's breast milk on his Cheerios, that's why he ate them faithfully every morning in the school cafeteria.

Bonnie pulled into the driveway, cut the engine, and was knocking on Caroline's door just seconds later. She looked through the massive window and saw that her friend was sprawled out on the floor.

"Caroline!" Bonnie twisted the doorknob and was barely surprised that it opened. Bonnie dove on the floor next to her friend who was slowly regaining consciousness.

Caroline moaned a bit and her eyes fluttered opened. "What the fu—,"

Bonnie reached under her friend's arms and helped her up, but then she froze. Caroline felt wrong, _wrong! _Bonnie almost dropped her hold on Caroline. _No, this isn't possible. No…just no! _

"C-car," Bonnie had to stop and clear the frog out of her throat. Tears immediately gushed from her eyes as she sat across from her best friend and saw the dried blood on the side of her neck.

"Caroline, what happened?"

The girl in question looked around her house and then…grabbed her throat. She couldn't breathe! Her lungs weren't working. She felt like she was drowning in an airless room.

Bonnie's eyes widened and her heart which was already beating over two hundred beats a minute quadrupled as she realized that Caroline needed to be invited into her own home.

"_Can't breathe…" _she sputtered.

Bonnie jumped up into action. She strode towards the wide open front door and stopped. It was daylight out. If Caroline stepped so much as a toe outside she would burn, go up in flames. Her friend was literally being strangled and Bonnie felt her sanity slipping into a black hole. Frantically she looked around for something, _anything _to cover her best friend up with so she could get her out of the house.

There! On the couch she spotted a throw blanket. Bonnie snatched it up, tossed it over Caroline, and then pulled her bewildered friend to her feet. She walked Caroline out to the porch and stood her up in a shaded corner.

The minute she was free of the house, Caroline took deep painful gulps of air into her lungs and was reaching to pull the blanket off, but Bonnie grabbed her hands.

"NO! If you take this off…"

"Bonnie, what's happening to me? Why couldn't I breathe? Why is this blanket over me? Why am I so damn _hungry?"_

Bonnie gritted her teeth. "I'll explain everything, but I need you to listen to me, Caroline."

"Bonnie…what's going on? Why do I feel so different?"

"Caroline, please!" Bonnie was near hysterics. "I need to get you out of the sun," she licked her lips. "I'm going to back my car up to the porch, and you're going to get in the trunk."

"What? Why?"

The last thread of her patience snapped. "Because if you don't you'll f*cking burn, that's why! Trust me on, this Care. I'll explain when I get you some place safe. Stay here. Don't move from this spot," Bonnie said authoritatively and reached for her car keys in her pocket.

Her hands shook as she pulled open the car door, climbed behind the wheel, and pulled the car out of the driveway. She made a three point turn and then backed her car up to the edge of the porch. She popped the trunk and exited the vehicle.

"Care, I need to you to get in as fast as possible. Hurry."

"I don't understand what's happening to me. Why will I burn?"

She couldn't help it, Bonnie stomped her foot on the ground. Why was Caroline not willing to be compliant in this moment? Naturally her stubbornness would increase now that she was a…

Bonnie felt her tears increase, as she rejoined her friend on the porch and gently took her by the arm. "You're in transition, Caroline," Bonnie explained as she began to walk her across the porch.

Caroline hesitated. "Transition? I don't understand. What am I transitioning into?"

"We can talk about that later. Now, on three I need you to jump into my trunk."

"Wait! Is this some sort of joke? Did Elena put you up to this?"

Without warning, Caroline snatched the blanket off and the second she did her skin began to smoke, scale, and rip apart. She screamed so loudly she frightened a colony of birds that were perched on the roof of her neighbor's hours. Bonnie cursed, grabbed the blanket and threw it back over Caroline who began to cry in earnest.

"I told you not to do that." Pause. "On three…" Bonnie reiterated. "Get in the trunk. One. Two."

Caroline flew across the porch and landed in the center of Bonnie's trunk. Once she was in, Bonnie closed the trunk, wiped the mucus from her nose, and got behind the wheel.

She peeled off the Forbes' lawn, reached for her cell phone and called dark-eyed Damon. He didn't answer his phone so she left him a voice mail message to get in touch with her as soon as possible. His house was closer to Caroline's so that's where she decided to take her.

Getting Caroline into the house didn't take nearly as much coaxing as it did to getting her into the trunk. The second they were locked inside, Bonnie closed all the curtains and blanketed them into an artificial night.

She switched on a lamp in the living room and invited Caroline to sit down. Cautiously she did as her eyes looked over the furnishings, took in her surroundings.

"Whose house is this?" the newborn asked.

Bonnie sat across from her friend on the coffee table. "It's Damon's house. The one with the dark eyes," she added. "I left him a message telling him we were going to hang out here for a while. I don't know when he'll be home."

Caroline made herself focus on Bonnie. "Why did you bring me here?"

Bonnie closed her eyes and stared up at the ceiling before bringing sorrowful eyes to her best friend. "Because…Caroline what's the last thing you remember?"

She was momentarily distracted by a tense pain ricocheting in her jaw. Caroline grabbed it in a futile attempt to get it to stop. Her throat felt drier than the Sahara but she smelled such a mouth watering aroma that as she subtly sniffed the air trying to pinpoint the location, her eyes enlarged when she realized it was coming from Bonnie.

What in the world did this all mean? Her eyes kept going in and out of focus and they were burning as well. Caroline could only liken this pain to someone who had just undergone Lasik eye surgery.

"Ah," Caroline finally said, "I was getting ready to meet up with everyone at The Grill when there was a knock on the door. It was…Elena. She stopped by and the next thing…" Caroline grabbed the side of her neck, the side where she had been bitten. Her jaw dropped and she stared at Bonnie looking for confirmation.

"She bit me and then…" her eyes started darting back and forth as she tried to push the rest of the memory out. "She bit me, fed me her blood and then that bitch snapped my neck."

Caroline shot off the couch so fast that Bonnie jumped back and then she watched as Caroline picked up the lamp and threw it at the wall.

"Caroline, calm down," Bonnie reached out and took her by the shoulders. When that didn't help, she grabbed her by the cheeks and forced Caroline to look at her, only her. "It wasn't Elena. It was Katherine. Katherine did this to you. Okay?"

In that moment Caroline looked so vulnerable and alone that Bonnie literally heard her heart shattering and sprinkling to the ground.

Bonnie took a deep breath. "I need you to listen to me very carefully," she wiped away the tears that were streaming down Caroline's horrified face. "You're in transition…to become a vampire. If you don't drink blood within twenty-four hours…you'll die."

Caroline ripped herself away from Bonnie and put the entire room between them. She shook her head back and forth.

"This is crazy talk. I-I-I can't be a vampire," she screeched. "I'm Miss Mystic Falls. Has there ever been a vampire Miss Mystic Falls? I don't think so. My mom…" Caroline covered her mouth and then quickly dropped her hand. "If she finds out, she'll put a stake through my heart."

Bonnie crossed the room and stood in front of her again. "That's not going to happen. But you have a _huge _decision to make, Care."

Caroline clamped her hands on Bonnie's arms and squeezed. Bonnie winced. It was a miracle her bones hadn't snapped. "Bonnie…I can't _do _this! I can't."

"I know, but the alternative…you'll die."

"There's got to be a way to make me human again. Go look in Emily's grimoire."

"I'm sorry, but there's no spell that can reverse this. I can't lose you, Caroline, but this…finishing the transition is entirely up to you."

"You hate vampires. You'll hate me."

Bonnie shook her head to refute the statement. "I could never hate you. You're my sister. No matter what," she said with conviction.

Caroline released the hold she had on Bonnie and then walked back over to the couch. She placed her head in her hands. There was still so much she had yet to accomplish. Her life just couldn't end at seventeen. She had plans to go away to college, get married, and start a family. If she went through with this she would essentially be letting go, relinquishing her American dream. This wasn't fair. Why did this have to happen to her? And now?

However…she didn't want to die. There _was _still so much for her to do. As a vampire it would give her nothing but time to go to college. She could rack up a million degrees. But…she'd have to sit back and watch everyone she loved grow old and die—invariably leaving her alone.

Bonnie watched Caroline. She could only imagine her friend weighing the pros and cons of going through with the transition or simply dying.

Hours later Caroline jerked her head up. "Why would Katherine do this to _me_? I never did anything to her. I never tried to kill her. Is…is it because I slept with Damon?"

_Damon _Caroline seethed as she began to remember all of the horrible things he did to her, of the disgusting way he treated her. Once she found him, she'd take great pleasure in giving him a second circumcision.

Bonnie had one idea of a possible motive behind Katherine's seemingly impulsive decision. She turned Caroline for a reason—there was no doubt about that. However, more than likely Katherine had been the one to send the text message impersonating Caroline to lure her over. Bonnie could give the trick points for being clever. Katherine was forcing Bonnie to help her friend become something she innately hated.

But no matter what, Bonnie would help Caroline.

Going into the kitchen, Bonnie opened up the silverware drawer and eyed the choices before pulling out a knife. She gulped nervously prior to retracing her steps and joining Caroline again. She sat back down on the coffee table.

Caroline tensed when she saw the knife and flashed her distressed blue orbs up at Bonnie. "No," she croaked. "I can't…"

Wordlessly Bonnie slipped out of her knit cardigan. "You'll be fine. Where's that self-centered girl who wouldn't give up without a fight? Katherine took your life…your human life…she doesn't have to take your…new life either. But if that's what you want, I will respect your decision." She grabbed Caroline's hand and hated the cold feel to it. But she had gotten used to touching vampires so it didn't bother her as much as it did in the beginning. What she hated was the fact her friend was turned against her will and in such a malicious way.

Both girls cried together and Caroline bit her lip. She didn't want to die. She wasn't sure she wanted to live forever either. But not dying had its perks as well. If she went through with this, she could dedicate a big chunk of her life to getting revenge, but then…Caroline wasn't one for holding grudges. She just wanted to know why this had to happen to her.

As if she read her thoughts, Bonnie went on to add. "We'll find out why Katherine did this to you. And then together…we'll take the bitch down."

For first time in hours Caroline cracked a tiny smile. However, she kept her gaze locked on the knife in her friend's hand.

"How is this supposed to work?" Caroline wondered.

Bonnie cleared her throat thankful Stefan had told her how a person transitions into a vampire. "Well, you have to have blood in order to complete the transition. Without it, you die."

"And the blood of anybody will do?"

"Yes."

"And you're willing to be my blood…donor?" Caroline awkwardly worded the question.

"I'm willing to help you in anyway I can." Bonnie raised the knife a little. "Have you decided to do this?"

Caroline's mouth opened yet no sound came out. "Can I have…just a few minutes? No, I'm ready. I made my decision. I can't die. If I do…who's going to run Mystic Falls High?"

Bonnie smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Are _you _sure you want to do this?" Caroline asked.

No, she didn't but what other choice did she have? She couldn't let Caroline die. Bonnie nodded her head. "You?"

A minute or two passed before Caroline vigorously nodded her head. "I'm sure. But…what if I take too much? I mean, how much do I need to drink in order to make sure the transition is complete?"

Good question. Bonnie had no idea, but she didn't think Caroline would have to drink much. "Um…not a lot," she hunched her shoulders. "Probably no more than a few sips."

"What if I turn all Edward Cullen on you?"

Bonnie snorted. "I have ways to get you to stop." Pause. "You ready?"

The blond took in a deep breath, released it, and then nodded her head.

Bonnie wanted to ask her one more time if she were certain she was making the absolute right decision but decided against it. Taking the knife in her hand, she sliced into the back of her left forearm.

One minute Caroline was aware of her surroundings and the next it was like she had developed a severe case of tunnel vision the minute she saw Bonnie's blood. She felt ensnared like a fish being lured to an Angler. She wasn't even aware of the fact she had leaned forward, took Bonnie's arm and brought it up to her lips.

Her eyes closed the second Bonnie's warm blood hit the back of her throat. She never wanted to stop. It was just too f*cking good. How had she been missing out on this her whole life?

Bonnie tensed as Caroline drank from her tentatively at first and then aggressively. Red veins began to wiggle under her friend's eyes and Bonnie wanted to shiver.

"I think you've had…enough," Bonnie panted.

Caroline detached herself from Bonnie and screamed because her gums were on fire. Bonnie watched in frozen horror as fangs began to descend and when she met Caroline's blood shot eyes, she found herself unable to move, blink, or think.

Faster than lightning, Caroline flew at Bonnie, tackled her, and sank her teeth in her neck.

Bonnie screamed in tandem and tried to throw Caroline off of her. Her neck was being turned into ribbons as her blood was being taken by force. But this was still her friend; however, she needed to be stopped.

Seconds later Caroline felt her blood frenzy come to an abrupt halt as a crushing pressure wrapped around her brain. She ejected her teeth from Bonnie's neck, grabbed her head, and keeled to the floor.

Bonnie, breathing heavily, reached for her neck, and slowly sat up. Her vision swam, her ears were ringing, and her best friend was writhing on the floor.

She called off the attack. The minute it was over, Caroline put the entire room between them again. Her chin was covered with blood.

Caroline's voice was strangled. "Bonnie…I'm sorry."

"So am I," she replied. "I'll be back. Don't leave."

* * *

><p>She really had no business driving because she felt lethargic and weak, but Caroline would need provisions and there was only one place Bonnie could think to get them. She drove over to the Salvatore boardinghouse through sheer will alone. She nearly fell out of her car after parking it on the brick laid driveway, but she rose on wobbly legs and entered the manor.<p>

Voices coming from the living room caught her attention, and bleeding and discombobulated Bonnie made her way inside.

All conversations came to an abrupt halt the minute she was in full view of the public. Elena rose from the couch slowly. "Bonnie…what happened?"

The girl in question licked her lips. "Caroline…she's a vampire."

Stefan looked lost as he stared at her. Damon—the one with the light-eyes appeared to be doing a quantum physics calculation in his head. Elena's jaw dropped to her chest and then she looked to the two vampire experts for clarification.

"I don't understand," Stefan said as he too got to his feet. "She's a vampire. Who turned her?"

Damon narrowed his eyes at his brother wanting to throw a book at his head.

Bonnie snapped. "Who do you think? Your bitch ex-girlfriend is the one who turned her. She needs blood."

Elena approached Bonnie, her eyes going to the gaping wound on her neck. "Did she do that to you?"

Damon was standing beside Bonnie in an instant and pushed her hair to the side to see the wound for himself. He cursed. Bonnie twisted away and then walked down the hallway which led to the basement.

"She needs blood. I have to help her."

"Bonnie, slow down," Damon advised and grabbed her by the arm. "You've lost a lot of blood. Right now the only reason you're still on your feet is due to adrenaline and once that's gone you're going to be in a world of pain."

Bonnie attempted to wrench herself free because she was on a mission and they were holding her up. "I can't slow down. She's-she's scared and someone has to be there to help her through this."

"We'll help her just tell us where she is," Stefan stepped up to the plate.

"She's at Damon's," Bonnie told him.

Stefan nodded his head and then headed to the basement. "I'll get what I need and then I'll head over there."

Bonnie attempted to follow after Stefan, but Damon took her by the arm and began heading towards the staircase.

"I need to go with him," Bonnie protested. She blanked out for a second and when she came to…

Damon had slung his arm around her waist and helped her climb the stairs. Elena followed behind.

"You know what you need to do, Judgey, what you need to do is get that wound treated and then you need to sleep this off. She took a lot of your blood, Bonnie. Did you drive over here? You could have passed out like you just did or crashed into someone."

"Damon, I'm fine."

"Bonnie, you need to listen to him," Elena sided with Damon. "You could slowly be bleeding to death for all you know. Have you looked at yourself? The entire left side of your shirt is soaked with blood."

Oh, that's what that wet, sticky stuff was? Bonnie thought dreamily.

The three of them entered his bedroom where Damon helped Bonnie up on his large bed. Elena went into the bathroom and began searching the drawers for First-Aid supplies.

While she was busy with that, Damon collected Bonnie's long thick locks into a ponytail behind her neck to get a better look at Caroline's love bite. He winced. Newborns were always sloppy eaters. They were never sure of where along the neck you should bite to get the maximum effect of the carotid artery. And there was a science to slipping your fangs in and out of someone. Caroline pulled and ripped Bonnie's skin in several places as a result.

Elena returned with bandages, gauze padding, and hydrogen peroxide. Why a vampire had all of that in his bathroom was bemusing.

Damon took the gauze padding, soaked a square with peroxide and dabbed around the really bad areas. Bonnie winced but made no sound of complaint.

"Did Caroline tell you how she was turned into a vampire?" Elena asked.

"Katherine showed up at her house pretending to be you to get invited inside. From there I guess she fed Caroline her blood and snapped her neck. She sent me a text message impersonating Caroline saying to come over because it was important. I took her to Damon's because he's closer and then…I gave Care my blood to finish the transition."

"Oh, my God," Elena whispered. Katherine's evilness knew no bounds.

Damon shook his head. Bonnie's wound was serious and she was still bleeding. "Elena…give us a minute."

Her eyes widened at Damon's grave tone.

Stefan came into the room. He kept his distance because he still had his own issues with blood addiction that he battled. "How is she?"

Damon turned to face him and mouthed something. Stefan nodded his head in understanding and then looked at Elena. "Are you coming?"

"No, I'm going to stay with Bonnie."

Bonnie reached for Elena's hand. "No, go with him. She'll want you there."

Elena stared at her friend and then nodded her head. She attempted to give Bonnie a brave smile. "I love you. We're going to help Caroline through this."

"I know. And I love you, too."

Elena flicked her eyes over to Damon who was pressing a fresh gauze pad against Bonnie's neck.

"Please take good care of her," she said and then followed Stefan out of the room.

The minute they were alone, Damon very tentatively removed the pad from Bonnie's neck. A spurt of blood shot out.

Bonnie's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body went limp, but she regained consciousness.

"Bonnie," Damon said and then bit into his wrist. He held it up to her lips. "Drink."

She shook her head at the offering and attempted to push him away. "No."

He compressed his lips together. Leave it up to her to be stubborn. "Drink damnit or you will die right here in my bedroom. You want that to go on your death certificate?"

A laugh escaped Bonnie. "Dick," she said and then allowed Damon to press his bleeding wrist in her mouth.

His eyes volleyed between watching Bonnie drink from him to the wound as it began to stitch itself together. He didn't pull away until all the jagged pieces of tore skin were regenerated.

Her bottom lip was covered with his blood and he wiped it off with his thumb. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. I feel so tired, Damon. Why won't she leave us alone? Why is she so pressed to destroy us?"

Damon really had no answer for that. He couldn't claim to know Katherine as well as he thought he did. He foolishly thought she loved him but she only loved the fact he loved her and was willing to share her with his brother. Katherine was an attention seeking whore who loved her own ass. She also loved inflicting pain just because she could. Once he found her, or she popped up again he would take great pleasure in paying back the favor.

"I don't know but she will get a stake through the heart compliments of yours truly."

"Get in line," Bonnie snorted.

Damon ran his eyes over her. "Take your top off."

Bonnie scoffed. She was beginning to feel better, was still a bit drowsy, but that didn't mean she had lost her mind. "What?"

"You're covered in blood and you need to rest. Shirt. Off. Now. Or I do it myself."

Huffing Bonnie pulled the soaked and ruin material off. Damon took it and tossed it in the trash. He walked over to his dresser, pulled out a simple black T-shirt, and handed it to Bonnie. She slipped it on. Seconds later she was snuggled under the covers of the infamous Damon Salvatore sex bed. Damon studied her for a few seconds before getting off the bed.

"Please don't kill her. She won't be like Vicky."

Damon paused at hearing the sound of Bonnie's voice. He turned to look at her over his shoulder. Her eyes were closed.

"You think that low of me, Judgey?"

"I know you don't like vampires who can't be controlled. Please…for me…don't kill her."

He was quiet for a minute. "I won't."

* * *

><p>Hours later when Bonnie opened her eyes she was confronted with a pair of midnight orbs. She blinked to clear her vision and saw Damon sitting next to her. She hadn't seen him in a while yet at the same time she felt as if she had only seen him just moments ago. True she had been with the other Damon as he administered medical treatment, but it wasn't until now that Bonnie realized she was slightly let down it was dark and not light-eyes that was with her in this moment.<p>

"Princess…you have turned saving your life into a full-time job with benefits," he delivered with grin that could make her insides turn into jelly.

She smiled and sat up in bed. The room didn't swim around her as she did so. The minute she was comfortable, she reached over and they hugged.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Bonnie felt her eyes moisten with tears. "I'll be fine." She pulled away. "What I'm worried about is my friend Caroline. I'm sorry that I had to leave her at your house."

Yeah, he didn't really enjoy or appreciate walking into his home to find it had been infiltrated by the charlatan with his face, his insipid brother, the bothersome doppelganger, and a newborn vampire. Damon showed grace where grace was permitted and then immediately asked where Bonnie was. When he was given a synopsis of what happened, Damon barely resisted popping Caroline's head off like a cork, but he could tell she deeply regretted her actions. That had been her only saving grace.

"We'll talk about that later. My number one concern is you."

Bonnie played with his fingers. "Where have you been?"

Damon looked away. He had been doing some research of the city. Talking with the mayor and the elders of the town trying to gleam anything he could about potential supernatural hot spots. His dreams as of late had been about his little red bird cooking up trouble again by doing a spell that she had no business attempting. As each day passed it was getting harder and harder to ignore the call to return to Fell's Church.

However, that didn't mean he wanted to leave Mystic Falls either.

"There were things I had to look into more closely. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch like I had in the past, but I thought you wanted your space."

"What gave you that indication?"

"The last time we were together…you, for lack of a better phrase rejected my advances."

She blushed. She had been so close to losing her virginity the night of the basketball game that ended in a blazing glory.

"I didn't need space. We just needed to slow down. So much had happened that night."

The playful grin returned to Damon's face. "And wouldn't that have been the perfect way to cap off the evening?"

"I'm sure it would have." Pause. "Is Caroline still at your house?"

He grimaced. "Yes. Has she always been so…vocal?"

Bonnie laughed and nodded. "That's pretty much her M.O."

"How long is she going to be a guest in my house? so I can find sleeping quarters elsewhere. Unless…you're finally going to invite me into your abode. I already know the layout of your room so well. It's my second favorite place in this town."

"I'm sure it is. And nice try." Bonnie pushed the covers away and Damon rose from the bed. He took Bonnie by the hand and assisted her down from the great bed. Once her feet hit the ground, he pulled her into another tight embrace and kissed the crown of her head.

Leaving her would be next to impossible to do. "From my understanding Stefan is supposed to be teaching Caroline the ropes of being a vampire."

Damon's condescending tone was hard to miss. It was no secret he had such a low opinion of Stefan as she sure he shared with his actual brother.

Pulling her head off his chest she looked up at his amazing face. How was it that she found him more handsome than the Damon she knew when they looked exactly alike, but she figured this was how someone could prefer one identical twin over the other.

But as she found herself gazing into his eyes, they kept changing color. In her mind's eye the eyes staring down at her as if she were the center of the world were blue, almost silver eyes, not obsidian.

"You don't approve of her tutor?" Bonnie asked.

"She needs a _vampire_ to guide her."

Bonnie could do nothing but shake her head. "He is a vampire."

Damon scoffed. "I heard he used to be one of the more formidable ones, more frightening than his brother actually. I don't know what happened along the way…but Stefan…" Damon nearly growled his name, "will only amount to leading that girl to her grave."

Bonnie pulled out of Damon's arms and when she did that's when he became aware of the fact she was dressed in a man's shirt. His eyes narrowed spitefully. It was bad enough she had _his _blood circulating through her, and he had to find her sleeping in _his _bed, but now she was wearing _his_ clothes as well. When would this farce ever end?

"I would suggest you keep your opinions to yourself on people you don't know very well."

Damon's eyebrows flew into his hairline. Bonnie had never spoken to him with an attitude before.

He approached her. "I know enough. And I've lived this lifestyle far longer than the lot of them combined," his eyes darkened. "So that would give me _some _authority to speak on the situation. I know a doomed vampire when I see one."

Bonnie folded her arms over her chest and her chin rose. "Have you ever made a vampire?"

"I try avoiding doing that. I don't have the patience to be a father."

Yet that wasn't explicitly true. He did kind of make his world Elena into a vampire. But she had had both his and his little brother's blood in her at the time she was killed. So in a roundabout sort of way he did make a vampire child.

"Okay, then you can't sit here and say how something you really have no experience in is going to turn out. I nearly lost my life trying to help my friend…she will survive this."

So that was the crux of everything, Damon thought. He was no dummy. He was well aware of the contentious relationship between witches and vampires. He knew of the personal sacrifice Bonnie made to her own beliefs in order to help her friend.

If Caroline died, or was killed, or killed then all of Bonnie's actions would have been in vain. So in other words, she was taking the responsibility of Caroline's success or failure into the vampire lifestyle on her shoulders.

Damon took her gently by the arm. "Bonnie, look at me." She did. "Whatever happens from here on out will _not _be your fault. You can't take it upon yourself to blame yourself for the actions of others. Do you understand?"

"It was my blood that turned her," she whispered. "If she hurts someone it will be because of me."

Inwardly Damon sighed. He shook his head to refute her claim. "No. You did the noble thing by saving your friend's life. Just ask yourself this question: would you hate yourself more if you allowed her to die knowing you had the power to prevent it…or would you hate yourself if she lost control and hurt someone? In one case you'll have your best friend for life. In the other…you'd be shopping for a black dress as we speak."

Bonnie thought over his words. She stared back up at him. She was tired of talking. Right now she just wanted to see Caroline.

"Can we go? I want to get back to Caroline."

Damon nodded his head, took her by the hand, and led the way downstairs. He kissed her forehead.

Light-eyed Damon put the book down he was reading and stood to his feet. He kept his gaze locked on Bonnie whose smile was filled with gratitude towards him.

"You're looking better," he commented.

"I feel better. Thank you, Damon. Seriously, the planet is warped because we keep thanking each other."

A tick began in dark-eyes at the familiarity that flowed between Bonnie and the other Damon.

"Then I guess I better go get my mittens because I'm sure hell is throwing its first ever ice-skating party."

Bonnie giggled. "I'll bring the coffee."

"Bonnie," dark-eyes interrupted. "Can you go start the car?" he handed her the key. Bonnie took it but not without staring at him strangely. She figured he wanted to have a few minutes alone with Damon to threaten him. However, she hesitated before leaving, casting light-eyes another look of gratefulness before leaving.

The two vampires who shared the same name and face squared off. Light-eyes did that crazy thing with his eyes as he looked at his opponent.

"Twice you've given her blood," Damon began. "I can see a bond has formed between the both of you as a result of it."

Light-eyed Damon grinned maliciously. "Jealous?"

"Of the highest extent. I won't allow you to come in between us."

Damon shrugged. "Tough because it's already happening."

The other Damon zoomed over to the lesser version and stood toe-to-toe. "What are you trying to prove?"

"What are you trying to prove? You can't take Bonnie with you when your ass eventually gets sucked back up into the twilight zone."

Dark-eyes jaw clenched. That much was true. No matter how he tried to charm her, Bonnie would never run away to his world with him. What he should have been doing was waning himself off of her instead of finding excuses to be around her.

And instead of agreeing with Mystic Falls' Damon, he said, "We'll see about that."

"You do that. But I understand the reason for your lame attempt at intimidation. She has my blood, you've yet to taste hers, and you know I can manipulate the bond in my favor if I chose to do so. But I won't."

This caught dark-eyes off guard. "Why not?"

"She wouldn't want to be played. So we'll leave everything up to Bonnie."

"You were the one who stopped us that night of the attack," said dark-eyes referring the incident of the crow flying into his bedroom window that stopped him from claiming Bonnie as his woman.

Damon looked smug. That was by far some of his best handiwork this year. "You have no proof."

Sinister grin in place. "I don't need it. You might have had her blood, Damon, I would have had her body."

Blue-eyes didn't look affected only amused. "I didn't take you for the type to care about that sort of thing," he laughed. "Have you even seen a naked woman?"

Midnight-eyes didn't like the implication that he was just as virginal as the maiden they were discussing. So he grabbed Damon by the lapels of his shirt and brought him even closer. "I assure you there are things I could teach you, _boy _but make no mistake, what Bonnie and I do together is none of your damn business. You interrupt us like that again I will catch you, deep fry you, and serve you up for dinner."

"Just use olive oil when you do. It cuts down on the cholesterol."

Midnight-eyes snorted and released Damon. He walked out of the boardinghouse slamming the door in his wake.

Alone again, Damon picked up his book, and sat back down. "May the best Damon win."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Many people didn't agree with the way the "writers" had Bonnie handle Caroline becoming a vampire. And we've all had our own discussions about that, so I won't go into it. This is just my version if things had unfolded this way. I know for a fact Bonnie would have been there for her friend. And who doesn't appreciate a little Mexican showdown between the two Damon's. Writing their scenes can get tricky when I have to identify who's talking so I'm hoping there's no confusion with the final scene. Nevertheless, thanks for reading. To those who celebrate Resurrection Sunday have a safe and blessed one! Love you guys! **


	15. The Committed

**A/N: No lengthy intros necessary. On with the show.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Here it is. As requested." Stefan handed Bonnie a sterling silver lapis lazuli ring as soon as he entered Damon's house, the one with the unfathomable eyes.

Bonnie took the ring, admiring the gilt work and smiled in appreciation for its fast delivery. "Thank you, Stefan. Caroline has been…impatient."

The newly turned vampire paced back and forth, eager and waiting to get the show on the road. Caroline had never been the idle type. She wasn't one to sit around the house especially if she had nothing to do because trust and believe she _always _had something to do. The idea of lying around home, killing and wasting time watching television never appealed to her. Her friends thought she was quirky in that respect. In her mind, although it had only been twenty-four hours since she stepped out into the sun, she was already suffering from a debilitating case of cabin fever. Her new vampire senses were zapping all over the place and she wanted to go out and explore the world.

Naturally she had to listen to several lectures last night from Stefan, and even more from Bonnie this morning. They were placing their trust and faith that she'd be able to control her impulses and not fly off the handle at the first sight of humans or blood.

All of that control would come with time and training, Caroline knew that, and she could admit to being mildly worried about not being able to live up to her friends' expectations. Nevertheless, she would give it her best shot.

Elena had tagged along and much to Bonnie's non-surprise light-eyed Damon showed up as well. Bonnie greeted Elena with a hug who quickly asked her if she were feeling all right.

Bonnie briefly flicked her moss green eyes in Damon's direction. He had his gaze locked on her, his cyan eyes dancing. She found herself holding his challenging stare before answering her friend's question.

"I feel much better," Bonnie told Elena.

Damon approached Bonnie, looming over her. "Bonnie."

"Damon," she greeted coolly and wanted to know why he was being so forward, especially in a crowded room. In any case, she stepped away from him which earned her a playful grin.

Bonnie cleared her throat, walked over to the coffee table and picked up her grimoire which was already turned to the page she needed. Bonnie had already committed the words to memory yet looked them over again. She sat the grimoire down, headed over to the window, and pulled back the curtain.

Dark-eyed Damon entered the living room by way of the kitchen. Elena turned to regard him and offered a tentative smile to which he didn't return, only held up the glass tumbler in his hand. Damon shot his gaze over to his adversary who narrowed his eyes at him.

Elena witnessed the exchange and rolled her eyes. Those two were such alley cats it was more than ridiculous. But then she had to correct herself. She wasn't exactly bosom buddies with the vampire that shared her face.

Sunlight flooded the room and bathed a desk that was perched under the window in ultraviolet rays. Bonnie sat the ring down on top of it. The others stood around, peppered throughout the room.

Bonnie focused her attention on Caroline to give one final warning. "Remember, Care, the witch that spells this ring, can remove the spell. If you become a danger to others…I'll have to do what I have to do. But I trust you."

Caroline nodded her head in understanding.

Closing her eyes, Bonnie recanted the words. No one made a sound, or breathed for that matter fearful that the slightest interruption would break the magic that was coagulating in Bonnie, and she might mispronounce something that could lead to damaging effects to Caroline.

Seconds later, Bonnie reopened her eyes and picked up the ring. "Done."

Caroline, whose arms had been folded over her chest, fell like weights to her sides. "That's it?" she asked incredulously. "There wasn't any," she made a motion with her hands, "woo-woo stuff."

Bonnie cocked an eyebrow in the air. Dark-eyed Damon Salvatore snickered before taking a sip of his drink. Elena snorted. Stefan said nothing at all but licked his lips and suddenly grew interested in staring at his shoes, more than likely to keep from laughing. Ole blue-eyes cracked a smile.

"Would you have preferred this?" Bonnie asked and then suddenly books that were stacked on shelves began to move, furniture began to levitate, and the lights flickered on and off. Everyone looked around in awe and amusement.

Caroline made duck lips and propped a hand on her hip. "Ha-ha. Cute and funny."

Bonnie called off the playful use of her powers. "Nothing but nice parlor tricks," and unconsciously her eyes wandered over to blue-eyed Damon. They shared a secret smirk with one another.

A tick began to chisel away at midnight-eyed Damon's jaw.

Clearing her throat again, Bonnie held the ring out to Caroline who approached, took it from her friend and slid it on her left index finger.

"I can't believe I didn't get to pick out the ring I'm going to wear for forever," she complained.

Caroline felt the intense silence and looked at all the occupants in the room before shrugging her shoulders. "What? I have preferences…but…it's nice."

"I can always take it back," Bonnie threatened.

Caroline pulled her hand away. "No, I like it."

Bonnie said nothing merely took Caroline by the hand and walked to the front door. She placed Caroline where she wanted her to stand and then, threw open the front door without warning. Out of instinct, the newborn covered her eyes from the sun with her forearm and flashed out of the way, hiding in the shadows.

"A little warning next time, Bonnie!" Caroline screeched.

"Get out of the damn corner, Vampire Barbie and go soak up the sun," blue-eyes chastised.

It took only a nanosecond for Caroline to realize that she hadn't gone up in flames for the half a second she stood in the sun. Very slowly Caroline rose from her crouched position and headed towards the door. However she stopped next to Damon, the rude one, and slapped him clean across the cheek.

The sound was like thunder booming.

"The f8ck!" he yelled, grabbing the side of his stinging face. He had forgotten that newborns were strong, _very _strong.

Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie's jaws dropped yet all recovered soon enough. Dark-eyes wanted to cut Caroline a check for a million dollars.

"That's for using me and discarding me like I was trash when you brought your decrepit ass back here," she growled at him and then smiled brightly in the next minute.

Caroline continued on her way out of the house, and stepped into the path of sunlight. Her skin didn't burn, flake, or begin smoking. She beamed, reached for Bonnie, and gave her an almost bone-crushing hug.

"I'm not burning!"

"Ooh, Care let me go!"

"Oops, sorry," Caroline giggled. "Yes, freedom," she sang and stepped out on the porch, and proceeded to run around the yard. Stefan and Elena stepped out of the house next to keep Caroline in their sights.

Bonnie trailed after them. Once she stood on the lawn that's when she noticed she was in something of a Damon Salvatore sandwich with blue-eyes standing to her right, and obsidian eyes standing on her left. This of course left Bonnie feeling highly aware of both of them yet she ignored it. She merely observed Caroline dancing around like a little girl as Stefan tried to coax her to get into the backseat of his car so he could teach her the ropes of being a day-walking vampire.

Elena strolled over to the trio yet planted herself in front of Bonnie. Seeing them standing like that was more than bizarre. "Thank you, Bonnie for doing this for Caroline."

Bonnie waved a dismissive hand in the air. "No need to thank me. She's my sister and I know if the situation were reversed she would have done the same for me."

"Do you want to come with us?"

Obsidian eye Damon reached for Bonnie's hand, linking their fingers together. "I have a full day of activities planned for this one. She'll have to take a rain check."

Elena tucked her lips in and nodded her head in understanding. Inside she was squealing like a toddler. Fell's Church Damon from day one made it no secret that Bonnie had caught his eye, and he had been there for her since before the whole Katherine debacle started. She was happy that Bonnie had someone in her life who could watch after her, yet she couldn't help but also feel a little hesitant about the situation because one day he was going to leave. There was no way around it, and for Bonnie's sake she hoped that Bonnie guarded her heart because after everything she had been through this year, the last thing Elena wanted for Bonnie was to get her heart broken.

"Well all right," Elena mouthed. "Have a good time." She then brought her eyes over to the Damon who kissed her. She frowned at him slightly and addressed him with more of an edge to her voice. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

Damon tweaked her nose. "None o' yo damn business. Have fun trying to teach Vampire Barbie not to eat Fido."

Elena shook her head and walked away.

"Do you have to be so rude all the time?" Bonnie questioned.

Mystic Falls' bad boy stared down at her. He shrugged. "It's part of my charm. Wouldn't you say so?"

"No," Bonnie deadpanned. She brought her attention back to her friends and waved as Stefan pulled away from the curb.

"I'm sure you can see yourself home," Fell's Church Damon said to Damon as he tugged Bonnie back in the direction of the house.

Standing alone on the front lawn, Damon wasn't exactly sure what to do. After his little "discussion" with black-eyes last night he had spent another hour or two cross-examining everything he said. Half of the things that came out of Damon's mouth was bullcrap. If you knew him well enough, you knew that. Yet Damon always aspired to tell the truth even when he was lying. So he had to question if he meant what he said in reference to him purposely coming in between the photocopy and Bonnie.

It was only two weeks ago that he was skipping around town pontificating he loved Elena, and before that he backstabbed and connived his way into being the perfect killing machine all for Katherine. Damon had been so far gone, nose so wide open, that he would have gladly sacrificed kittens, puppies, and babies to get the tomb open to free Katherine. Now that he was hip to the 4-1-1, he was willing to dedicate the next hundred and forty-five years to figuring out a clever way to gut the tramp.

Now there was Bonnie to contend with.

Did he enjoy seeing her make goo-goo eyes at the other Damon? Hecks to the naw. Did he want to replace that charismatic a-hole as her protector? Well…when he thought about it Emily had entrusted _him _with protecting her line. He really had no idea how he drew the short straw on that one. Emily never really made it known which of the Salvatore brother's she preferred. Maybe she felt sorry for Damon and figured he wouldn't cause humans too much trouble if he had a noble occupation like preserving an entire bloodline to keep him busy. Whatever her reasons were, Damon upheld his end of the bargain because very few people had seen him or thought of him as someone with resolve and honor.

But he shared a connection with Bonnie, with her family. It didn't involve her personally, but even now…several decades later he was in her life.

He could take that and run with it or leave well enough alone. But Damon's favorite past time was getting under people's skin, working their last nerve, rattling them, throwing them off their game. He could _pretend _to have the hots for Bonnie just to see what lengths dark-eyes would do to keep them apart. _Sounds promising_, Damon thought.

However…

At the end of the day, and because she's saved his backside _so _many times he didn't want to potentially hurt Bonnie.

Yet even he could admit to liking their heated banter. Bonnie really was the only person in his social circle who had the brains to keep him on his toes. Everyone else was nothing but duds. They were fun to mess with, but he often got bored and moved on.

But not with Bonnie. There was something about Bonnie. He laughed inwardly. From the start she had treated him like the enemy that he was. She ignored his attempts at friendship—although she was hip to what he was trying to do—weasel Emily's crystal away from her. She hated him on principle because he abused her best friend, and hated him just for the hell of it, okay so he bit her.

Like he said so many moons ago if he wanted to kill her he could have, but he didn't.

So why didn't he?

When Bree made a sneaky attempt on his life to get revenge for framing Lexi and then staking her, Damon had plunged his fist right through Bree's chest and extracted the heart she claimed he broke and stomped all over.

Yet with Bonnie…he just tried to drain her dry, in front of Stefan, in front of Elena, knowing one or both of them would stop him.

And maybe that's why. Hell if he knew and that was water under the bridge.

Damon began walking on foot. He forewent driving his car. A vampire's first instinct in traveling was either by air or by land using your feet or your gifts. He liked flying but it took a lot of concentration. But when it came to running he had energy for days, and to him it was more exhilarating because there were obstacles in the way, like trees, buildings, and people that he'd have to avoid slamming into.

But he thought as he walked. What if he purposely started an argument with Bonnie? What if he pushed her buttons to the point that she used force against him? What if she threw him all over the living room of the boardinghouse, and then he somehow gained the upper hand? He would pin her arms to her sides, press her up against the nearest flat surface, and then what?

Kiss her? Bite her? Rough her up? Sex her down? A combination of two or three or all of the above?

Sounded good to him.

Not before long he stood in front of Alaric's apartment building. For the first time in over a century he was going to get dating advice from a human of all creatures.

* * *

><p>There were only three sounds that could be heard in the room. The rustle of the bed sheets, the sounds of open mouth kisses, and panting. Lots of panting like a herd of animals attempting to catch their breath after running for their lives.<p>

Sharp fingernails dragged along his bare chest, sunk into his skin, and drew blood. He jerked against the feeling of being flayed open, but clamped his hands as tightly as he could around her waist knowing she could take the pressure.

Long, curly chocolate hair brushed against him adding a unique sensation to the mix to offset the pain.

Mason wrenched Katherine's head back, exposing her neck. He leaned up from the mattress high enough to lick her just the way she preferred and smiled when she purred like a sated kitten. She pressed one hand on his chest and pressed him firmly back on the bed.

"How long?" she asked and flicked his lips with the tip of her icy tongue.

Instead of answering her, Mason ruthlessly took her mouth. After becoming what he currently was he no longer trusted himself with a certain type of woman. Everyone around him was so breakable, and at times he wasn't sure of his strength. When he met Katherine, it seemed out of the blue, she was everything he ever wanted in a lover. They weren't friends. Realistically he could never be friends with a woman like Katherine. He had acknowledged a long time what she was. Well, more to the matter she wasn't shy in exposing her true nature.

At the time it happened, he could admit to fearing for his life, but Katherine told him repeatedly that she had no intentions of hurting him—that she loved him, and that's why she shared with him her secret.

Mason couldn't really explain how honored he felt, although it was more of a displaced honor, so when she asked him for a favor, he couldn't deny her request.

Now, for the last forty-eight hours they've been locked in their own special brand of aggressive negotiations.

"Soon," he finally answered and pushed her hair back from her face. It was startling how much Katherine and Elena looked alike. Since seeing Elena at the carnival Mason could admit to feeling a little weird about being here with Katherine. Essentially there was a seventeen year old version of her walking around, this same version who went to school with his nephew. Saying he felt like a pervert was a huge understatement.

Katherine was not happy with his answer. At all. Since he sauntered back into Mystic Falls, Katherine was sure it would take Mason a day—two tops to get the moonstone. As such an entire week and some change passed and he had produced nothing except his impressive erection which she took full advantage of. But now the sex play was beginning to bore her and she needed her plan to move along. Katherine sensed it would only be a matter of time before her enemies of old caught up with her. She wasn't in the mood to be captured and tortured before being set out to roast after being on the lamb for over five hundred years.

For his lackluster response, she ran a sharp fang around his neck, slicing the skin, drawing blood. Mason jerked again and laughed nervously.

"Easy, Kat."

She growled. Nicknames were something she despised. Her name was Katherine!

The vampire wrapped her pale white hand around his olive toned neck and squeezed. Her fangs lengthened, her eyes bled to black.

"How many times have I told you _never _to address me by that wretched name?" She leaned down, softening her look since Mason appeared equally frightened and turned on by her aggression. This is why she loved werewolves. They were stronger than humans with an accelerated healing ability, which meant she could play with them more roughly, yet they were still human enough to break.

Suddenly Mason wrapped his own hand around her neck and flipped Katherine on her back. Surprise lit her face before melting into pleasure. She giggled a bit and wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt his hardness pressing demandingly against her thigh.

"And how many times do I have to tell you that I'm no punk ass to be played with? I'll get you the moonstone. Tyler is looking for it."

To that Katherine rolled her eyes. This could all be over if she went to Tyler herself and compelled the shrimp to give it to her. Katherine had a sixth sense about these things. Tyler was no idiot despite the fact he was an athlete. More than likely he knew _exactly_ where the moonstone was, yet naturally didn't trust his uncle who he hadn't seen since he was in diapers. Smart boy, stupid boy, but smart just the same.

"I need it, Mason," she purred for effect.

"I understand that, baby, but I still gotta earn Tyler's trust. If he suspects I'm up to no good, he could throw it in the bottom of the ocean. Is that what you want?"

Katherine brushed her fingers against Mason's cheek. Mind you they still their hands wrapped around each others necks.

"No, that's not what I want. And you know what'll happen to your precious little nephew if he does try to screw us over," she smiled sweetly and outright grinned when Mason narrowed his ocean blue eyes at her. "Don't try to act all sentimental and protective. Your brother was a dick, you've said so yourself. And you hadn't had any contact with your family in how many years?"

"Doesn't matter. Tyler and Carol…they're still my family."

"Hmm…and they're a liability. I don't want to have to hurt either one of them."

Mason stared at Katherine. He knew that if he messed this up, Katherine would get revenge. He didn't want this lifestyle for Tyler, and he would do everything in his power to make sure Tyler never activated the curse. He came close the night of the carnival getting into it with some random dude. He saw that manic and wild look on Tyler's face when he literally flew in for the rescue. Tyler was _enjoying _himself, he was enjoying beating the crap out of that dude, and he wasn't going to stop until he was dead.

Mason kissed Katherine until he left her slightly dizzy. "Give me a couple more days. I'll get you the moonstone." And before she could say another word, he slid right into her.

As far as she was concerned this conversation was over.

* * *

><p>Bonnie hated being blindfolded. Not to say this happened to her often, but being cut off from one of her vital senses made her tense and vulnerable. Damon had a strong, sturdy hold on her hand as he led her through some wooded area. Several times she stumbled around in her heels kicking herself for not sticking with wearing her ballerina loafers, but she wanted to look nice for their outing which he had given her no clue on what they would be doing or how she should dress appropriately.<p>

Since she couldn't see, Bonnie relied on her other senses to give her clues. She could smell grass, flowers, she could hear nature's animals and insects, and when she really listened, she could hear rushing water.

"We're here," Damon breathed into her ear and then not a second later the blindfold was snatched off.

Bonnie blinked against the sunlight that stabbed her eyes. She stared straight ahead and had to blink her eyes again before bringing her shocked orbs up to Damon.

He waited patiently for her reaction.

"You're taking me on a gondola ride?"

That charming smile made her cheeks flame as Damon cleared the space that separated them from the edge of the river. Bonnie had noticed that they drove several miles outside of Mystic Falls after they departed from his house.

"Where did you even find someone in Virginia that has a gondola?"

"It took a lot of searching but I was able to locate a Venetian who builds custom made gondolas. He has a large client base in Italy."

Bonnie laughed and covered up her mouth. "I can't believe this."

"Believe it because it's real," he kissed her hand.

Damon began conversing with the gondolier as he assisted Bonnie inside the padded boat. She got as comfortable as she could, keeping her eyes on Damon as he sat down beside her, leaning against the massive pillows. He stretched out his arm in invitation for Bonnie to snuggle up to him. She didn't hesitate.

"Drive on!" Damon commanded and with one decent push off the edge of the river, they were on their way.

In all her seventeen years of life, this was by far the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. Not saying she had an extensive history dealing with men to compare this to. But with this Damon, Bonnie had experienced more life, done more creative things than she had done in years prior. Yet why did he have to make the situation much harder than it presently was by continually being so kind and good to her? He was going to leave one day. Maybe it was a fact he chose to ignore, but she couldn't.

"You're thinking too much," his voice interrupted her reverie. Damon leisurely dragged his fingers up and down her exposed arm.

"I can't help it."

Damon slid down, taking Bonnie with him until they were lying flat. He bored into her eyes making it impossible for her to look away.

"Talk to me," he insisted.

Bonnie hesitated. "Why are you being so good to me? What are you after?"

Damon sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought we've been over this before? I'm sure we've discussed this in length a thousand times." He reached for her hand, locking their fingers together. "I've never met anyone like you in all my five-hundred plus years. Yes, I've encountered variations of you, but no one in my past compares to Bonnie Bennett. I like you, probably more than I should. No I know I like you more than what's healthy, but I can't seem to help myself. That's always been my Achilles Heel. Wanting more than I could possibly ever have."

"And why do you feel like you can't have what you want?"

Good question, Damon had to admit. "This is my fairytale because things, moments like this…they don't happen very often or at all for people like me."

"When you say things like that, Damon, it makes me sad. I don't know much about you. It would literally take a lifetime to learn everything you've experienced and gone through, but from what I know about you…you deserve to be happy."

He smiled a little perfunctorily. "Vampires and happiness are not synonymous."

"Is that by choice or circumstance?"

"Try a little of both. If we fall in love with a human we're faced with having to either watch that human age and die or turn them. Not everyone is suited for this lifestyle."

"And you were?"

"I was born to be a vampire."

Bonnie really had no comment after hearing that proclamation.

"Just as you were born to be a witch," he said. "From day one you've always questioned my sincerity. Mostly that had to deal with your familiarity with the other Damon. And now…I've seen a change happen between you and him."

Bonnie looked away. She could admit to not hating Damon as much as she did a few months ago. Yet she had an explanation for that. Not one she was sure Fell's Church Damon was eager to hear.

Damon gently grabbed her by the bottom of her chin and brought her face back to him. "That's minor because I like to think I know how you feel about me."

"How do I feel about you, Damon?"

His cocky, sinister grin was back in place. "I know for a fact that you enjoy my company, and that you lust after me."

Bonnie chuckled a bit and swatted his chest playfully.

Damon shifted his position so he could loom over Bonnie and peer into her eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair.

"I know you trust me with your life and to do whatever is necessary to protect you. You've entrusted me with your safety. You've been vulnerable around me, strong, and obstinate. In short, this tells me that you value having me around because you see yourself with me. In every way a man and woman should be together. As my equal. Am I right or wrong?"

Bonnie shrugged. "You might be a tinsy bit right," she sighed. "But you know there are so many obstacles in the way."

"Yes," Damon would acknowledge the truth of that fact. "There are obstacles but show me a relationship on this planet that doesn't come with its own set of obstacles or obstructions. Nothing is perfect."

He had a point. "Things like this don't happen to me either. Stuff like this: the gondola ride…you're attention…they only happen to girls like…"

"Elena and Caroline," Damon summarized. "Let me tell you something about what I see when I'm with you. I see endless, limitless possibilities. I see a goddess amongst puny humans. I see a pure heart, spirit, and soul. I see a vixen that needs to be coached and tamed," he smiled, curled her hair around his fingers. "I see a woman on the verge of greatness." Pause. "Permit me to do something."

She nodded her head and watched as he withdrew a small pocket knife. Damon took a strand of her hair towards the ends, stared at her, and cut off about an inch and half of her hair. She continued to watch as Damon took the sheared piece and kissed it.

Bonnie knew that this meant. This was an old world way of courting, and it was an old world way of Damon expressing how much she really meant to him. A token of her hair…other than sex did it get any more personal than that?

The two of them stared at one another. Bonnie felt the world around her moving and shifting. She really had no idea what to say to him. Thanks? Didn't seem appropriate or adequate enough.

"Does my frankness bother you? I'm not looking for you to say anything in return but it's important you know how I feel."

Bonnie shook her head. So very rarely did she hear praise and what girl wouldn't love to be doted on in this fashion. Bonnie had two options, to take all of this with a grain of salt, or run with it. There were things Bonnie knew unequivocally. She liked spending time with Damon, and that he had a way of making her see facets of herself that had yet to come to fruition. He saw and pushed out the potential that was in her, turned that potential into kinetic energy.

However, there was a way she could show him that he meant a great deal to her. Bonnie offered her wrist—after much inner deliberation.

Astonishment shone through his dark, dark smoldering eyes.

"It's okay," she read the question in his eyes asking if she were sure. "It's you and me."

He wanted her blood, he really did, but…he wanted something more. Damon closed his hand over her wrist and shook his head.

"No, not yet."

Now it was Bonnie's turn to be surprised. A vampire turning down blood? Never heard of such a thing.

Instead of taking her blood, Damon closed the gap that separated them. He pressed his lips against Bonnie's. There was nothing written in stone that said he had to return to Fell's Church. When he was with Bonnie, in any capacity, it was hard to remember his old life. It was hard to remember his little red bird, or the girl with the golden hair. It was hard to remember that he literally burned with love for Katherine, and then again with Elena. It was hard to remember that his red bird brought forth his softer more humane side. It was hard to think beyond making Bonnie his in every way imaginable. It was hard to see himself walking away from her and never being able to get back to her.

Bonnie felt the urgency in his kiss. When he pulled away so that she could take a breath, his eyes were unguarded.

Should I tell her now or later? Damon wondered.

"Mr. Salvatore…we're here, sir."

The voice of the gondolier ruptured the spell, knocking them back to earth. Bonnie leaned up and looked around her surroundings. They were still in the woods but in the distance she saw that a picnic had been set up.

"I hope you're hungry," Damon cleared his throat and helped Bonnie out of the gondola.

"I could eat."

An awkwardness fell over them and Bonnie did her best to ignore it. Instinctively she knew Damon was thinking about his past, his life, the one he had before he was dumped in her world. As much as he might profess to never wanting to go back because the thought of leaving her was too painful, she knew he longed to see those he cared about again.

This was an uphill battle the both of them were fighting, and neither one was sure in which direction they should go.

Together they sat atop a throw blanket that was spread over the ground, and enjoyed the American feast that had been prepared.

After their meal was consumed, and conversation flowed, Damon pulled Bonnie up to her feet. Her arms circled his neck, his went around her waist and slowly they began to rise from the ground.

Startled Bonnie gasped and looked down. She noticed they were several hundred feet off the ground, and from her vantage point she could see the entire forest. She brought her sparkling green eyes back to Damon and the intensity that lined his face. Everything about him was magical and left her breathless.

Mutually their lips drew together and locked. "It can be like this…forever…" Damon said as they levitated in the sky.

* * *

><p>Alaric sat across from Damon with a single dark eyebrow cocked in the air. "You came all the way over here to ask me for dating advice?" he deadpanned.<p>

Damon slurped his drink and nodded his head. "I know. Weird, right? But you bagged Jenna. That proves you have some skills."

"Yeah, and I'm sure you would have tried if I hadn't."

Damon shrugged. It was a definite possibility many moons ago. "Look, I'm a pro when it comes to getting ladies drunk and loose, but the other stuff…" he shuddered in repulsion almost. "Not really my forte."

Alaric held up a finger. "Why do you even want dating tips to begin with?"

"Why does Leonard DiCaprio want to stop global warming?" Damon replied flippantly. "Because seriously what the hell else am I supposed to do with my immortality? Look at Stefan?" he snorted. "Just…put yourself in my shoes. Imagine you're undeniably good looking with a body built for a god…how would you best utilize that to win over someone…that's really not your type or more to the matter you're not _her _type?"

This entire conversation was not making a lick of sense to Alaric and kind of felt inappropriate for some strange reason. Maybe because it was Damon and Alaric hadn't gotten to the point Damon obvious had in confiding in one another like real friends. They had a grudging partnership that operated within certain bounds, and the high school teacher was all for keeping things the way they were.

However, he was curious about who had caught Damon's attention. Something was telling him he wasn't asking these questions in order to steal Elena away from his brother. So who in town was Damon trying to turn into a project?

One possible suspect did come to mind.

Alaric made a steeple of his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. Currently they were sitting in his living room.

"Well, do you know what she likes? Music, food, things?" he said with a hint of uncertainty. "You can never go wrong with dinner."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I at least know the basics. Let me rephrase…how do you show someone you like them without saying you like them and without looking like a chump?"

He couldn't help it. Alaric chuckled because Damon asked the question in full-blown serious mode.

"Okay, chuckles, get your laugh on at my expense." Damon rose from the overstuffed chair prepared to leave. He'd had enough. "Just remember you're going to need me one day."

"Damon, hold up," Ric waved the temperamental vampire back over to him. "Even you have to admit the randomness of this conversation. You've been on this planet longer than me, and essentially you have no idea how to court a lady? Sorry, but even you have to see the humor in all of this."

Damon pursed his lips together and breathed roughly through his nostrils. "I'm just looking for different perspectives because my method of doing things…might not go over so well."

"Okay, then so you should take into consideration what you know about this…er…lucky young lady who's been so fortune as to catch your attention, and work with that. Here's some important advice, people do not like to be manipulated. For _any _reason. But if you want her to know you like her without having to say the words, just spend as much time with her as possible. But don't smother her—some chicks are repelled by the clingy types. And then eventually, she may begin to seek you out. You pour enough honey to wet her palate but you don't drown her in it."

Damon thought over Alaric's advice. "Anything else?"

Alaric rose from his seat taking his empty coffee mug to the kitchen. "Yeah. You can never go wrong with kissing. There'd be no mistaking that message."

Damon smiled. "See, Ric, I knew there was a reason why I liked you." Adding a little pep to his step, Damon was fully prepared to put his new plan into action.

Alaric watched the vamp as he headed for the door. "I'll be sure to send you the bill for this little therapy session."

Damon flipped him the bird. "Ass."

Alaric shook his head once Damon flashed out of his apartment.

* * *

><p>Despite his protests that she come home with him, Bonnie sat staring aimlessly in her vanity mirror as she brushed her hair. She replayed her afternoon with Damon and smiled. She sighed happily and then snapped out of it when she heard tapping on her window.<p>

Sitting the brush down, Bonnie strolled over to the window and pushed the curtains back not the least bit surprised to find light-eyes wiggling his fingers at her. She opened the window and stared across at Damon as he lounged in her tree.

"Did a dog chase you up the tree?" Bonnie asked.

Damon smirked. "Do you have any idea how long I've been sitting here waiting for you to get home? You keep such late hours, Bonnie," he tsked. "What would daddy have to say about you running the streets with a hooligan?"

"He'd probably stop and get his shot gun and shoot you in the ass for being a Peeping Tom. What do you want, Damon?"

"I wanted to stop by and say hello to my favorite witch. We didn't really get a chance to speak this morning. Too many things have been monopolizing your time."

Bonnie sat down on her bay window seat. "And why do you care if other things come between our 'bonding time'?" she used air quotation marks. "Remember…we don't really like each other."

"Now that's not true. You can't stop being almost murdered and I can't seem to stop saving your life by giving you my blood. We have a connection and we've been neglecting it."

Bonnie shook her head. "Yes, we are each others attempted murderers and saviors all rolled into one. This still doesn't explain why you're sitting in my tree!"

Damon held up his hands in defense. "Whoa…what's with the 'tude? I merely stopped by as the concerned friend that I am. But if you're choosing to simply bite my head off for no good reason," he swung his legs over the tree branch, "I'll just carry my sexy ass home."

And with that he jumped down to the earth preparing to run off yet he hesitated when he heard Bonnie sigh.

"Damon…come back."

He was perched in his original spot in no time flat.

"I was being rude for no reason. My apologies."

"Apology accepted. But seriously I do need to talk to you." He held out his hand.

Bonnie's eyes widened at the implication. She gulped nervously and extended her hand. Damon very carefully assisted her out of the window and then in the next second they were plummeting to the earth.

She didn't open her eyes until her stomach caught up with the rest of her body. Once it did, Bonnie put some space between their bodies.

Even in the moonlight Damon's eyes still somehow sparkled and sizzled. Bonnie found herself staring until she blinked and snapped out of it. She had spent an amazing afternoon and night with the Damon she preferred yet no matter what occurred between them, whenever she was near Mystic Falls' Damon everything else evaporated like smoke.

_She has amazing skin, _Damon thought and cleared his throat. He opened up the dialogue.

"Since my plan of exposing the Lockwood family secret was foiled by my goodie two-shoes brother…I need another angle. You get visions when you touch things, right?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Well…you're going to do a whole lot of touching. Yet…what kind of touch maximizes the visions or strengthens it?"

A cool wind blew past jarring Bonnie for a second. "Ah…it's never more than a simple touch."

Damon stepped forward effectively backing Bonnie up towards the house. Her back crashed against the siding. Her breathing changed when Damon boxed her in and then proceeded to brush his fingertips over her cheek.

"Did you see anything just now?"

She shook her head wondering why her tongue felt too thick like she was having an allergic reaction.

Damon pressed against Bonnie until their thighs touched. "What about now?"

Again, Bonnie mutely shook her head.

Damon lowered his head, his lips hovering over Bonnie's. She kept her eyes wide open even as his shut and he closed the distance almost capturing her lips.

Unfortunately things were cut off prematurely because something plucked Damon off of her and a pale white fist was subsequently smashed into his jaw sending the vampire flying across the yard.

_Is it beat up on Damon day today? _The sprawled out vampire wondered as he looked at the viper that was advancing on him.

Dark-eyed Damon cursed in Italian. "Why can't you keep your gotdamn distance from her? I _told _you not to interfere!"

Bonnie sprang into action. She ran up behind Damon, probably not a wise decision but she had to stop him from pulverizing blue-eyes.

"Damon! Stop!"

The one she was addressing stretched out an arm blindly, barring the way.

Blue-eyes rose to his feet and brushed off his jeans. "Calm down, skippy we were merely experimenting."

"I don't care what you were doing. You will not trifle with her from this moment forward!"

"Damon, come on, just stop," Bonnie attempted to plead with him.

"No, Bonnie!" he flicked his eyes at her briefly. "This has to end."

Blue-eyes stared at him challengingly. "And why does it?"

"Because I love her!"

Silence all around.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Oh boy things have really gotten deep. Now the question remains if blue-eyes really does have a thing for Bonnie or is he only doing this to aggravate dark-eyes. And Bonnie…how does she feel about both Damon's? Does she want to feel anything for either one of them? Those questions will be addressed in future chapters. Thanks so much for sticking with this story and continuing to love it! More surprises to come. Stay tuned. Stay blessed. Love you guys.**


	16. Fiend for Love

**A/N: Here is the latest. I can't say I'm completely happy with this chapter. But thank you for the overwhelming responses the last chapter generated! Hope you guys like this.**

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. I own nothing but the plot.

"_Damon, come on, just stop," Bonnie attempted to plead with him._

"_No, Bonnie!" he flicked his eyes at her briefly. "This has to end."_

_Blue-eyes stared at him challengingly. "And why does it?"_

"_Because I love her!" _

_Silence all around._

Palpitations. Stucco breathing. Rapid pupil dilation. Blue-eyed Damon almost felt human in this moment. He gulped thickly as his eyes zipped back and forth between the other Damon and Bonnie. He couldn't really decipher what she might be thinking because she stood across from him slack-jawed with a hand over her heart in shock.

She took a single step forward, the ringing in her ears was so loud she pierced her eyes closed and shook her head.

"Oh, shit," she whispered.

"Oh, shit," blue-eyes repeated.

"You love me?"

"You love her?"

"I don't believe this," Bonnie shook her head again.

"I don't believe this," Damon placed his hands on his hips.

Dark-eyes really had no idea who to address first. "What's with the echo?" he questioned and then approached Bonnie and cupped her cheeks in his large hands forcing her eyes to look at him.

"You're not lying?" she carefully enunciated the words.

"I'd never lie to you about that. I'm serious, Bonnie. Somehow, someway in my time here, you've completely captivated me. I love you and I'm not ashamed to admit it out loud."

The other Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. _This _was not how his night was supposed to end and _this _shouldn't be happening. Damon, the one who was visiting, shouldn't be falling in love with people he didn't know or understand for that matter. All he was going to do was hurt Bonnie in the end because he was leaving, but apparently that wasn't an impediment more than likely it was a catalyst for the spectacle taking place in front of him. And to top it all off, he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about watching the guy with his face proclaim his love for Bonnie.

It bothered him but why did it bother him? If anything he should have given the man a handshake for taking her off his hands. But Bonnie wasn't that self-righteous—well she was still kind of self-righteous but she had learned to tolerate his presence anymore. And dare he say it she was kind of his friend, and he protected his friends. They had been there for each other even when he wanted to be left the hell alone after the whole double whammy rejection.

Damon purposely didn't get close to people for a myriad of reasons. Every time he did it only mounted to backfiring. Killing those who opposed him and delivering his promise of eternal misery for his younger brother was all he needed to survive these last hundred and sixty plus years. But things were changing. He was beginning to want more. He was beginning to like people depending on him when shit hit the fan. Little by little he was becoming an anti-hero, and didn't anti-heroes typically get the girl?

He wanted to blurt out that Fell's Church Damon was trying to play her, but there was no way in the world the man was that great an actor, and besides Bonnie didn't look totally convinced with his little declaration either. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the both of them.

Bonnie didn't know what to say. She was completely blindsided, had never expected to hear those three life-altering words from anyone named Damon Salvatore. Yet as she looked into his obsidian eyes and saw the truth in those endless orbs, she still felt conflicted. Did she love him in return? Did she want to?

Nervously she licked her lips. "I need to sit down," came out of her mouth and she frowned because that wasn't what she meant to say.

Dark-eyed Damon was only a little disappointed she didn't make the declaration back. He understood her reasons for being cautionary; however, it would have been nice if she threw her arms around him and kissed him recklessly. Something. Anything would have been preferable to her shocked silence, but he grinned that devil-may-care grin that he perfected before the age of ten.

"I can do you one better," he said and wrapping his arms around her waist they began to rise to the sky.

Blue-eyes stared up at them mouth agape. Just freaking perfect.

The trees in Mystic Falls weren't tall like the ones in Redwood National Park in California, but they would do. Bonnie held on to Damon for dear life as he settled them on a branch. He was agile whereas she was clumsy and terrified of heights.

The quarter full moon gave off enough illumination to where she could make out his features perfectly.

"When did this happen?" she questioned.

"I can't pinpoint it to a specific date or time," he replied flippantly. "But from the moment we met I knew you were different, special, and I've always been attracted to strong women," he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're everything I've searched for in a mate, but there's something else you should know that I've considered."

Bonnie felt her heart racing in her chest.

"If you ask me…I'll stay. I won't ever return to Fell's Church. I'll make my home here. With. You."

The other shoe dropped and it was a miracle she was still in the tree. Her eyes blinked rapidly as if she were being inundated with downloaded information like Trinity in _The Matrix. _

"I-I-I can't…"

He silenced her rumblings with a kiss, gliding his lips over hers, plunging his tongue into her mouth stealing her protestations away.

"Not fair," Bonnie said breathlessly as she pulled away.

He chuckled lowly and pulled her to his lap. "Nothing is fair in love and war."

"So I've heard," Bonnie growled and then sighed. "I can't ask you to give up your home. You'd never see your brother again and what about the Elena and Bonnie you _do _know? Can you really…just leave them behind?"

His face changed then, not with sorrow, but with anger. "They left my body behind on a cursed moon. I owe them nothing."

Just like that, Bonnie wondered. He was willing to cut all ties with them because of something that happened in another dimension. Damon hadn't gone into details with the story but Bonnie had gotten the gist of it. Sure she'd feel some kind of way if she risked her life to free her brother and then she died and her body was left behind. But who would have been in any shape to carry Damon? He might not have been all that tall but vampires were heavy.

"Damon," she reproached. "They loved you. That's something even you can't deny. They deserve to know you're alive."

He sighed. "And I deserve to be with the woman I love. In life not everyone gets what they want."

She smirked. "But you do?"

Damon nodded, "I do, or at least now I do. Just say the word, gorgeous and I'm yours forever."

Bonnie pressed her head to his cheek. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

><p>Back braced against a tree, dark shades covering her sensitive eyes, arms folded over her chest, Caroline ran her eyes back and forth across the quad—hunting. Several times she had to physically shake herself to change the trajectory of her thoughts. Stefan told her that without her realizing it she'd slip into predator mode and begin to see where she could find a weak link and go after it. At first Caroline had brushed off his first-hand knowledge thinking it would be easy to tackle like coming up for a theme for a school-sponsored party, but this…seeing so many mouth-watering options walking by within her reach was agony.<p>

Her gums pounded and her throat was on fire.

Thankfully she saw Bonnie and Elena heading towards her. Caroline straightened to her full height and plastered a welcoming smile on her face.

Bonnie and Elena were blushing, not because she saw their cheeks were scarlet but because their blood volume was up and Caroline could practically taste them on her tongue. She shook her head again and discreetly pinched the muscle right underneath her armpit hoping that little bit of pain would act as a negative reinforcement whenever she thought to add her two best friends to the menu.

"You guys are blushing what's up?" she asked the moment they stood a foot away from her.

Elena bumped Bonnie with her shoulder. "Something happened last night with dark-eyed Damon Salvatore that she's not giving up any details about. I've been trying to crack her like an egg all morning, but she wanted to wait so you could be included in the conversation."

Caroline felt her feelings raging like a train as she pulled Bonnie in for a hug. Caroline had been worried that with her being a vampire it would repel Bonnie making her draw closer to Elena instead. Nothing was worst than being ostracized by your best friend, but Caroline was overjoyed that Bonnie's opinion about her hadn't changed.

Bonnie patted Caroline on the back despite feeling like she was wrestling with a boa constrictor.

"I don't think she can breathe," Elena commented.

Caroline immediately let Bonnie go who coughed a little. "Sorry."

"It's okay just remember you're a lot stronger than you used to be, Care," Bonnie said.

"So," Caroline's blue eyes were sparkling behind the shades. "What happened? Did you do it?"

Bonnie frowned and Elena could do nothing but shake her head. "No, we didn't do it."

Caroline immediately deflated and was bored. "Okay so if you didn't have sex what else could have happened that would make you glow like the Fourth of July?"

The bell for first period rang. All three girls groaned and began heading across campus to their respective building.

"We're in desperate need of a date night. Just the three of us," Bonnie said.

"I'm down. It has been a while since we've all hung out," Elena chimed in.

"Count me in," Caroline beamed and felt her juices pumping. Don't get her wrong, she loved making out with Matt, which that had been forbidden as of late considering she was still getting a hang on being a vampire, but there was nothing like spending time with her two girlfriends and acting like the teenagers they had forgotten they were supposed to be.

"Now back to what happened," Elena steered them back to their original conversation.

"I'll tell you guys at dinner," Bonnie said contritely but with an ear-to-ear grin on her face, and she tried to walk away but both Elena and Caroline detained her. They pressed her with their notorious you- better-tell-us-now-before-we-get-violent look. Bonnie rolled her eyes and then crooked a finger beckoning them to come closer. She whispered in their ear, "Damon told me he loves me."

"WHAT?" Caroline and Elena screeched at the same time and then looked at each other before saying, "WHAT?" again.

Caroline stepped closer to Bonnie, she slipped her shades off. "He said 'I love you'?"

Bonnie nodded.

"And what did you say?" Elena questioned excitedly.

"I didn't say it back."

However, Caroline wanted to know. "But do you love him?"

Bonnie shrugged. "There are times I feel like I do, and every time I'm with him it feels like its more fantasy than reality. He puts a spell on me," she snorted, "if you can believe the irony. And when we're alone its like the entire world fades away and it's just us. He's been nothing but open, honest, and real with me."

"But?" the girls said in unison.

"I'm afraid to love him back because he might leave one day." Bonnie didn't want to tell them the other half of her night with Damon just yet. That was a conversation reserved for dinner and drinks at The Grill.

Elena and Caroline exchanged knowing glances at one another. "Yep, you're right we do need a date night," Elena took Bonnie by the arm and steered her into their classroom. "The three us tonight at The Grill promptly at seven. We're getting ready at my house after school. Deal?"

"Deal," Bonnie and Caroline replied.

* * *

><p>Stefan slipped his arms into his favorite leather jacket and grabbed his keys. Already equipped with the knowledge that Elena was having a date night with her two friends, he certainly didn't want to remain in the house with Damon who had been noticeably quiet all day. Quiet and moody.<p>

It came as no surprise to find Damon standing in front of the wet bar pouring himself a drink.

"Have you left the house at all today?" Stefan questioned and picked up his cell phone from an end table.

Damon looked at Stefan over his shoulder briefly. "Why do you care?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't but it's not like you to stay indoors all day."

Damon held up his tumbler filled with whiskey. "I've been busy." Yeah busy thinking about last night, his almost kiss with Bonnie, and then of course that jackass Damon having to ruin everything by telling Bonnie he loved her. Damon wasn't sure why he was still irked by the whole situation. Bonnie was just a girl, like so many others out there. Sure she might be the only witch he was half-way friendly with in a thousand mile radius it did not mean he should have wasted his day pining over the situation.

Yeah, he was weak. He put his glass down and turned to face Stefan. "Where are you going?"

"To a poetry reading," Stefan replied flippantly and then chucked up the deuces sign. He flashed from the room.

Alone again, Damon had to admit Stefan was right. It wasn't like him to stay in the boardinghouse for an entire day and quite frankly he was tried of looking at the ancient walls. Grabbing his own leather threads, he headed to his third favorite place in town.

* * *

><p>The girls were dressed to the nines and took a seat at their favorite table. So far conversations had been about upcoming exams and celebrities—the things they used to talk about. But it didn't take long for Elena to get distracted when she saw Stefan enter the restaurant. He winked at her yet kept his distance wanting to give them some semblance of privacy.<p>

Caroline saw their little undercover interaction and rolled her eyes, but didn't feel too bad because she had sent Matt a vulgar text the minute they stepped foot inside The Grill.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at them. "You two are whipped," she joked and forked grilled chicken into her mouth.

The newly turned vampire wiped her hands clean on her dinner napkin and tossed it over her empty plate. Her appetite for human food hadn't diminished but increased. Weird.

"All right, Bons, we've covered the basics in pop culture, now it's time for you to cough up more details about last night. I want to know _everything,_" Caroline emphasized and folded her arms over the table.

Bonnie stalled by drinking a large sip of water. "I told you everything except…"

Caroline held up a hand. "No, I want to know what you were wearing, what he was wearing, where you were when it happened, facial expressions and hand movements should be included as well."

Elena chuckled, "You should become a prosecutor, Caroline, or an ATF agent."

"Thank you."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I was wearing that cute lilac cami set you got me from Victoria's Secret for my birthday last year."

Caroline clapped her hands like a seal in approval. "Go on."

"He was dressed in all black. We were standing outside of my house and before you ask, I had been in the middle of a conversation with blue-eyed Damon Salvatore."

It was comical to see Elena and Caroline's eyes bug out. "He was there?" Elena asked.

Bonnie felt the back of her neck get hot. She cleared her throat and nodded her head. "I'll spare you the details of what we were talking about because it wasn't important," that was a partial lie. "But dark-eyed Damon came over and he and Damon were about to get into another colossal argument and out of nowhere that's when Fell's Church Damon admitted that he loves me."

There were literal stars dancing in Caroline's eyes. "That's so romantic, but boo blue-eyes had to be there to witness it. Did he show his ass? I bet you he showed his ass."

"Actually he didn't. He was stunned into silence like I was." Pause. "Afterwards Damon and I…we flew up to the trees—,"

"He flies?" Caroline and Elena asked.

"Yes! Stop interrupting me. As I was saying, we flew up to a tree and he said that if I asked him he'll stay. He won't return to Fell's Church; he'll stay here forever."

Again their eye bugged out and they were simply flabbergasted.

What the three girls didn't know was that Damon was listening to their every word and nearly swallowed his shot of Jack down the wrong pipe. The hell? Fell's Church Damon was willing to throw away his life all for Bonnie? No…just no!

He had entered the restaurant a little after their entrees arrived. At first he ignored their conversation because they weren't discussing anything of importance, but the minute Caroline mentioned the bane of his existence, Damon turned up the volume in his hearing and spied.

"Is this seat taken?"

Damon blinked his eyes and then focused them on the woman who managed to sneak up on him. She was easy on the eyes, not really his type, a little too old for his liking, but doable all the same. He offered up a smile he hoped was charming but more than likely he probably came off as being sloshed.

"It is now," he said and slid the stool out with his foot.

The woman dumped her Hermes bag on the bar top and flagged down the bartender. After placing her order for a white zinfandel, she returned her attention to Damon who had his eyes plastered on a table full of teenaged girls.

"I'm Andie. Andie Starr," she said hoping to garner his attention again. She held out a hand. Damon reluctantly stared at her once more and her outstretched hand. He shook it.

"Damon."

"I know who you are," she replied a bit saucily. "Everyone knows you're one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors."

Was she flirting with him? Damon couldn't say for sure because he kept splitting his attention between her and The Misfits.

Elena placed her elbows on the table. "So what are you going to do? This is really serious, Bonnie. He's basically placed his future in your hands."

A troubled look washed over Bonnie's face. That was the thing that scared her the most. She didn't want to have to make this decision because what if she made the wrong choice? And she said as much to her friends.

"I'm seventeen years old I shouldn't be in a situation where a guy is willing to give up his life, his old life for me. I don't know what to do."

"Maybe you won't ever have to make the decision," said Caroline. "Maybe…something might happen and…"

"He gets sucked up into a worm hole?" Bonnie snorted. "As if Damon, the one we know, hasn't been praying for that."

Caroline groaned. "He's here," she alerted her friends.

"And probably listening to our every word," Elena narrowed her eyes at him when he looked over to their table again.

Bonnie kept her back to him and rolled her eyes. "I don't care if he hears or not. Seriously guys if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

Elena responded first. "Go with your gut instinct. I know it sounds clichéd but from what I've seen he really does care about you _a lot._"

"Screw that," Caroline waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Screw him," she reached over the table and clasped Bonnie's hand. "I know you're terrified about giving it up because he's going to leave, but even if you were in this situation with a regular, boring human there's still the possibility of things ending messily. Here's your opportunity to finally experience the act of love with someone you know loves you. He's been here for the past three months and you've spent almost everyday with him, you know how you feel."

"Why must everything boil down to sex with you?" Bonnie questioned yet couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Because I look at things in a real-life way. You want Damon to stay because he's the first person to not only tell you that he loves you, but he's shown you that he loves you. It is scary but deep down you know you love him, too, and you're holding back because you don't want to get hurt. Very smart on your part, but Bonnie all you're doing is postponing the inevitable. If you don't want him in any capacity you need to tell him now so he can go back to where he belongs."

Bonnie bit the inside of her cheek. Caroline was right.

"Now, I need to step away for a minute. Excuse me," Caroline rose from the table.

Elena stared at Bonnie as she picked at her food with her fork. "I'll agree with Caroline on some parts. If you don't want Damon then you should cut ties with him. And as far as the," she lowered her voice, "sex part goes you don't have to do anything you're not ready to do."

Bonnie looked up suddenly. "But I think I am."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm about seventy-five percent sure."

Elena giggled. "I guess that's better than zero."

And just as Bonnie was about to smile she caught sight of Damon, _her_ Damon as he strolled from the somewhere in the restaurant, passing directly by their table. Bonnie tracked him with her eyes while his ensnared her like a Venus fly trap making it impossible to look away. His gaze was potent enough to singe her skin. He paused at her side, kissed her cheek, and whispered something to her in Italian before he continued on his way.

Elena fanned herself. "I hope the paint on the walls isn't melting," she chuckled.

Bonnie stared at her across the table. "What are you blabbering about?"

"The two of you just totally had eye-sex with each other."

Bonnie blushed and rose from the table in desperate need of a bathroom break. "Whatever, I'm heading to ladies room and if you don't want to come that'll give you the opportunity to go make out with your boyfriend. He's been tossing pathetic looks over here all night."

Stefan who was at the pool tables frowned at Bonnie and she wiggled her fingers at him in a wave.

Outside Caroline constantly paced back and forth. She wanted a drink and she wasn't talking about alcohol. All day she felt like she had been starving. Stefan loaned her a few blood bags from his stash to keep her satisfied but not satiated. And talking about sex hadn't helped her bloodlust either. Was it always going to be like this? Heightened senses, heightened sex drive, heightened hunger?

She gripped her aching jaw working it back and forth hoping to loosen the tension but it was pointless.

"Hungry?"

Caroline whipped around at the cool cultured voice of dark-eyed Damon. He stood across from her in an ensemble that mirrored her own. Black jeans, black shirt, black boots, leather jacket.

"I'll be fine," she gulped nervously. "I have a blood bag in my car."

Damon approached her with that swag of his, twisting his hips to and fro to garner attention to the lower half of his body. Yet there was nothing that could distract from the total package.

"It's not the same, _newborn_," he began to circle her. "It will never wet the appetite, the hunger, not completely. There's something missing. The taste of warm, human flesh on your tongue. Drinking _hot_ blood straight from the source. You can't get that from a bag, bella."

Caroline fidgeted and felt her senses flying all over the place. She wanted that. She wanted to taste human blood from a living person. She wanted to taste someone's flesh on her tongue, wanted to slice her teeth through fragile skin, wanted to drink, drink, and drink some more.

Her stomach growled embarrassingly loud.

Damon grinned. "I can show you how to control it," he was standing behind her now, speaking right into her ear like the devil that he was. "I can teach you how to hunt so that when you're in a room full of humans, you won't be preoccupied with your thirst. And you are thirsty, Caroline. Don't try to deny it."

"Why are you doing this? I made a promise to Bonnie, to everyone that I wouldn't hunt humans."

"This will be our secret and think of it as me helping you. You attacked Bonnie on the night you transitioned. Do you want to lose control like that again if someone so much as cuts their finger around you?" he demanded.

She shook her head.

Damon stood in front of Caroline again. "Then come with me and I'll show how to do things properly."

Bonnie came out of the bathroom after getting her hormones in check. As usual she spotted Elena and Stefan playing kissy face. Damon was in deep conversation with that news reporter woman—Bonnie couldn't recall her name. Caroline was still missing and so was dark-eyes.

Staring down at her feet as she made her way back to the table, someone bumped into her. Bonnie gasped not because of who was standing in front of her but because of what she saw.

"Sorry about that," the man with the ocean blue eyes, and gap between his teeth said.

"Ah, it's not a problem," Bonnie ran a hand self-consciously through her hair. "You're Mason, right?"

The sandy-haired man nodded his head and stretched out a hand. Bonnie tentatively shook it. His palm was so warm.

"Bonnie Bennett if I'm not mistaken," he replied and wasn't shy about checking Bonnie out in her svelte black dress that hugged all her curves.

Bonnie nodded her head.

"See, I could never forget a pretty face. Are you here on a date?" Mason asked.

Bonnie nodded again and then smiled shyly although her pulse was beginning to race. She needed to talk to Damon.

"Yeah, it's girl's night out."

"Well, I won't keep you. It was nice running into you again."

"Likewise," Bonnie said to be polite. She stepped aside and allowed Mason to continue on his way to the bathroom.

Yet he reached for her wrist and pulled her against his chest. "Beware of Damon and his brother Stefan. They're vampires."

"What?" she said but he was gone before she got her one-word question out.

Need to talk to Damon, pronto! Bonnie wove her way through the tables heading to the bar. Once there she tapped Damon on the shoulder.

He spun around on the stool, his eyes glassy and a little blood-shot. "Bonnie! I didn't know you were here!"

The girl in question pursed her lips and motioned for Damon to follow her. "I need to talk to you for a second."

"I can't be rude, I have company."

Bonnie looked at Andie who was regarding her with speculation. "Hi," Bonnie greeted the woman before pressing Damon with an urgent look which thankfully he was still able to translate. He rose to his feet, holding on to the bar for leverage so he wouldn't tip over.

"I'll be right back, Andie. Don't go anywhere," his words slurred.

Bonnie walked off without waiting to see if Damon was following her. Once they were in a semi-quiet corner of the eatery, she grabbed him by the shoulder to pull him down so she could speak directly into his ear.

"When I bumped into Mason I saw something. He was kissing Katherine."

Damon was completely sober after hearing that bomb. He pulled away from Bonnie and searched her eyes. "You're sure?"

"Well, it wasn't Elena," she deadpanned.

"Was that all you saw?"

Bonnie nodded. "But there is more. He said 'beware of the Damon and Stefan they're vampires'. I guess your secret is out."

"Damn," Damon hissed.

His eyes zipped back and forth. So Katherine and Mason were linked and Mason was looking for a moonstone, and he knew he was a vampire. Katherine said she returned to Mystic Falls for two things and she turned Caroline for a reason. All the pieces were there but Damon had no idea how they all fit. He pulled out his cell and began texting Ric. It was time for Indiana Jones to get on it and do some major research.

"Is he still here?" Damon asked.

"He went into the bathroom."

"Good." He grabbed Bonnie by the shoulders and kissed her deeply on the cheek. "Thanks," he said.

Bonnie detained Damon by his arm. "What are you going to do?"

He tried to appear sheepish. "Nothing. I'm just going to formally introduce myself."

Yeah, right. She knew how impulsive Damon could be when he felt threatened or inferior. Mason being with Katherine came as a total surprise, but not a total shock. And of course Katherine deeming anyone save himself worthy of her attention would have damaging consequences for that person. And the fact Mason could spill the beans on Damon's otherness was another cause for concern.

"Damon," Bonnie said between clenched teeth, "don't do anything stupid."

He looked offended then. "We're in a crowded restaurant, Bonnie. What am I going to do to the guy? Rip his heart out from his chest?" And Damon made his exit before Bonnie could answer.

"Elena," Bonnie cried and went to go find her friend.

* * *

><p>Caroline was nervous. Nervous, excited, and partially sick to her stomach. Her thoughts ranged from "I can do this" to "I can't do this and I'll get caught and staked." She walked behind Damon as they strolled down a more deserted part of town. Rubbing her hands together and constantly licking her lips she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to be doing other than freaking out. She was doing something illicit and taboo like she did when she snuck to see an R-rated movie when she was only eleven.<p>

Damon curled his lip. He could smell the scent of Caroline's flightiness. It was pungent but expected. This was her first hunt. When he was turned it wasn't like he had an experienced vampire to show him the ropes. Everything he learned was learned by trial and error, more error than trial but those were the dark ages.

"You need to relax," he told her and came to a stop in the shadows when he spotted an older gentleman making his way to his car. "He isn't much to look at but he'll be useful for this exercise."

Caroline rolled her eyes and planted a hand on her hip. "That's what this is to you? An exercise? The man has a life. He could be married. He could be a father."

"He could be shot and robbed on this very corner or struck down by lightning. That's the beauty with humans anything can take them out." He took hold of her arm and steered her towards the man who fumbled with his keys. "You have the gift of compulsion, Caroline. You can take his fear away, you can make him believe he's about to be kissed by a goddess, you can make him do whatever you want. You don't have to be a monster in his eyes."

"This is so wrong," she lamented.

Damon shrugged. "This, unfortunately, is our life. And if you can't accept it, it will destroy you." Damon cleared the distance that separated them and the man who finally looked up startled at their presence. "Good evening, sir."

"Evening," the man replied a bit nervously. He flicked his eyes to Caroline, his eyebrow shot up with interest.

"We're a bit lost," Damon said and stepped closer.

"Oh, well maybe I can be of some help. I've lived here my whole life. What are you looking for?"

"Dinner," Damon said and grabbed the man by the throat holding him steady. He peered into his eyes, gaining control of his mind. "No need to be afraid."

The struggling man instantly relaxed. Caroline watched the transformation as the man's glassy blue eyes became opaque.

Caroline's breathing increased and she felt the veins under her eyes wiggling. Already the heat of the man's skin called to her and she was drawing closer without realizing her feet had carried her there. Damon dropped his hold around the man's neck.

Caroline jerked away suddenly and ran her hands through her hair. She stared imploringly at Damon. "I can't do this."

"You're hungry, Caroline," he reminded her. "And the longer you hold it off, the harder it'll become to suppress it. I think you're under the misconception you have to kill to survive," he shook his head. "You take only what you need to replenish the power that you lost. But you don't understand this because you're young and because you grew up with certain myths. I can tell you right now, I haven't killed many in my long life."

Caroline blinked at this. She would have figured for Damon to be well over five hundred years old that he's killed thousands if not millions of people.

"You only take what you need?" she asked.

He nodded. "Only what you need. I'll stop you if you can't stop on your own."

Her fangs were already descending. She looked to Damon again even as she began to head towards the man. "If Bonnie finds out…"

"She won't."

"But you can't lie to her about this. You love her."

"I do, but even she must realize this is who I am and I'm not changing it. It can't be changed. You are stronger than you think."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm not." She sighed. If she suppressed her hunger to the point where she went rabid that would be even worse. But still, this was a man, a human being standing in front of her, and she shouldn't desire to taste his blood, but she did. She relented. "Please don't let me kill him."

"You have my word. I won't let you kill him."

Caroline wrapped her hand around the back of the man's neck to draw him closer. "I'm so sorry," she said to him and then looked into his eyes. "No matter what, don't scream."

Chomp!

Moments later Damon sat perched on a mailbox as he watched Caroline patch up the bite on the man's neck. She had taken what she needed but he had to wrestle with her to get her to stop. The man sat dazed and confused on the passenger seat of his car while Caroline applied gauze padding to his wound. A vampire medic, now he's seen it all.

"There," she said and looked the man in the eye again. "So the story is you fell on broken glass and your neck broke your fall."

How unoriginal, Damon thought.

Like a puppet the man repeated the story of his injury. Caroline rose from her haunches and threw away the rest of the padding.

"Do you think he's fit to drive?"

Damon hopped off the mailbox and simply said to the man. "Go home and try not to get into any accidents."

They remained on the sidewalk as the man slid over to the driver side and drove away. "We should head back," Damon suggested. "I'll race you."

Now there was something she had no problem doing. She loved running at vampire speed. It was exhilarating.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is Caroline?" Elena questioned as she shrugged her jacket on. Their friend had been missing for a solid twenty minutes and that wasn't like her.<p>

Bonnie looked around the restaurant. She had told Elena and Stefan what she saw when she bumped into Mason and that he knew about the Salvatore boys. Right now Stefan was doing damage control to make sure his brother and Mason didn't get into any blows.

"I'm right here," Caroline said scaring both of her friends by "appearing" in her seat as if she never left.

"Jeeze don't do that," Elena admonished. "Where have you been?"

"Outside getting some air."

"For twenty minutes?" said Bonnie.

"Had I been gone for that long? I'm sorry guys. I just have a lot on my mind. Who's up for dessert?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm full and I'm tired."

"That's code for she's horny and wants Stefan," Caroline playfully winked at Bonnie who nodded her head in agreement.

Elena put down her portion of the bill plus tip on the table and shouldered her purse. "Well, he has been kind enough to offer me a ride home. We haven't spent that much time alone since this whole Katherine thing started. Jenna is with Alaric. Jeremy is somewhere. We'll finally have the house to ourselves."

"Well, go break his back, sugar," Caroline winked.

Elena said nothing to this as she hugged Caroline and kissed Bonnie on the cheek.

"I'm going to go see what time Matt gets off," and Caroline was gone again.

Feeling completely abandoned Bonnie figured it was time to cut her losses and head home. She reached for her coat which was promptly pulled out of her hands.

Her eyes ran into black ones. "You're not leaving yet. Not until you have dessert." From his back he produced a brownie mudslide, her absolute favorite dessert.

They sat beside each other at the table while Damon spoon fed Bonnie decadent morsels of warm brownie chased with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup.

Holding the ice cream in her mouth, Bonnie leaned over and kissed Damon, pushing the ice cold delicacy into his mouth with her tongue. When she pulled away she licked his lips.

His eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to do me? Torture me?"

Bonnie nodded and then looked around the restaurant. Blue-eyed Damon was whispering something in Andie's ear who looked receptive to whatever he was saying. Guess his introduction with Mason went well enough. Elena and Stefan slipped out, holding hands. And she spotted Caroline flirting with Matt. Everyone she knew was coupled up and were on their way to scoring. Usually this wouldn't have bothered Bonnie one iota because she didn't think she was missing out on anything.

When she looked at Damon again she felt her nerves settle. She wanted to get laid. And it would happen tonight.

"I want to dance with you, Damon, but not vertically."

It took a lot to shock him or knock him into speechlessness. "Pardon…you're certain. You're ready?"

To answer his question she ran her hand along his thigh. "I'm ready."

The rest of the dessert forgotten he practically carried Bonnie out of the restaurant who giggled.

Andie saw this and sipped the rest of her drink. "Looks like someone is about to score."

Damon, with an incredulous look on his face had no idea what to do. He looked at Andie needing a distraction.

He grabbed her by the hand. "Let's go."

Chapter end.

**A/N: That wasn't how I wanted things to end, but as usual I would have been writing forever. Does this mean there will be lemons next chapter-yes it does lol. There's a lot I can say about this chapter. I wasn't sure how TV Damon would respond to hearing BD confess his love for Bonnie. I figured he'd be more shocked than pissed because his feelings for Bonnie, whatever they may be at this point, are still pretty immature. He sees her as a friend but that doesn't equate romantic feelings-yet. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Definitely was a labor of love this chapter. Love you!**


	17. Afterglow

**A/N: I got this out quicker than expected. Yea! Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Okay, she could do this. Maybe? Probably? More than likely…not!

Bonnie clutched the bathroom sink for dear life, her arms trembling from the force alone, her thoughts scattering like roaches once the lights come on, her nerves frayed like a whip against skin. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, too fast, sometimes too slow where she could count each individual beat. Just on the other side of the door he was waiting for her. She was terrified yet thrilled at the same time.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she gave herself another pep talk. Everything would be fine so long as he kept his talking to the bare minimum. She didn't want to hear the words: "princess", "goddess", "gorgeous" or anything with an "ess" or "ous" on the end. That wasn't the reassurance she was looking for or needed. Bonnie knew she was hot, knew she turned heads when she walked through school and around town. She used to be a professional flirt but that got thrown out the window one day back in September.

What she needed right now was…she laughed hysterically and cut off her laughs. What she needed was guidance because she didn't know the first thing about having sex. Sure she knew the mechanics and what was involved, but she didn't know what she was supposed to say or how to act. Maybe this was a bad idea, or she had been caught up in the heat of the moment and bit off more than she could chew.

What if she bored him? What if she was so terrible and uneventful that he just stopped and walked way?

Bonnie stared at what she changed into. It was a periwinkle blue baby doll nightie. She grimaced. Maybe she should have gone with the black, sheer number, or red, red would have made her feel dangerous. In this she couldn't feel more like a virgin. What if Damon took one look at her in this, shook his head, and say "you're too young, this isn't right, I should take you home"?

She nibbled a corner of her lip and looked at herself again. He wouldn't do any of those things because he was noble—in his own way, and he said he loved her. If she changed her mind, he'd understand. He obviously had a first time. He probably went through the same uncertainty, but then again maybe not. And it wasn't like she asked beforehand, nor did she really want a replay of his first time. He probably spent an hour undressing the "maiden" because back then their idea of slutty lingerie was huge petticoats, corsets, stockings, breeches, night shifts…whoo she was getting tired just from thinking of all those layers.

Bonnie pushed away from the sink, grabbed a hold of the door, and wrenched it open.

The bedroom was empty yet the French double doors leading to the balcony were open. Thinking he might be waiting for her out there, Bonnie crossed over the room, stepped out on the balcony only to discover there was no Damon.

"Looking for me?"

She did not scream or jump, but her ribs got a righteous kick from her heart. Bonnie pivoted on the balls of her feet and faced Damon. He was shirtless with a pair of pajama pants riding low on his hips. His dark, deep eyes smoldered and though she should have been terrified, seeing him relaxed her. She accepted his outstretched hand and he pulled her back into the room and into the cradle of his arms. Bonnie inclined her head, stared into those eyes, getting trapped again.

For Damon he felt he had waited too long and then not long enough for this moment. There was a lot he could say to her, promises and declarations of how he felt, what she meant to him, but he had done that abundantly and if she still had no clue of the level of feelings he had for her, then essentially that was Bonnie's problem. Yet she was here with him in this home he made for himself in this strange place, and if she didn't want this to happen, then she certainly wouldn't have made the suggestion.

He was attuned to everything that she was and could taste her hesitancy. Bonnie didn't think she was good enough, or would please him. His expectations for tonight weren't outrageously high or out of reach. Simply, he wanted to make her happy because in life that's all everything boiled down to.

Bonnie took comfort in the fact he wasn't talking. He was merely filling up the silence with his presence. In such a short time Damon had become her rock. Her mentor. Her protector.

Like magnets their heads drew closer together, warm lips pressing against slightly tepid ones. Bonnie opened her jaw allowing entry of his tongue into her mouth and moaned when it brushed teasingly against hers.

Damon smoothed his hands along the curvature of her spine before grabbing her backside. Bonnie allowed herself to enjoy his ministrations before ending the kiss and then stepping out of his arms to establish a neutral zone.

Naturally he stared at her quizzically.

"Can we…um…lay down?" Bonnie cleared her throat.

"We can do whatever you like," he said and taking her by the hand again, led her to the bed. Bonnie climbed on top and lied on her back. Damon settled down beside her, resting on his side.

"I just need a minute," Bonnie said to break up the silence.

Damon nodded and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek.

One minute turned into ten minutes, then a half-hour, an hour, and before long she was asleep. Damon sighed heavily while feeling heavy in his pants. He leaned over Bonnie and kissed her gently on the lips.

Sometime during the night Bonnie kicked the covers off. The heat pumping through her body was enough to wake her up. At first she stared at the ceiling and then over to the vampire that was slumbering. She hadn't meant to fall asleep on Damon. That was probably the most unsexy thing she had done all night, but apparently all she needed was a little pick me up, and now she felt ready to go.

For a second she observed him as he laid beside her on his belly using his arms as a makeshift pillow. He appeared so peaceful and she thought it might be best to just let him sleep, however her eyes dropped to his muscled arms and disheveled black hair, and she wanted him more than she ever had. Bonnie sat up in bed as if being pulled by an invisible string, and straddled his hips.

Leaning over him she kissed his shoulder and then slowly began a trail down his back.

Damon's eyes sprang open. Looking over his shoulder he caught Bonnie looking at him with a glint in her eyes he never saw before. Bonnie rose a little so that he could turn all the way over on his back.

Damon sat up, arms going around Bonnie and kissed her passionately and thoroughly. She wrapped one arm around his neck while the other went around his torso. She lost several fingers in his soft hair and then she felt her body moving and she was being lowered on the mattress.

She spread her legs to accommodate Damon who drank in every moan, every sigh that emitted from Bonnie. Ending the kiss, his nimble fingers reached for the straps of her gown and pulled it down, exposing her breasts to his gaze and the chill of the room. He pushed them together and flicked the pad of his thumbs against her ripening nipples. Instantly he covered them with kisses as Damon flicked his tongue against her hot skin. Bonnie absolutely melted like butter on his tongue.

Bonnie arched her neck as her fingernails bit into his back and arms. Her breathing became erratic and she had to remind herself that her lungs needed oxygen. They had had foreplay a dozen times since they met, but tonight she was allowing him certain liberties lesser men had tried to obtain.

With her naked, Damon quickly divested his pajama pants. He braced her legs apart with his hands and resumed his original position. Her warmth called to him and directed him like a lighthouse, as he took her mouth again.

Taking possession of Bonnie's hand he forced it between their bodies and wrapped it around his turgid muscle, as if to say "Get yourself prepared for this".

Bonnie gasped at the hardness of him, the size, and the weight. He very well might kill her because she was oh so tiny.

To quell whatever fears she might be having, Damon did the second best thing he knew how to do. He began kissing her other set of lips that had Bonnie thrashing and bucking against the bed like a certified loon in need of a sedative. His teeth nipped her, his tongue wrote out a contract against that sensitive bundle of nerves that was harder than concrete, his finger probed her. Within minutes she exploded, saw stars, and could count sheep behind her shut eyelids.

He covered her once again and then, very carefully, pressed forward, entering her, stretching that barrier, and sheathing himself in her searing heat.

Her fingernails sliced his skin as tears leaked from her eyes. Bonnie breathed heavily, and remembered to lift her knees. The pressure was unbearable and for one terrifying moment she thought she might pee on him, but she was thankful that Damon wasn't moving, that he was still and allowing her to get used to the invasion in her body.

It was taking far more concentration on his end not to move, but this wasn't about satisfying his own lust. This was about Bonnie and the trust she placed in him.

"I'm sorry, princess," he said and kissed a tear stained cheek.

Bonnie panted, "Its..its okay."

"Do you want me to move?"

She needed a moment and then she nodded.

In and out, slowly, painfully slowly until he was able to carve out some breathing room in her tightness, was the rhythm Damon kept until he felt Bonnie move a little under him. He wondered if it was beginning to feel good to her because it sure as hell felt good to him, and if it weren't for his centuries of control he would have came within seconds and ruined his reputation for good.

Sometimes his thrusts felt good, other times it didn't but overall Bonnie was getting the hang of it. Opening up her eyes she found Damon staring down at her, sweat dangling off the ends of his hair and eyelashes. That's when she noticed it _was _an inferno in the room.

"I'm making you hot," she commented.

He smirked knowing she wasn't trying to talk dirty to him. "That you are," and hissed when she unintentionally contracted her muscles against him.

Bonnie tightened her hold on Damon, needing him closer for some inexplicable reason. There was no turning back now. She couldn't let him go.

He sucked her neck, whispered raunchy things in her ear that made her blush, laugh, and cry. The heat intensified in the room and Damon quickened his thrusts as Bonnie egged him on, bed springs protesting against the activity taking place on it until finally they erupted like a volcano.

Bonnie tucked her head in that nook where his shoulder and neck intersected. She couldn't feel anymore full or high than she was feeling right now.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Damon woke up with a start. He had a raging hard-on. He felt a body lying next to him and sharply turned his head. Whoever it was, was covered with the blanket which he promptly pulled it off revealing olive skin and sable hair. He frowned. That wasn't who he had been expecting to see upon waking up.

Running a hand through his tousled hair, Damon stared up at the ceiling. His dream had been so vivid causing him to frown at the realization that it had all been a dream. Those moments which were fading and fading fast from his memory made him feel as horny as a thirteen year old kid. He turned back to the unidentified female slumbering in his bed.

Irritation overtook him and he wanted her gone. Now. Pronto. ASAP. He shook her none-too-gently and sat up in bed.

The woman groaned and turned her head to face him as one eye popped open. "I know you're not seriously trying to kick me out," she complained her voice full of sleep.

Damon wasn't sure what the time was, and judging from the darkness coming from outside it was pretty late. Didn't matter to him, though. He was already at home, safe and sound.

"Sorry, love but my girlfriend is on her way over."

The woman shot up in bed upon hearing that. Inwardly, Damon snickered. Hadn't she been the one to approach him at the bar pontificating he was Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelor? How easily common sense got tossed out the window when your survival and livelihood was on the line.

He sat propped up against the headboard and watched Andie Starr prance around his room as she collected her clothes from the floor in the order in which they came off. Crossing his legs at the ankles and resting his clasped hands in his lap he watched the show with amusement dancing in his eyes.

Andie Starr must have come to her senses because she stopped once she had all of her belongings in her hands.

She glowered at him. "You don't have a girlfriend. And if you do she deserves to know what a cheating bastard she's dating."

She threw her clothes on the floor.

Well, so much for that plan of getting rid of her. Damon rolled his eyes and then rolled out of bed. He picked up all her belongings and shoved them at her.

"I don't like sleepovers," he told her plaintively and then marched over to the door and threw it open. "Thanks for the lovely time. Maybe when I'm not so busy we can continue this."

Andie thrust her legs in her skirt and wrapped her shirt around her body.

"Like hell," Andie growled and stomped out.

Damon normally walked his conquests to the door but he wasn't in the mood to do that. He wanted a shower, a glass of blood, and then he wanted to see if he could recreate that dream which had been more satisfying than his night with the news anchorwoman.

Later that morning, feeling refreshed and a lot less irritated Damon skipped his way downstairs. He picked up his cell and called his second favorite person in the world.

His happy mood began to head south when Bonnie picked up but he could clearly hear that insect in the background admonishing her for answering the phone.

"What the fuck are you doing?" was the first thing to come out of his mouth.

Click. Dial tone.

Damon dialed Bonnie again and tapped his foot against the floor and waited for the call to connect. When it did he reminded himself to add some civility to his voice.

"Good morning, Bonnie," he beamed.

"This isn't Bonnie."

Damon growled. "Put Bonnie on the phone."

"Whatever it is you want it's going to have to wait. She's busy."

Dial tone again.

Damon turned to Bonnie, her cell phone in his hand. "Is he always like that?"

Bonnie who looked deliciously rumpled sat in the glow of the sun on the bed, clasping her crossed ankles. "Mostly," she answered and smiled. Ever since she woke up she found it impossible to stop smiling.

Damon placed her phone on the end table and crawled back into bed with Bonnie, using her chest as a pillow. Last night and early this morning had been incredible. With time and practice Bonnie would be an exceptional lover, she was already quite good at seduction without putting in a lot of effort. Her innocence went hand-in-hand with her sexiness which made such an interesting dichotomy.

He couldn't get enough of her.

Bonnie rested her cheek against the crown of his head. When she woke up she expected to feel crushing gift for handing over such a precious gift to a man that in many ways wasn't explicitly hers, however, she felt nothing but overwhelming peace and joy about her decision. Foolishly she wanted to thank him for not acting cool, indifferent, or arrogant as if he did her some sort of favor by popping her cherry. That would have been the behavior she would have expected if she permitted some doofus from her class to go all the way. But Damon had far exceeded her expectations.

After her first round, he prepared a bath for her so she could soak her aching muscles. Then after a short cat nap, they went at it again this time trying out a new position. Bonnie wasn't sure she liked doggy style but maybe one day she might grow to love it.

"You're not in too much pain are you?" he asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I feel the opposite of pain, Damon," she grinned goofily, "I feel like…I don't know how I feel. I just know I feel GOOD!"

He chuckled and kissed her arm. "What do you want to do today?"

"This," Bonnie implied and kissed the crown of his head.

Damon snuggled closer. He had never been big on snuggling but with Bonnie he loved it.

"I don't want to move from this spot," she confessed. Her phone buzzed again.

"Ignore it," Damon retorted.

Bonnie nibbled her lip. It might be important. She knew Damon was hell-bent on finding out what the Lockwood family secret was. Bonnie had made little to no progress in finding out anything, and actually got a little sidetracked. Still, she didn't want to talk to blue-eyes just yet. Not while she was in, what was it women on Lifetime called "afterglow".

"It's probably Damon calling again. He's been obsessed with the Lockwood's and finding out their secret, and he's enlisted me to help him," she told black-eyes.

He arched an eyebrow in the air. "Lockwood?"

"Yes, Carol, Tyler, and Mason, although his focus has been on the males of the family."

"I knew of a Tyler _Smallwood, _and he was a werewolf."

Bonnie jolted off the pillows. "What?"

Damon sat up and faced Bonnie. Already the spell and serenity of their moment was being replaced with business. He should have kept his mouth shut and played ignorance. That way he could play with Bonnie a little longer between the sheets.

"One of the many enemies I had to fight in Fell's Church was Tyler Smallwood. He activated his family curse by killing a girl named Sue Carson. He had help from an original vampire named Klaus."

Bonnie shook her head. "As far as I know there aren't any Sue Carson's here, and definitely no original vampire named Klaus. What the hell is an original vampire?"

Damon shrugged. That part had always been a bit vague to him. "According to Klaus he's one of the first of my kind. I'm not sure if he's the _first _but he was pretty old."

Bonnie got out of bed, yet Damon caught her by the wrist. "Bonnie, leave it for a later date."

"I can't. You said that the werewolf curse is activated by killing someone?"

Damon nodded.

Bonnie thought rapidly. This would explain the fight that broke out at the basketball game and why Katherine had been there. She was trying to get Tyler to activate the curse. She needed a werewolf, but then if Tyler was a werewolf or had the gene or however it was supposed to work, then that meant Mason was one, too. She had seen him with those tawny eyes in the vision she got from touching him, just like Tyler.

"Katherine turned Caroline into a vampire. She tried to get Tyler to turn into a werewolf, and she's involved with Mason who I think is already a werewolf, and Mason is looking for a moonstone," she directed her eyes to Damon. "Do you know what a moonstone is or what it's used for?"

"All I know is that it's used to place a curse on someone or lift a curse."

"I think Katherine is trying to break a curse. But what curse?"

Damon shrugged. "That I can't say. You're going to go to him aren't you?"

Bonnie snapped her eyes back to Damon. She stared at him apologetically. "The quicker we can solve this puzzle," she climbed back on the bed and captured his lips, "the quicker we can focus on us."

He grinned and took her mouth passionately again. "I like the sound of that. But if he steps out line, I'm going to take great pleasure in making him a head shorter."

* * *

><p>Damon was seated behind his "thinking table" when the front door burst open. They really needed to start locking that thing. Looking up from his feverish writing he lost his eyebrows to his hairline. He really hadn't expected Bonnie to tear herself away from the other Damon's side. But he was very happy to see she still had her priorities straight.<p>

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he said once Bonnie stood opposite of the table.

"Cut the crap," she replied.

Damon winked at her and then stilled. Something about her was different…off…corrupted. He snapped the pen in his hand. She didn't! _She did, _his mind answered. She went through with it. _Indeed. _She fucked him. _She loved it. _

Bonnie stared at him strangely and wrote him off in the next instant. "Is Stefan here? Stefan!" she bellowed.

The vampire in question materialized out of nowhere. "Hello, Bonnie."

"Good with the both of you here I'll only have to say this once. I know what the Lockwood family secret is…they're werewolves."

Two sets of eyes blinked at her and Bonnie could see the axels and pulleys working in their minds as they patched together a series of events they witnessed to what they knew—if anything—about werewolves.

Stefan and Damon exchanged glances. "That makes perfect sense," Damon replied and sat back in the chair. Great, now it was time to capture, interrogate, and destroy.

"How are we going to handle this?" Stefan asked. "Werewolves throughout history have been no friends to us?"

"So you think the legend is true then?" Damon asked. "That if a vampire is bitten by a werewolf they die?"

Stefan bobbed his head. "It's a possibility and one theory I'm not willing to test out. Looks like you're going to have to take one for the team since this is your operation, Damon."

The elder Salvatore flipped Stefan off.

"There's more," Bonnie cautioned them. She continued when she had both of their attention. "Mason is looking for a moonstone and he's involved with Katherine, right? Apparently she knows what he is and that's why she compelled people to start fighting at the basketball game because she was trying to get Tyler to activate the werewolf curse. He has to kill someone in order to turn."

"Great," Damon deadpanned.

"She turned Caroline for a reason and more than likely it's to either place a curse on someone or break a curse. She needs those three elements: a vampire, werewolf, and the moonstone to do it."

"Wait," Damon held up a hand. "How did you figure all this out?"

Bonnie felt her cheeks burning as she stared at her hands momentarily. "Damon. He told me about Tyler Smallwood from Fell's Church. That Tyler was a werewolf who got help from an original vampire named Klaus."

Question marks blinked over Damon and Stefan's heads.

Damon asked, "What the hell is an original vampire?"

"One of the first vampires or _the _first vampire."

"So I'm guessing in his world there was no curse or whatever and Katherine hadn't planned an elaborate scheme to get those three main ingredients to break it?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie shook her head.

"Only in Mystic Falls," Damon lamented.

"Stefan, I need you to get in touch with Katherine."

His eyes enlarged as he looked between Bonnie and Damon. "Why?"

"Because we need to know what she's up to or more to the matter why those three things are important to her. She's not going to talk to any of us or tell us the truth for that matter, but for you, her apparent Achilles Heel, she might be more open to."

"Hate to say it little brother, but Bonnie's logic is sound."

Bonnie grinned. "Thanks, Spock."

Damon shook his head but couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll do it."

The way he was acting you'd think Bonnie asked him to go probe a skunk…well that did kind of apply.

Stefan started to walk away, but Damon stopped him. "Hey, Stef…call me as soon as you find out anything."

"Not bloody likely," Stefan muttered and walked out of the boardinghouse.

Feeling like her job was done and she did her good deed for the day, Bonnie was fully prepared to leave. "Well, I have to meet someone for lunch. See you later, Damon."

Damon abruptly rose from the table. "I can take you to lunch."

Bonnie tripped over the perfectly flat surface. "Pardon?"

He said nothing until he stood before her again, leaving hardly any space between their bodies. "I can take you to lunch. I can feed you."

Bonnie gulped. Why did every other thing out of his mouth have to be laced with innuendo?

"Damon is expecting me," she said with a hint of finality.

"Well," Damon grabbed her by the hand and linked their fingers together. "He's going to have to suck it, because our prior discussion is far from over."

"Damon…"

He propelled them out of the house. "Damon!"

* * *

><p>Katherine opened the door to her bedroom at Ms. Flower's boardinghouse. A Cheshire cat grin spread across her face as she stepped aside allowing Stefan entry.<p>

"I knew you'd come around," she purred. She slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure.

Stefan only took a cursory glance around her room before facing the bane of his existence, his creator, his incestuous mother.

"You've been a very naughty girl."

She grinned in pleasure and slithered over to him. "That's what you used to love about me, Stefan. I know it's been a hundred and forty-five years but there are _some _things about me that haven't changed."

Stefan pulled his lips into a tight line and tried not to jerk away from Katherine when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The scent of her perfume was overwhelming and he nearly sneezed.

"Why did you want to see me? Have you dumped the doppelganger skank like I've been telling you to do? You know what happens to people when you disobey one of my orders."

"Katherine, I'm not hear to talk about Elena," he said quietly, and drew his face a little closer to her, although he wanted to gut her for calling Elena a skank.

Katherine's eyes flared with interest and heat as Stefan's lips hovered over hers. This moment had been too long in the making, however, she was no fool.

She grabbed him ruthlessly by the throat. "Why did you _really _want to see me, Stefan? I know you. You just don't fall out of love overnight, nor do you step out. You're after something."

"You're right, I am."

Her brows drew together and she croaked a bit. Reaching behind her back she plucked the hypodermic needle out of her skin. The vervain burned through her system and she tried to fight it, but the dose was too potent.

Stefan caught her before she hit the ground. Dragging her to the bed, he dumped her there, and then went out into the hall to collect the duffel bag he brought with him. Reentering the room he quickly tied her up using heavy duty stainless steel chains. He'd get answers out of her either the hard or easy way.

* * *

><p>Moodily sitting across from Damon at a small table in a restaurant named Outtakes that offered organic foods, Bonnie picked over her house salad waiting for their entrees to arrive. This was so weird. She should be sharing a meal with the other Damon, but because she was a suffer in silence type personality she sucked it up. They did have things they needed to discuss but that didn't mean she wanted to discuss them now.<p>

Damon hadn't been able to look away from Bonnie. She was no longer that asexual chick trapped in a world of supernatural bullshit. His dream last night had been about her, and shockingly that had been the first sex dream he ever had about Bonnie. What typically would have weirded him out now all he wanted to achieve was turning that fantasy into a reality.

But convincing Bonnie to give him a shot, to take him seriously would be like trying to coax a gazelle from a lion. Yet when had he backed away from a challenge?

"Hey, Judgey what's that thing you do, you know the fun one when my brain burst into flames? What is that?"

She finally graced him with a cocky smile after presenting nothing but her stone face. "That's me giving you an aneurysm. The blood vessels in your brain go pop, but since you heal quickly I keep doing it over and over again."

Damon began thinking. "Is it vampire specific?"

"It'll work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability."

"Good."

"Damon," Bonnie reached for his hand over the table, realized what she was doing and quickly withdrew it. "I'm not going to help you hurt him."

This, he expected. Damon rolled his eyes feeling exasperated. "Look Mason is involved with Katherine, who's basically a threat to everyone. They're the bad guys. You're seriously going to play morality police with me, Judgey? I thought we've developed since then? We need to find out where this moonstone is, if he has it, and we need to figure out what Katherine is planning to do with it."

Bonnie knew that. It still didn't mean she wanted to hurt someone just because she could. "I could have sworn that was the whole point of me asking Stefan to talk to Katherine. Why are you still so interested in Mason? Because he's hooking up with her?"

A tic began in Damon's jaw. Bonnie saw this and grinned—inwardly—because she pinched a nerve.

That wasn't it at all. Katherine could screw an entire frat house—probably had—for all he cared. He wanted her dead because she played him, ripped his heart out with no regard to anyone save herself. He no longer felt any kind of allegiance towards the hoe.

"If Katherine were standing right here I'd tell her to go get a gasoline enema. That ship has sailed, Bonnie."

Hearing the vehemence in his voice, Bonnie was inclined to believe him.

"Besides," he continued, "you were the one to open my eyes to how awesome I am and that I don't need her love to validate me."

Okay that wasn't the conversation Bonnie recalled, but whatever. As long as he retained _something _and was using it to make a positive change in his life, she wouldn't burst his bubble.

"And you should know I'm interested in better real estate," he wiggled his eyebrows at her. Bonnie cleared her throat and looked away and wondered why she felt some strange fluttering take place in her belly.

There was a question burning on the tip of Damon's tongue and knew the possibility of Bonnie blowing her gasket was a strong one if he asked it. Luckily his phone chirped and he answered it seeing it was Stefan.

"Hello."

"I got her to talk. I'm still having a hard time processing what she told me. Where are you?"

"Having lunch with my new BFF at Outtakes." He winked at Bonnie who merely looked away.

"All right. I'm going to swing by Elena's first."

"Oh," Bonnie interrupted. "Tell him Elena is at the Lockwood's helping with the set up for the Masquerade Ball."

Damon relayed the information to Stefan and ended the call. "Are you up for some volunteering?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I help out every year. It's tradition."

"Yeah, and hopefully as tradition dictates, either Tyler or Mason will be there. And all you'll have to do is touch Mason to find out if he gave Katherine the moonstone."

Bonnie felt inclined to tell him this, "My visions don't work that way. I get what I get but I don't get to ask questions."

He pulled his lips back from his teeth. "How i_n_convenient."

Bonnie was affronted.

"In any case," Damon persevered, "we'll think of some ingenious plan to get the information out of Fido."

When their entrees arrived he promptly had them returned to the kitchen to be wrapped up to go. There was no time like the present to put his plan in motion.

* * *

><p>Bonnie did not want to do this. Essentially what she was doing was punishable by law in all fifty states. Aiding in kidnapping of someone as an extracurricular activity would look so well on a college application.<p>

She stood in front of Mason Lockwood as he grabbed both sides of his head as if to claw the pain away while a nice fat vein erupted and lacerated his forehead into two parts.

"Sorry," she muttered as Damon came out of hiding and kneed him in the head. With Mason out for the count, Damon skipped over his body, caught the car keys Stefan threw his way and then opened the passenger side door of Mason's monster truck for Bonnie.

She hesitated for a second thinking of the brilliance of her actions in this moment, yet nevertheless she climbed into Mason's truck. She waited as the Salvatore brothers stuffed Mason in the back and then seconds later, Damon was behind the wheel zooming off.

"If anyone finds out about this, I am so screwed."

"Oh, relax, Judgey. You're not going to get caught. You're helping preserve the human race. Focus on that."

Bonnie snorted and looked out the window as the world passed her by.

They had arrived at the boardinghouse in record time and she marveled at Damon's strength as he slung Mason over his shoulder like he weighed nothing.

"Grab his bag," Damon instructed as he led the way to the library.

Bonnie, ever the dutiful servant did as ordered and then moments later joined Damon who sat Mason down in a chair and propped his hands on the arm rests.

"Here's his bag as requested."

Bonnie approached Mason who was still thankfully unconscious. Bonnie wormed her way to stand between his legs and grabbed his head. While she did this Damon went over to go inspect the contents of the bag.

"Whoa," he pulled out chains and thick locks. "Looks like he's used to being tied up. Wonder if he's a sadist."

When Bonnie made no comment or snort of disgust he looked up. "What are you doing?"

"You're looking for a moonstone. I'm going to help you find it."

"Cool." Damon approached and began wrapping the chains around the chair. Something told him Mason would not cooperate with his planned interrogation. "Find out what he did with it. Find out what Katherine plans to do with it once she gets it."

Ignoring him, Bonnie closed her eyes and searched the far recesses of Mason's mind. She saw a flicker of something.

"It's some place dark…there's water."

Damon was mad confuzzled. "Like a sewer?"

"No, a well. No that can't be right." Bonnie searched deeper, making the vision broaden. "Yeah, it's a well."

"Why would it be in a well?"

Her eyes opened and she blinked rapidly. "I told you I only get what I get."

Suddenly Mason's eyes opened and he lunged for Bonnie, tackling her to the floor. She screamed as the wind was knocked out of her as Mason snarled over her, canines flashing, tawny eyes glaring at her.

Damon acted off pure instinct to protect and kicked Mason off of Bonnie. The werewolf went flying into the adjacent wall where he made a visible dent. Reaching for Bonnie's hand, Damon yanked her to her feet and placed her behind him. His face vamped out and the snarl that erupted from Damon was so guttural Bonnie wasn't exactly sure who she should be more afraid of in this moment.

Mason's dexterity was amazing because in one minute he was sprawled out on the floor, and he next he was in a crouch, ready to lunge again. Mason's nostrils twitch and his eyes zeroed in on Bonnie.

Damon rose to his full height accepting the unspeakable challenge. He reached behind him to make sure Bonnie was still there. "_Mine." _

_This is some Underworld shit, _Bonnie thought as she watched the two supernatural creatures size one another up. But what in the world had Damon meant when he growled the word "mine"? Umm?

Like rams they charged one another.

Oh no! If Mason bit Damon the result could be disastrous. Holding out her hands she burst the blood vessels in their brains. Mason went down with a harsh thud and the minute he did Bonnie released Damon who coughed and groaned.

Rising to his feet, he faced her, a full grimace on his face. "You weren't supposed to migraine thingy me!"

"And have you forgotten that a bite from him could potentially kill you!" she fired back, equally as mad.

She was afraid for his life. She didn't want anything to happen to him, Damon would certainly take that as progress in the right direction.

They stared at each other and Damon was the first to crack. He approached Bonnie and checked her neck for bruises. Too many people had been interested in her neck—himself included.

Bonnie wanted to shy away from his touch but she needed it because the adrenaline in her body was causing her to shake. That had been a close call.

"I'm fine," she said and put some distance between them.

He snatched her closer. "Well I'm not."

He was fast like a snake and covered her mouth with his. Bonnie squeaked and tried to wiggle out of his possessive hold, but she couldn't.

Damon felt her resisting which only spurred on his quest to find out how her mouth tasted. At the carnival he had only gotten a sample, but he craved more, demanded more. His lips pressed deeper and he pried her mouth open with his aggressive tongue. The minute it found Bonnie's he softened his exploration and probed her tongue, poking it to play back.

Bonnie wanted to stop kissing him, she really did, but his tongue was so artful that she had little choice but to play along and kiss him back.

Damon shifted until Bonnie was flush against him. His hands trailed over her ribs.

She shuddered at his touch and then violently remembered what she did and with whom not twenty-four hours ago. Bonnie braced her hands on his chest and using her telekinesis she pushed Damon away.

Both of them were breathing hard.

"I'm not sorry I did that," he told her.

Bonnie chose to remain mute.

"Thank you for having my back," Damon reached for her hand but Bonnie held it out of reach.

"I should go."

He wanted her to stay and finish what they were doing, but knew what just happened was all he was going to get. Besides what he had in store for Mason she really didn't need to see. It might give her nightmares, and she would only sit there judging him the whole time. Kind of takes the fun out of torture.

"I'll walk you out," he offered.

"No, that's all right. Deal with Mason before he wakes up again."

Damon nodded and watched as Bonnie hastened her retreat. He licked his lips savoring her taste.

* * *

><p>Exiting her bathroom, and feeling the muscles in her body uncoil, Bonnie stretched her arms over her head. Damon, the one with the black-eyes wanted to come over, but Bonnie needed a night to herself. She hated the disappointment she heard in his voice, yet reassured him she was just tired from all their physical activity, not to mention the crazy afternoon she had.<p>

When was she going to learn her lesson that spending time with blue-eyes was a health and virtue hazard?

Either she liked being put in life or death situations or they were just a part of the job description, Bonnie wasn't certain. All she wanted was one week, a full week to be a normal teenaged girl who may be in love, who had a sex life. She wanted to go to school, come home and cook dinner for her father although he was hardly around, always gone on business trips. Only CEO's of huge conglomerates traveled as much as her father did. But she wanted the simplicity of a domestic routine for just a week.

Unfortunately that was never going to happen so long as she kept consorting with vampires and now werewolves.

Bonnie tied her hair up into a messy ponytail and sat down on her bed. Why did Damon kiss her?

Was he playing a game with her? Did he honestly like her? She shook her head. Damon made his contempt of her no secret and she hadn't held back in the hate department either. She refused to think that after saving each other a handful of times and her giving him a pep talk would make him turn his obsessive affection on her.

But what if that's exactly what he was doing?

Her stomach bubbled and tied itself into knots.

Pulling her laptop to her legs she checked to see if she had any messages on Facebook or friend requests. Nothing.

Her curiosity got to the better of her and Bonnie typed in Damon's name. He instantly popped up and she felt her breath hitch in her chest. His profile picture was for lack of a better word—hot!

It was a head shot where half of his face was covered in darkness. She assumed he was sitting in front of a black back drop but this picture made it plainly obvious how blue his eyes were, how handsome his face truly was, how pink his lips were, how black his hair is.

Then she realized he had more friends than she did, and almost all of them were women. Bonnie snorted but then she began to read his profile. She wasn't sure how much of what he had written was the truth or fabrication, but she learned he liked bands from the seventies and eighties: Queen, Poison, Whitesnake, just to name a few. And he had his zodiac sign listed as Aries. She could definitely see it, although she kind of pegged him for a Scorpio.

He liked books by Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Zane. Hmm, Bonnie lost her eyebrow at that last author. The only sport Damon had listed that he preferred was football. As she continued to peruse his page she saw that they liked some of the same independent films: Blue Valentine, The Red Violin, Like Water for Chocolate. Who would have thought?

Her doorbell tolled and Bonnie sat her laptop aside and went to go answer it.

She hadn't been expecting company, and maybe Damon took her "I need a night off" as "Please come and keep me company". In any case, she plastered a smile on her face but it dimmed when her visitor was revealed.

She hadn't seen him in close to ten years but everything about him was the same. From his perfectly styled dark brown hair, olive skin, to his mahogany eyes.

"You look live you've seen a ghost," said a cool, cultured voice. "Hello, Bonnie. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Coming out of her stupor, Bonnie shook her head and offered up a brighter smile. She stepped aside. "I'm sorry. Come in…Uncle Elijah."

Elijah inclined his head and stepped over the threshold entering the Bennett house. "It's been ten years and you've only managed to bloom into an impossibly beautiful woman."

She smiled politely. "And I gotta say Uncle Elijah…you haven't aged at all."

He reached for Bonnie's hand and when she touched his flesh, and felt death she jerked away from him. "No…you can't…"

He cupped her by the cheek, keeping her complacent. "I'm afraid I am. We have much to talk about, you and I."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Confession time, I really didn't know who I wanted Bonnie to give her v-card to. That was probably the hardest decision I had to make, but I have no regrets. Many wondered why Book Damon would care about Caroline's thirst—in his own way he thought he was helping her, and that had been a scene I had planned from the beginning. At the heart of everything he is a vampire and he will act like one from time to time because the *cough* vampires we see on the show I'm not scared of or intimidated by. But I think I wrote book Damon too romantically, and his personality kind of got buried under the confessions. If you've read the books, Damon is a rebel, and a trouble maker, but he's also loyal. And yes, we have yet another twist. Uncle Elijah, if he truly is Bonnie's uncle is in town for a reason. Oh, and what about that TV Bamon kiss? Stay tuned. Thanks for reading.**


	18. It's A Family Affair

**A/N: Here is the latest! Enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

It was good to be home. After falling into a well that was filled with vervain, being rescued by girls, and having Elena feed him her blood, Stefan's pride was in the bowels of hell. Rubbing the back of his neck he came to a stop when he saw Damon, latex gloves on his hands, carrying a bucket and a sponge.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," he answered a little too innocently.

Stefan sniffed the air and smelled blood, burned flesh, and industrial cleaners. He kind of figured his brother would kidnap Mason and torture him, but why did he feel it was necessary to do that _here? _Stefan sat down on the first available surface he could find. Damon reentered the room and stared at his brother with a speculative eye.

"You have it?"

Stefan reached into his pocket and pulled out an opaque object about the size of a cell phone. He handed the object over to Damon who gave it a cursory look before slipping it into the front pocket of his jeans. Then he reached for a cell phone from the back pocket of his jeans. He waved it back and forth.

"Should I do the honor or would you like to?"

Stefan really had no idea what his brother meant or was talking about, but then he realized that was probably Mason's cell phone. He immediately got to his feet and reached for it, but Damon skipped away and dialed the last person Mason called.

"Damon, don't!"

The call was answered on the first ring. "You were supposed to call me two hours ago. After the day I had you _better _have good news."

"Sorry, wrong boy toy," Damon smirked.

Katherine grew deceptively quiet. She was a smart girl and probably figured, if he hadn't already, that Damon killed Mason. Feeling her irritation with the Salvatore dicks spike, Katherine kept her cool and had to give herself props for that. He just saved her the time of having to get rid of Mason herself. He was a decent lay, and she'd miss certain "parts" of him, but he was easily replaceable.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't still pissed with Stefan for tying her up to a bed and repeatedly burning her with vervain plants. The tying up was kind of kinky and she didn't mind, but the vervain...he could have kept that out. She was going to eat his eyeballs the next time she saw him.

"Damon, I won't waste my breath asking how you have Mason's cell or what you did to him. Did you learn anything of value? Probably not because I only told him what he needed to know."

"Yeah, and the advantage is on our side again," Damon responded cryptically.

Katherine _really _cursed now, and gripped her phone until she almost broke it into pieces. "If you're smart, which I highly doubt, you'll hand over the moonstone or things will get very messy for several people in town."

"Look, tell it to someone who cares," Damon yawned for effect. "I want you out of here by sunrise or I lose this thing to the bottom of the ocean, and no I'm not telling you which ocean. Your game is over, Kat, go find yourself a new hobby."

It started off small and then increased until Damon had to hold the phone away from his ear lest her cackles rupture his eardrums. Stefan's brows mashed together in confusion, and Damon felt an odd sensation run down his spine. Something he hadn't felt since he was human and was running for his life in the Civil War.

"I know we've been apart for decades, but you must have forgotten one key thing about me, Damon. I. Don't. Give. Up. Not until I get what I want, and I will get it because I always have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D…I think you get what I'm trying to lay down. I won't stop until I bathe in the blood of everyone you care about. Should I start in alphabetical order? I bet Bonnie tastes _delicious_," she laughed evilly over the phone. "But then you're a good authority on that aren't you, Damon. Do you think she'd scream if I clawed her intestines out with my bare hand?"

If Damon had blood pressure, his would have been through the roof. His eye twitched. Yet he had to control himself because if he gave Katherine even the slightest hint that he cared anything about Bonnie, it would only fuel her to put her words into action.

"I'll let you decide," Katherine cooed. "Silence? Hmm. Have you gone soft like an impotent man, Damon?" she laughed again. "You just f*cked up. You _and _Stefan. Big time."

Click.

Damon threw Mason's cell into the raging fire and then turned his burning eyes on his brother. "Did you learn anything that we can use against that shemale?"

Stefan nodded his head. "I did and you're not going to believe it."

"If you tell me she's a transvestite I'll believe you."

"But she's making threats. I may need to move Elena in for a while," he looked at Damon to gauge his response. Surprisingly Damon looked distracted. That certainly wasn't the reaction he had been expecting. "What's up? Is it what she said about Bonnie?"

"What?" Damon asked and frowned. "No, I mean...yeah it would suck if she went after Bonnie again. You know how tired I am of saving her life."

Stefan gave Damon that stare down look he was notorious for. Damon for his part held his brother's stare and refused to look away. He knew his words sounded hollow because they were hollow. Already he was itching to go over to Bonnie's just to make sure she was all right.

"Right," Stefan drew out the word and rubbed his neck again. This was going to be another long night.

* * *

><p>Bonnie didn't feel the need to ask her "Uncle" if he wanted anything to drink. They sat adjacent from each other with her on the sofa, and him sitting on the very edge of her father's favorite overstuffed chair. Things were quiet between them because there were just too many questions going through her mind and each one became more and more ludicrous. There was no possible way a vampire could be her uncle, could be related to her in any sense of the word. Grams would have told her if that were remotely possible, but she never said a word.<p>

_Maybe she didn't know_, Bonnie rationalized. Elijah, from what Bonnie could remember about him, never came around often. The last time she remembered seeing him was just days before her seventh birthday. He had gotten her a Baby Alive doll, and an envelope stuffed with cash. Hmm, she wondered where that money was today, but he didn't come to her actual party, he merely talked with her briefly on the porch while her father tinkered away in the garage.

That was it.

"I know you're having a difficult time grappling with the facts as they are. But your family and mine have been connected for centuries."

Bonnie held up a hand to silence him. She could only process so much in one night. Just yesterday she spent it in the throes of passion with the copy of the vampire she used to hate, today blue-eyes kissed her, and now her vampire uncle has conveniently rolled into town. Too much, Bonnie's brain cells were yelling, this was all too much too soon.

"What do you mean by connected? Are we blood related or not?"

Elijah sat back in the chair and folded his legs over one another. He did it so gracefully like a 1920's dignified gangster or something like it.

"No, there is no blood relation between us. The founding matriarch of your family, Ayanna, was her name was the protector of these lands when my family settled here a thousand years ago. My mother paid tribute to Ayanna because she was a priestess, and Ayanna looked after us before we became…what you call vampires today.

"She protected the land and the people from our insatiable appetite. She was against my mother and father's plan to spare our family from a coming plague, and refused to help. When the plague came and nearly wiped out the entire village, Ayanna's family had survived, but she had fallen ill. She made me promise to look after her family, and I've upheld that promise since then."

Bonnie could admit to respecting Elijah because anyone else would have stopped centuries ago, yet she was shrewd enough to know there was more to the story. There always was.

"So…you're merely here to check up on me?"

Elijah offered up his version of a smirk. "I must admit to having a little favoritism when it comes to the female side of the Bennett line. Ayanna did confess to me there would be one in her line who would be more powerful than her predecessors combined."

Bonnie licked her lips. "And you think that's me?"

"I know it's you," he said it so matter-of-fact that it stopped Bonnie's heart.

"How can you be so sure? I mean, I've only just come into my powers."

Elijah slid back to the edge of the seat. "I'm only telling you this for your own good. But you give off a signal, like a beacon that directs anything supernatural your way. I'm sure you think it's all tied into the vampires who call this place home, or even your friend Elena-,"

"How do you know about Elena?"

"That's another story for another time."

"I have nothing but time, Elijah. Tell me how you know about Elena."

Elijah sighed. "She is Katerina Petrova's doppelganger."

Bonnie blinked. "Who?"

"The vampire you know as Katherine Pierce."

Bonnie cursed.

"I will spare you the boring details of that story," he responded dryly. And that was the story Bonnie wanted to hear the most.

"But you said that there's something about me that draws supernatural attention?"

"Yes. I haven't felt this kind of Power since Ayanna walked the earth. You could quite literally raise the dead if you wanted to, once you grow more in your craft that is."

"Why on earth would I _ever _want to do that?" she bulked. "I think I'll stick with floating feathers and lighting candles."

Elijah smiled at her patiently. "I hate to inform you, but you've been made for much bigger things, Bonnie."

Under much different circumstances—much different—Bonnie would take the compliment and run with it.

"Do you want something from me?" Bonnie asked and looked at him askance.

"I want nothing but to keep you safe. Some rumors have been circulating that Katerina never died in the church fire a hundred and forty-five years ago. I believe she's here and she's looking for something." He stared at Bonnie. "And something tells me you know exactly what it is I'm talking about."

Bonnie maintained her poker face. Just because one of her ancestors, the predecessor of her line trusted Elijah with watching over her family didn't mean he instantly earned hers. She didn't know much about him, hadn't seen him in ten years, so sorry if she wasn't going to give up any details on what she knew of Katherine and what she was looking for.

"I don't know anything," Bonnie automatically lied.

Elijah's dark brown eyes darkened until they were nearly as black as Damon's but not as sensual. Bonnie gulped.

"Do not lie to me, Bonnie," his tone was so cool Bonnie felt like she had hypothermia.

She cleared her throat. "Why do you care about any of this?"

"Because what she stole five hundred years ago belongs to my family."

"And you want it back?"

"Yes," his tone was curt. "She never should have taken it in the first place. You may want to keep certain truths from me, which you have every right, just know I will find out for myself-eventually. Like I always do."

Bonnie rose to her feet. "I think you should go, Uncle Elijah." Bonnie headed for the door and of course Elijah would be standing right there to block the exit. "Please."

"Bonnie, I'm not here to hurt you. We might not be of blood relation, but you are my family just the same, and I don't hurt members of my family."

"That's all well and good but put yourself in my shoes. A lot of crap has been happening for the last few months. I've been attacked several times, nearly lost my life several times, and you say that you've been tasked with protecting me? Well hate to say it but you've done a piss pour job, Uncle."

His eyes darkened and narrowed into slits this time and Bonnie felt the menace rolling off of him.

"Who attacked you?" he demanded. "They'll be dead by morning. I give you my word on that."

Bonnie couldn't help it, she had to chuckle. "Hold your horses, that person and 'people' have already been dealt with."

Elijah cocked his head to the side. "They're dead?"

"Ah…some of them, yes…look it's a long story, but the fact of the matter is I've had to grow up fast in the months following Grams death…you do know she passed, right?"

Elijah nodded his head, a look of deep sorrow crossing his features. It was amazing how vampires could flip their emotions like a person changing a channel. One minute he looked ready to kill and the next he appeared as if he wanted to sing "Amazing Grace".

"Sheila was an honorable woman. I sacrificed twenty-five rams in her honor."

Umm, okay, Bonnie thought.

"The hour is late, my love, and if I'm not mistaken you have school. I'll leave you now, but I implore you not to tell anyone that I'm here."

That would definitely be something Bonnie had no problems being mum about. Not until she found out his whole story and involvement with Katherine herself. Bonnie knew Stefan had spent the afternoon interrogating Katherine, and she hoped he learned something that would officially give them the upper hand. They had the moonstone, now all they needed to do was figure out its purpose.

She could ask Elijah but that was a whole can of worms she did not want to open just yet. She wanted to hear Katherine's side of the story first. And if necessary, she would tell Elijah where the broad could be found and the two of them could duke it out. It would only serve Katherine right to be turned over to the hands of her enemy, and Bonnie had enough street smarts to know Elijah wasn't an enemy anyone wanted to have.

He was a thousand years old—nuff said.

Elijah offered up a smile and wanted to kiss her cheek but knew she wouldn't welcome it. He had given her a lot to think about, but his business here in Mystic Falls was far from over.

The next time Bonnie blinked she was standing alone in the living room.

* * *

><p>Outside, two doors opened to the Mercedes waiting by the curb.<p>

A woman with a pixie cut and blue eyes dressed in black stared at Elijah over the hood of the car. "Katerina is here?"

"I'm sure of it," Elijah nodded and faced the man who was waiting for his next set of instructions. "Watch after my niece, Trevor. Make sure nothing happens to her, and don't let her know you're here."

Trevor nodded his head and was prepared to get lost, but Elijah clamped a heavy hand on the vampire's shoulder. "You fail me again like you did with Katherine, your head goes on my mantel. Understand?"

Trevor nodded a little less confidentially this time and got lost in the shadows.

Elijah sat in the back as the woman climbed in the driver's seat.

"Where now, Elijah?"

"I want to see these Salvatore boys, Rose. I want to know why Katerina was so fascinated with them."

* * *

><p>Bonnie needed a neutral place to meet with Stefan to have a discussion. She felt slightly bad for avoiding Damon who had called her three times already wanting—needing—to see her, and of course Stefan's blue-eyed brother had called her as well. All morning long, however, Bonnie couldn't escape the feeling she was being watched.<p>

They were sitting at the kitchen table in her grandmother's house, not drinking the coffee Bonnie made.

"Just give her what she wants so she can leave town. She always makes good on her threats," Bonnie argued.

Stefan shook his head. "I'm not giving her anything."

To that Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Your vendetta with this woman is going to cost us our lives. That's so incredibly selfish. And I never thought to hear this coming from _you, _Stefan." She rose from the table only to have Stefan reach for her wrist and tug her back down to the table.

"Bonnie, wait. The reason I can't give Katherine the moonstone goes deeper than some personal vendetta I have against her. Look, when Katherine was human she was betrothed to a vampire named Niklaus."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Klaus?"

Stefan nodded. "However, somewhere along the way Katherine fell in love with his brother…"

Bonnie snorted. "I see that's a habit of hers."

Stefan ignored that and continued on with what he heard from the horse's mouth. "Katherine fell in love with Elijah…"

Bonnie's eyes widened again. This couldn't be that big of a coincidence.

"…and the two of them thought Niklaus would release Katherine from their engagement and give his blessing for the two of them marry. Of course things didn't happen that way. Klaus basically threatened to send her to a convent until she died of old age, and you know Katherine-she wasn't going for that so she sought to get even. She took the moonstone and vanished.

"The legend behind the moonstone has been skewered through the years but this is the gist of it. You know that a werewolf bite can kill a vampire, but what would happen if a vampire fed a werewolf its blood and then subsequently killed that werewolf? You'd have, essentially a vampire/werewolf hybrid if the werewolf survived. So a witch bound vampires from being able to turn werewolves into hybrids. However, the spell can be lifted with four things."

"Four?" Bonnie was confused because she was sure only three things were needed.

Stefan began to tick the items off with his fingers. "To break the spell a vampire would need: another vampire, a werewolf, a human anomaly, and the moonstone."

"Human anomaly..?" then it dawned on Bonnie. "A doppelganger."

"Yes. What Katherine learned was that she wasn't as original as she thought she was. She was a doppelganger of the woman who was used to bind the spell. She was virtually a commoner, had a baby out of wedlock which meant her prospects for a successful match were non-existent. No man in his right mind would have married a woman like Katherine back then, but when she met Klaus and his family, and it was pretty obvious what she was, they brokered a deal with her family. They needed Katherine with them so they would have total control of everything needed to lift the spell.

"Klaus' family had sworn to the witch who cast the spell that they would protect the moonstone, and they would also comb over the earth looking for more doppelgangers. But when Katherine took the moonstone, after Elijah spilled the beans about its significance, that changed the game. To give her a message about betrayal, Klaus killed her entire family, the livestock too."

"Wow, and she's been on the run ever since."

"Pretty much," Stefan replied. "If Katherine breaks the spell she would be the only vampire on earth who could make hybrids. The power is only granted to the one to lift the spell."

"Great," Bonnie lamented. "So how did the moonstone end up in the Lockwood's possession?"

"She used the moonstone as a bartering tool with William Lockwood to be released before the other vampires were dumped in the church. She told him a much different story about the moonstone, saying with the right ingredients it could lift the werewolf curse and he wouldn't have to change again. He bought it, freed Katherine, who had every intention on doubling back to not only get the moonstone but to…"

"Kill William, too. Can't fault a girl for being resourceful. So now Katherine wants to create hybrids and my guess is so that she'll have an army in order to face her enemies."

"Yeah. I think she believes that hybrids will be unstoppable and hard to kill."

Bonnie laughed nervously. "This is too much like _Underworld_."

"Yeah, this does reek of science fiction but unfortunately this is our reality. So now you see why we can't give her the moonstone. Even if she agrees to leave town she could turn someone else into a vampire, and make another unsuspecting male or female activate their werewolf gene, and she would still need Elena. I'm not letting her have _anything."_

Bonnie had a decision to make. Elijah had asked her to not say anything to anyone about his being there, but after what Stefan just shared with her, and with the moonstone being in the Salvatore's custody, she wondered if it would be wise to let Stefan know. He wasn't very good at keeping secrets, and when pressured he cracked like an acrylic nail. All Damon would have to do, if he so much as smelled Stefan keeping something from him, was to threaten to go after Elena and Stefan would sing like a canary.

Best to keep quiet for a little while longer, but she would have to speak to Elijah ASAP. He had some _major _explaining to do.

"We should head to the boardinghouse," Stefan suggested.

Bonnie nodded her head and then Stefan's cell phone began wailing. He answered on the second ring. "Elena? What's wrong?"

Bonnie became alert after hearing Stefan's distressed tone. What had happened now?

"Jenna stabbed herself…you're at the hospital. Okay-okay, I'll be right there. I love you." Stefan sighed heavily, pocketed the phone, and pinched the bridge of his nose. The madness was just getting started.

He looked at Bonnie who was practically bouncing on her feet for more details.

"Jenna stabbed herself? Why would she do that?"

"One word…Katherine," he deadpanned.

Without saying another word they left Sheila's and made their way to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Days were running together. Hours felt like minutes, minutes left like seconds, and seconds felt like nothing at all. After spending a majority of the afternoon in the hospital waiting room, waiting for details about Jenna's surgery, Bonnie felt her nerves splitting and branching off. She hadn't eaten anything more substantial than chips and soda, and now she had been summoned to the Salvatore boardinghouse for an emergency meeting on how to handle Katherine.<p>

She entered the living room with her grimoire tucked firmly in her arm and nearly tripped over her feet when she saw not one but two Damon Salvatore's. Each were standing on opposite ends of the room engaged in different activities.

Yet both looked up at her the minute they sensed her presence. She hadn't seen nor spoken to dark-eyes since their incredible night together which only happened two days ago, but to Bonnie it felt like a lifetime ago. She wondered why he was here since he always made it a point to stay as far away from the boardinghouse unless of course he was there to act as her escort.

She tried her best to offer up some sort of flirty smile and failed miserably. It was kind of difficult to feel flirtatious when it seemed the walls were closing in, and she couldn't get a certain kiss out of her mind.

Bonnie finally brought her eyes over to blue-eyes and kept her face purposely blank. She didn't want to encourage him in anyway that she might have been a little happy to see him. She was happy he was still alive, but that was about it.

Just then her thoughts turned to Mason Lockwood and what took place after she left. Experience with Damon told her, he was not outside frolicking in the woods but more than likely he was feeding the worms.

She was a little too high on information overload to process that and act accordingly.

Nevertheless, she looked back to dark-eyes and mouthed the words, "I missed you."

He winked at her.

Instead of approaching him like she wanted, Bonnie moved over to her friends who had gathered around a table that was laden with weapons. Bonnie wasn't sure what would be asked or expected of her, but she would do whatever was necessary to stop Katherine. She had already hurt far too many people, and there was no way in hell Bonnie could let her carry out her maniacal plan to turn werewolves into vampires and unleash them on people. That could never happen. Ever!

Dark-eyed Damon knew Bonnie wasn't one to engage in public displays of affection, yet it would have served the blue-eyed critter right to see Bonnie come to him upon entering the house. Their connection was ironclad now that they solidified certain acts. There was little that could separate his love from Bonnie. Nevertheless, that small voice called doubt repeatedly reared its ugly head. Bonnie wasn't the typical teenager—that was a given—however she wasn't exactly acting like a girl that was besotted either. In fact, to Damon, her attitude had been mannish in that he was beginning to feel like she used him for sex and was done with him and was ready to move on to her next conquest.

He hated to think of Bonnie in those archaic terms, but she had refused his phone calls, and didn't want to see him last night. That's not how a girl behaves when she hands over her most precious gift to a man. So this told him that something happened and it was probably tied to the other Damon. He was really going to have to chop his head off now.

Ole blue-eyes was used to getting the cold shoulder from Bonnie. That was nothing new, however, it would have been a little nice if she at least tried to smile at him, smirk, or flip him off, anything would have been preferable to virtually being ignored in his own home.

Bonnie listened as Alaric went over some of the weapons and devices he created and/or learned to create during his vampire hunting tuition. Yet everything she heard went in one ear and out the other because she was simply too aware of both Damon's.

Stefan was the only one to pick up on her discomfort and pulled her aside. Neither Damon liked seeing Stefan touch or hound Bonnie.

"While they're going over everything, I was thinking if there might be something in the grimoire that could help us gain the upper hand on Katherine."

Bonnie hunched a shoulder and looked doubtful. "Maybe I can do something like the tomb spell. If I can isolate her…then you and Damon should be able to take her out."

Stefan looked notably relieved and pressed his hands together as if he were about to pray. "Thank you, Bonnie."

"Have you heard from Elena?" she asked. Elena had been a crying mess the whole time she sat with her at the hospital.

"She called a little while ago. Jenna is finally out of surgery. She's going to stay here until Jenna is released from the hospital."

"Good idea. Does she know about the plan?"

"No. I hate keeping this from her, but its best if she stays out of it."

Bonnie could agree but she knew her friend. Once Elena found out, because she always does, she was going to implement her two cents. She might have to entomb her as well as an insurance policy.

And before she knew it, blue-eyed Damon was standing behind his brother, breathing down his neck. Bonnie was always surprised that Stefan never jumped when Damon did his appearing act.

"Stop hogging the witch, brother. We have _real _things to talk about."

Stefan rolled his eyes and faced Damon. "If this is your backhanded way of getting her alone to antagonize her I suggest you come up with a different strategy."

"Who said anything about me antagonizing Bonnie? I'm glad she's here because other than myself and maybe Ric, we're the only ones with common sense."

Several people glared at Damon after hearing that comment.

"Besides," Damon continued. "I need to talk to Bonnie about something."

Upon hearing that, Bonnie's stomach dropped to her toes. There was no way she would go anywhere alone with Damon, especially not when two other vampires were present and could hear conversations verbatim no matter their location on the property.

"No!" she said hastily. "I should start looking for the spell to do…the ah thing with Katherine."

Damon stared at her drolly. "We don't need you to have sex with her, Bonnie, although that would be hot. We need you to kill her."

Bonnie's lips flattened into a thin line. "Pervert," she spat and shouldered her way past him. It was by the skin of his teeth he didn't slap her ass because she had a nice ass, one that deserved slapping a lot.

Stefan kept his eyes on his brother who kept his eyes planted on Bonnie's backside. What in the world was going on?

Bonnie walked back into the main part of the living room and focused her eyes on Damon who was handling a medieval crossbow. She walked over to him and he immediately put the weapon down, took her hand and pulled her closer.

A tick began to go off in blue-eyes jaw. He watched as Bonnie and Damon exchanged words, light touches, and were definitely having eye-sex. Bonnie retrieved her grimoire and got missing somewhere in the house. Dark-eyes hung around for a second and then he too disappeared.

Dark-eyes found Bonnie chanting in one of the lower rooms that had been converted into small offices. He opened the door, and locked it behind him. Bonnie looked up momentarily, saw it was only him and relaxed. She went back to reading over the incantation.

He sat down beside her and allowed the Latin words that traipsed off her tongue to fill his ears. He pushed her hair to the side and began to skim the tip of his nose against her neck. Bonnie tripped over a few words, mispronouncing them the minute his icy tongue hit her skin. It traveled from the base of her neck to her earlobe.

"I have to concentrate," she admonished him.

Damon pulled away. "Here's another life lesson for you, princess. Your enemy is not going to stop attacking you so that you can have the appropriate time to get the correct words out for a spell. You're going to have to learn to maximize your concentration in the midst of a hostile or confusing situation where you don't have time to think. Consider this practice. Now…read."

Bonnie cleared her throat and found her place again and lost it when Damon began skimming his fingers along her leg. She was stumbling, stopping, and starting, and giggling, and doing everything but reciting the spell.

Damon, naturally was enjoying every minute of making her hot and bothered but this was also something she needed to take seriously. His hand brushed along her ribcage, over her torso where his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast.

Bonnie began speaking a foreign language and it certainly wasn't Latin. She stopped altogether when he traced her skin with a single finger.

The silence, other than Bonnie's rushed breathing caught Damon's attention, and he pulled away from her neck. _"Read."_

"How can you expect me to read when you're feeling me up?"

"What I'm doing to you is nothing compared to what I could be doing. And if you ever fall into enemy hands, trust their torture is much different from mine. You have to learn to center your thoughts no matter what is happening to you. Read, Bonnie."

She huffed and began again. This time taking her time while trying to ignore what Damon was doing as if he were doing it to someone else. Call it inducing an outer body experience.

She was almost finished yet stumbled because Damon's teasing went up a notch. Bonnie dropped the book on the floor, shifted until her lips crushed against his, and before she knew it, she was straddling him.

Her fingers attacked his skin and his hair, and pulled at the buttons on his shirt to pop them open.

_This _is what he wanted, what he had been craving for the last two days. To feel her, touch her, make love to her. But as always she ran off to do the Salvatore brats bidding, stealing their precious time together. His lips devoured her. His hands were greedy.

However, the twisting of the locked doorknob caught their attention. Bonnie threw herself to the far end of the couch.

"Why is this door locked? Hey, there are no locked doors in my house."

Bonnie growled and fixed her clothes. She picked up her grimoire and tossed it on Damon's lap to hide his erection. Bonnie stomped to the door and wrenched it open.

"What?" she barked at _him_.

Their lust and arousal hit Damon square in the face. His nostrils flared and he glowered at Bonnie who returned it with her own icy expression. She smelled amazing when she was in heat.

"You two have been gone long enough," Damon finally said past the anger that was slow cooking under his skin. "We're about to go over the plans to take down Katherine at the Masquerade Dance. Get your asses in gear."

He didn't move a muscle. He waited and watched as Damon stood to his full height yet kept Bonnie's grimoire planted in front of him. Blue-eyed Damon stepped aside to let the couple pass. Silently the threesome headed down the hallway, but Damon grabbed Bonnie's hand and snatched her off.

They were standing in his bedroom with Damon's back braced up against the door. Irate couldn't even begin to describe how Bonnie was feeling.

"Damon, I don't have time for your childish games."

"This isn't a game, Bonnie. Were you seriously about to have sex with him in my house?"

She wasn't going to dignify that with a response. But she couldn't hide her slightly guilty expression either.

Damon snorted and moved away from the door and approached Bonnie until little room separated them and he loomed over her.

"Back up," she said and placed her hand on his chest to emphasize her words.

A devilish grin overcame his face. "Make me."

Bonnie sighed exasperatedly. "We don't have time for this, Damon."

"Then agree to talk to me someplace private and I'll leave you alone."

She didn't believe for one second it would be that easy. Nothing with Damon ever was. But if she hoped to keep this short to make sure certain facts didn't leak out, she'd agree.

"All right, fine," she said and glared at him. "Can we go?"

"Where are we meeting and when?"

"Tomorrow night is the party and when everything is supposed to unfold. It'll have to wait until this thing with Katherine is over."

Damon only stepped closer to Bonnie to now their clothes brushed whenever the other moved. Bonnie gulped nervously and wondered why her heart rate was speeding up.

"Damon, please," she whispered and dropped her eyes to her feet. "I can't do this. I'm not that girl who gets involved with two guys because she can," she looked back up at him, imploringly. "I like him…I may even love him…please don't complicate things. We can talk, just not now."

"So he doesn't know."

Bonnie pressed her index finger over his lips to shut him up. Why was it getting harder not to touch him and not to set his brains on fire whenever he stepped out of line or pissed her off? Bonnie didn't know.

Her finger against his mouth was scorching. He took that finger and then slipped it into his mouth, and sucked on the tip.

Bonnie's eyes widened and the tips of her ears were on fire. Bonnie maintained eye contact with Damon who looked ready to devour her in other places, and knew she should have looked away and put a stop to this. What they were doing wasn't making sense, and was completely inappropriate. Less than five minutes ago she was about to do the do with black-eyes, now here was letting blue-eyes lick her finger.

She was not going to turn into an updated version of Katherine.

Bonnie ripped her hand away and left the room.

Of course black-eyes would be waiting for her on the other side of the door—glaring. She gave out a little shriek.

"Do I know _what, _Bonnie?" he said.

"Damon…" _Tom Cruise_, Bonnie thought. _Come use your Scientology and get me out of this!_

Chapter end.

**A/N: I decided to redo the whole "sun and moon curse" and make it more about "any" vampire who breaks the curse as the only person being able to make hybrids. If the show hadn't diminished Klaus' villainous role, I probably would have kept the original storyline, but because I'm not terrified of him I've pretty much eliminated him as being the one who is cursed and trying to break the curse. Will he make an appearance or not? I'll let Elijah fill you in on that. Oh and I decided to incorporate what was learned about the Mikaelson's connection to Bonnie's family this season, which explains why Elijah refers to himself as Bonnie's uncle. I think it was kind of messed up Esther had been siphoning power from Bonnie's family to fuel her own life or whatever it was she was doing. And I had a much more difficult time thinking Bonnie would be okay with it. And I kind of figured I'd get mixed results about Bonnie's first time, but now her attraction to TV Damon is coming ahead and yes there will be monumental bumps along the way—that goes without saying. Thanks for sticking with his story even if you felt Bonnie should have given it up to ole blue eyes, like I said previously that wasn't an easy choice to make, but I have my reasons. Love you guys!**


	19. The Lies Beneath

**A/N: Hi, no long introduction needed. Read on.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Now would be an excellent time to faint, go into labor—wait you're not pregnant. Umm? Maybe recite the Pledge of Allegiance and act like you're sleep deprived. Why didn't I learn that teleporting spell…is there a teleporting spell? Cry! Tears are good, in fact from the look of barely contained, animalistic, fury that's etched on his face you wouldn't have to fake the waterworks. They will flow like rives, estuaries, streams, and oceans. No, maybe you shouldn't cry because then that might be misconstrued as guilt. No, you should definitely cry because seeing a girl cry would make him uncomfortable and he might momentarily forget he wants to tap dance in your entrails._

Bonnie felt her options were limited on what to do.

Damon was used to anger. He was used to feeling rage for no other reason than it was the highlight of his day to tear something apart. What he wasn't used to was feeling cold rage, the kind of rage where you might purposely hurt the person you care about the most because that person betrayed you in the worst way. He would never lay a hand on Bonnie. He loved her, yet there was that guilty look in her eye, her racing heart, her heightened emotional state, and the fact she was alone with _him _that really made him question his ability to uphold that promise.

He didn't want to believe anything was going on between Bonnie and Mystic Falls' poor excuse for a villain, but when he flashed his eyes to the other Damon and noticed he looked slightly worried, and kept darting his eyes to the back of Bonnie's head, it was all the indication dark-eyed Damon needed to put certain facts together.

Bonnie held her hands up in the classic surrender format. Pleading with her eyes, as her mouth opened, closed, and opened again. Was she going to tell the truth? She wanted to, more than anything, however, she didn't want to be killed because of it either.

Damon took a huge step towards Bonnie causing her to back up. Now all three of them were in the bedroom.

"Do I know what, Bonnie?" he repeated his earlier question through clenched teeth.

The words got stuck in her throat, refusing to come out. And the lump there only metastasized like cancer when she saw Damon's hands ball into fists so tight it was a miracle the bones hadn't punctured the skin.

"_Please_, Damon," she began so softly that if it weren't for his hearing he might not have heard her.

Dark-eyes tipped Bonnie's chin up with his finger. That would probably be the last gentle touch he gave her once he found out.

If this had been his little red bird she would have been a heap on the floor. Bonnie McCullough was always good at fainting. She was an expert on it, and so it jarred Damon for a moment that Bonnie Bennett was standing up to him, remaining complacent on her feet and putting on as brave a face as she possibly could. But that didn't diminish his anger, not by a long shot.

"I'm asking you one final time, do I know what?" His voice was so calm it reminded Bonnie of a sleeping cobra, a cobra that was still fully alert to strike you dead before you realized you stepped in its nest.

Admittedly, blue-eyes didn't want to put Bonnie in the middle of his ongoing feud, and it would be better across the board if he took the heat for this. Inwardly, he sighed. Hopefully, his face would still be recognizable once this was over.

"Come on, Damon," blue-eyes entered the conversation. "You're a Damon Salvatore so that should make you an expert on what we do best when it comes to the fairer sex."

_Please stop talking, Damon. You're not helping. _Bonnie wanted to say to him. The anger pouring off dark-eyes was choking her and being caught between the two of them was highly uncomfortable.

The darker eyed Damon stared at his counterpart with disgust lining his eyes. Already, in his mind at least, blue-eyes dead black heart was in the palm of his hand.

"_I _kissed her…it was epic," blue-eyes confessed.

Bonnie closed her eyes feeling like she had been hit by a car. Damon just signed his death certificate; his funeral will take place in the next five minutes. But that wasn't the truth. She was just as much a participant in what happened the other night, even if her participation only lasted for a second.

"That's not true!" she exploded. "I kissed him back."

"No, you _didn't_, Bonnie," blue-eyes bit out through clenched teeth. What was she doing? _I was giving her an out and she puts herself right back in_ _the line of fire?_ He thought.

"I'm not going to lie about this." Bonnie took Damon's face in her hands but his eyes were looking at a point above her head. "Yes, he kissed me, and I…kissed him back. It shouldn't have happened…"

He moved so fast that Bonnie actually screamed. One minute she was holding his face in her hands and the next her hands were empty.

_Ah, sh*t, _light-eyes thought right before Damon's fist connected with his jaw. Damon felt his jaw bone dent before it shattered into pieces. His body went flying backwards where it connected with a wall. There goes his shoulder again. He was slumped on the floor when Damon stood over him and jacked him to his feet by the collar of his shirt. He was subsequently head butted, bitch slapped and thrown across the room in a matter of seconds.

It already felt like an eternity to him although this all happened within the snap of a finger.

Bonnie stood frozen for a moment. It was damn near impossible with her human eyes to keep up with the onslaught. All she could make out were blurred shapes that appeared in different corners of the room for only milliseconds. She could give them both aneurysms but with dark-eyes being five hundred years old she would have to exert more energy, and this would also put blue-eyes at a disadvantage making him even more vulnerable than he was right now.

"Stop!" Bonnie yelled but knew better than to try to get in the middle of it.

Blue-eyes only managed to kick Damon away from him and landed a few solid blows to his abdomen, but nothing and he did mean nothing else he thought to do he couldn't do fast enough because Damon was everywhere. It was like there was ten of him and they were all whooping his ass and wiping the floor with his face and butt.

Stefan and Caroline snapped upstairs, took one look at the fight in progress, and without question moved in to intervene.

Only to find themselves flying through the air moments later. Caroline was thrown through the window, Stefan somehow ended up in the bathroom.

Alaric entered next, crossbow aimed and ready only the shapes were moving too fast. When he thought he had a shot, he took it but hit nothing but air.

Bouncing on her feet Bonnie didn't see any other alternative than setting the entire room on fire to get them to stop. Both were bloodied, both were panting and snarling, tugging, pulling, punching, and biting. Yet neither Damon was slowing down, giving in, or giving up.

Tears of rage clouded dark-eyed Damon's eyes. Every good thing he _ever _had was either taken from him or tampered with by others. Being here in this stupid dimension, Bonnie was the only joy he had. She was the only thing he felt was explicitly his, but no! Blue-eyes couldn't stand to see her happy with anyone and decided to make a move on her, confuse her feelings, despite the despicable way he treated her.

He would not give in and simply _let _light-eyes have Bonnie. That's not how he rolled or was bred to be.

Blue-eyes finally got the advantage and clubbed Damon's temples with his forearms and kicked him away.

Bonnie saw that as her opening. She flew over to dark-eyed Damon, stood in front of him like a shield, like a barrier.

Stefan yelled, "Bonnie, move!"

She didn't. She knew Damon was going to punch dark-eyes again and she'd offer herself up as an alternative. Beating each other into a bloody pulp wasn't going to solve anything or change what she did.

She closed her eyes, turned her head to the left and waited for the blow that would probably kill her.

Blue-eyes was in full swing by the time he realized that Bonnie was shielding his adversary. He instantly stopped his momentum, praying it wasn't too late.

Her chest rose and fell and the minutes ticked off, and that's when Bonnie realized she could still hear everything. Peeling one eye open followed by the other, she turned her head just a fraction yet stopped when she felt Damon's knuckles graze her cheek.

Lord Almighty, that was close, she breathed to herself and _finally _her body was ready to faint.

Dark-eyes caught her around the waist to hold her up. He wanted to shake her and curse her out for putting herself in the middle of two brawling vampires. She could have been killed! If Damon didn't have such good reflexes, than his punch certainly would have taken her head clean off!

"Are you insane!" blue-eyes exclaimed. "I could have clocked you."

"I needed...the both of you to stop..." she panted heavily. "Fighting isn't going to change what happened or make it better."

Dark-eyes scoffed to the contrary. "It certainly made me feel better."

In their precarious position, dark-eyes analyzed this. Bonnie was shielding _him. _She could have certainly jumped in front of light-eyes to get him to stop, but she didn't. She wanted to protect him. As happy as that knowledge made dark-eyes he still remembered why this fight started in the first place.

Gently he pushed Bonnie away though it was hard because her body was shaking and trembling, a side effect of adrenaline.

Stefan took his brother, who looked like he had been bludgeoned or attacked by killer bees by the shoulder and directed him out the room. "Are you done being retarded," he seethed.

Alaric hesitated. "Bonnie are you okay?"

"I'm all right."

He spared the twosome and all the broken furniture one final time prior to leaving. It was time he go to the hospital to check on Jenna.

Caroline reentered the room looking for confirmation that everything was finally over. She didn't want to leave her best friend alone with Damon who still looked poised to go another twenty rounds. Bonnie looked at her and motioned with her head for her to leave.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Bonnie nodded. Caroline was gone in an instant.

Alone, Bonnie approached Damon. His knuckles were on fire, the muscles in his body were taut like the string of a guitar, he couldn't stop pacing, and he wanted blood. Lots of blood.

She reached out for him but he flashed out of the way. "Don't," he held up a finger in warning.

"I know you don't want to hear what I have to say but you deserve to know what happened."

Damon shook his head and pierced her with a direct stare. "The only thing I'm interested in knowing is when. When did he kiss you? Because if it happened before we became intimate then…I can look past it, but if it happened after…"

Bonnie dropped her eyes to the floor—an incriminating move.

Damon sucked in a sharp breath and cinched his molars on top of one another as a tic did a rain dance in his jaw.

He punched his fist through the nearest wall. The action made Bonnie jump.

"That quickly, Bonnie! That fast! You weren't supposed to be like everyone else. You were supposed to be different!"

She began choking up again but her tear ducts were working just fine. A torrent flooded from her eyes. For a kissed that barely lasted twenty seconds, Bonnie cursed the experience as if she had been sentenced to life in prison.

"I am…different…" the words were said in a barely audible whisper.

He laughed harshly at that and shook his head.

"We should go somewhere and talk," she pressed on.

"No, the only place I'm going is home. And I'm going there alone."

"Damon," she tried and reached for him.

"I mean it, Bonnie. I'm done."

He was gone before she had the chance to question what he meant by done.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls Hospital Center<strong>

"No one is answering their cell phone," Elena's leg jumped nervously.

"Do you think something happened?" Jeremy asked her.

They were sitting in Jenna's room waiting for her to wake up from the anesthesia. She had been in surgery for the last few hours because her liver had been nicked during her "self-inflicted" stab wound. Of course there had been some creative editing with the story because the Gilbert siblings couldn't lose another parental figure. Jenna would have been placed under suicide watch and more than likely, upon her release from the hospital, would have lost guardianship of Elena and Jeremy. So they concocted the story of Jenna accidentally landing on the knife in the dishwasher after tripping on the carpet.

Crazier things had been known to happen, right?

Elena nibbled the corner of her thumbnail and shook her head. "At this point anything is possible."

"I still can't believe Jenna had been under Katherine's compulsion this whole time. I thought you slipped enough vervain in her tea so something like this could be avoided?"

Elena flashed her whiskey-colored eyes to her brother. She didn't like the implication in his tone that she had gotten sloppy in her duty to make sure Jenna remained immune.

"I did," she said in a harsh whisper. "But we haven't spent every morning together so I can't say if she's been drinking her tea or not."

And it was at that time Elena remembered the night of the dinner party, when Caroline made the suggestion that Bonnie read palms, and Bonnie had told Jenna to make sure she drank her tea. She closed her eyes and wished her aunt had listened. In fact, Elena wished she had taken more stock in Bonnie's psychic ability instead of brushing it off as Bonnie being weird.

Glaring at her brother she redialed Stefan and sighed in relief when he finally answered. "Where have you been? I've been calling you all night. I thought you were coming back to the hospital."

"I am…I got tied up with something. How's Jenna?"

"She's still in recovery. Stefan, are you _sure _everything is all right? You sound different."

"Elena, don't worry about me, just focus on Jenna. I'll be there soon."

He ended the call before she could berate him with more questions. It was time she tighten up and listen to her instincts more because they were telling her something happened tonight, something her boyfriend wanted to keep from her.

Elena rose from the chair, cell phone in hand. "Jer, I'm going to step out for a minute. Will you be all right here?"

"What am I five years old?" he scoffed. "I got my ring."

Elena nodded her head and then bent over Jenna to kiss her cheek. "I'll be back, Jenna."

Slipping out of her room, and leaving the hospital altogether, Elena called her next best source of information. She knew Stefan kept things from her as a way of protecting her which always backfired. So she stood on the sidewalk, pacing back and forth, waiting for the line to connect. She cursed when her call was routed to voice mail.

"Hey, Damon call me as soon as you get this. It's important."

When she turned around to go back in the hospital she ran into a man in a suit. She grabbed her wildly beating heart and offered the man an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."

"No, I am afraid I'm at fault."

Hmm, he had an accent and eyes that kind of reminded her of Fell's Church Damon. Elena was familiar enough with everyone in town and figured the man dressed to the nines was from out of town possibly visiting an ailing family member. However, the way he stared at her, like he knew her, unsettled her.

"I don't mean to stare but you remind me of someone."

Yeah, like she hadn't heard that before. "I've gotten that comment quite a lot these last few months."

"Then you must have a common face or just remind certain people of someone they used to know, used to be close to."

Elena had been raised to be polite even when the person she was talking to freaked her out. "I'm sorry but are you visiting someone?"

The man slipped a hand into his pant pocket and looked at a point above her head. "Yes, I have family in town," he answered vaguely.

"Anyone I might know? Oh, wait, I'm being intrusive. You don't have to tell me if you don't want."

The man looked at her again and Elena swallowed nervously. "I have a niece who lives here. I visit her every few years or so."

"Oh, maybe I know her. What's her name?" but then Elena did a quick estimation of the man's age and figured his niece might be in elementary school. He was far too young to have a niece her age, but then again there could be a large age gap between him and his older sibling.

"I really should be going," the man said abruptly. He stepped aside to allow her room to pass.

"Well, it was nice talking to you…I guess" she said and walked past the man, keeping him in her peripheral vision for as long as she could.

When Elena walked back into Jenna's room she saw that her aunt had her eyes open. A smile brightened her face and tears flooded Elena's eyes as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. She took Jenna's hand.

"Hey," she said softly. "Welcome back."

Everything in her body hurt, even her eyelashes. Jenna winced. "What happened? Why am I in so much pain?"

"I'm going to get your doctor," Jeremy volunteered yet he threw a knowing look at Elena which roughly translated into, keep your mouth shut about what _really _happened.

On his way out he ran into Stefan and told him the good news. Relieved that Jenna had pulled through surgery, Stefan loomed by the door allowing the two women to have a moment. Yet someone down the hall caught his attention. It was a man in a dark suit, groomed hair, cold detachment on his face.

"Stefan."

He swiveled his attention to Elena briefly before looking back down the hall again only to find the man was no longer there. That of course did not give him a good feeling.

* * *

><p>There was not a mountain of corpses piled at his door. That was a good sign. At least he knew how to channel his energy than to go on a killing spree like He Who Shall Not Be Named. Bonnie parked her car, and waited. She looked at the two-story Victorian, a house that became another refuge for her, and took note of the fact no lights were on. He might be home, he might not be home, or he could have gone back to Fell's Church. Damon never really specified <em>which <em>home he was referring to, so Bonnie had been hoping and praying, praying and hoping he meant this home in Mystic Falls.

Getting out of the car, she took the path to the front door, opened it, and tentatively entered the house.

"I would not take another step if I were you."

Bonnie gasped yet disobeyed the veiled threat. She closed the door behind her and reached for the light switch, flooding the room with light.

Damon was slouching in a chair that was next to the fireplace. There was an empty blood bag between his feet. Dried blood was crusted on his knuckles and on miscellaneous places on his face, but she could tell that he wasn't bruised or swollen. His midnight hair was in disarray something she wasn't accustomed to seeing, but everything else about him was composed. Perhaps too composed.

Bonnie was smart enough to keep the entire room between them. Her heart was in her throat, bile was in her stomach twisting and turning, and her mouth was as dry as a desert. Yet she had faced harder situations than this and came out unscathed, mostly.

Damon wanted to be alone. He needed to be alone because what he was feeling wouldn't benefit anyone. Not pedestrians, the elderly, or squirrels. He was in a pisser of a mood. And surprisingly he did want to return home. He wanted to go back to Fell's Church and see his little red bird, the girl who thought dying young and beautiful was romantic. She wasn't a true threat to his heart because she could never hurt him. But _this _Bonnie could.

"You're mad and you don't want to listen to me. But I'm going to talk regardless," Bonnie cleared her throat. "The night I kissed Damon," she winced because technically in her mind she didn't kiss him, but okay getting back on track. "I was with Damon because we…kidnapped Mason Lockwood. We brought him back to the boardinghouse for questioning, and when he woke up from his unconsciousness he attacked me…well he tackled me."

She didn't see this because her eyes were planted to the ceiling, but there had been a flicker of emotion on Damon's face.

"Damon kicked him off of me and they were about to fight, so I stopped them with aneurysms. I asked Damon if he was all right and he said he wasn't and that's when he kissed me and I kissed him back…for less than a second, but it was a second too long." Bonnie chanced looking at Damon and saw his eyes were planted on her but they were unreadable.

She pushed away from the front door and stood on the far side of the couch, still miles away from him. "Later on that same night my uncle showed up. My uncle who I just found out is a thousand year old vampire."

Damon sat up in his chair. "What?"

Bonnie took that as her cue to sit down. "My uncle Elijah whom I haven't seen since I was seven showed up yesterday. He told me how his family and mine have been connected and that he was asked to look out for my family line. But that wasn't the only thing I learned. He has a brother named Klaus who was engaged to Katherine. Elijah and Katherine fell in love somewhere along the way. Because Klaus wouldn't release her from their engagement, she stole the moonstone and disappeared."

Damon shook his head. "You learned all of that from your uncle?"

"Stefan. He spent most of the day interrogating Katherine and she filled in the blanks. My uncle doesn't know I know all of that about him, and he asked me not to tell anyone he's in town. The reason I'm telling you is because I don't want you to think what happened between me and Damon was romantic or planned. It was in the heat of the moment, and I was going to tell you but distractions kept popping up along the way."

Damon rose to his feet abruptly. "Bonnie, when I arrived the two of you were down each other throats—constantly. There was no love lost or trust between you, and after everything that's happened I've seen the changes between you and him. I can understand why he would be drawn to you, but he must know he doesn't stand a chance with you. Right?" he stared hard at her.

Bonnie quickly nodded her head. "I don't like Damon like that and I don't think I ever could. There's just too much bad blood between us."

"But yet in your own way you've been leading him on."

Now that made Bonnie get to her feet. "What? No I haven't. How?"

"Whenever he calls you go running off to meet with him. You never tell him to wait. You're at his beck and call and he's gotten used to it and he uses your good heart against you to bend to his will."

"And you think I haven't given you the same courtesy."

"With me everything _should _different because you know you mean more to me than a means to an end," Damon braced his hands on his hips. "Do you like him, and be real with me."

"I told you I don't."

He wagged a finger. "I'm not speaking in the romantic sense."

She thought for a moment. "I don't hate him as much as I used to."

"But he has some value in your life?"

She shrugged, feeling uncertain. "He's saved my life so yes...he has some value. I don't see where you're trying to go with this."

Damon sighed. "Since I've been here you haven't told me how you feel about me. I've poured my heart out to you. You know I love you. And yet I am totally in the dark on your feelings towards me. What am I to you? Am I just a nicer version of the vampire who tried to kill you? Am I your distraction? Italian stallion? Do you care anything for me at all?"

"Of course I care about you, Damon!" Bonnie raged, her green eyes becoming lighter until they almost glowed. "Do you think I would have slept with you if I didn't? I'm not the kind of chick who has casual sex. That's not me; that's not how I operate."

He stood before her in a nanosecond. "Then right here and right now, tell me how you feel about me."

Bonnie felt like she had been shoved into another corner. She hated opening up about her feelings because it made her vulnerable and she didn't like feeling as if someone or something had control over her emotions.

If she said the wrong thing this could blow up in her face, big-time, and she could lose everything they've built so far.

"You mean…so much to me, Damon. You make me nervous, you make me feel shy, but then you also make me feel like a woman who can rule the world" she looked up into his eyes, and saw him smirking. "You're the best thing to happen to me in a long time. You're the only guy in my life that I constantly want to be around. I haven't felt this way about anyone—ever," Bonnie reached for his hands. "And it scares me because it's so foreign. But you've opened my eyes to so much, taught me so much about the world, and about myself. I want you to be my teacher, my guide, my best friend, and my lover because at the end of the day I know no matter what happens you'll be there for me like no one has ever been there before."

"You mean that?"

"I do. I don't want to lose you over a stupid kiss."

Damon sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was about to break his own code. "If we're going to move forward then there's something you should know," he studied her eyes for a moment. "I took Caroline hunting."

All color faded from Bonnie's face just moments before it was replaced with molten lava. "WHAT? Why would you do that? I made Caroline promise she wouldn't hunt humans as a condition for getting her day walking ring, and you went behind my back and took her out anyways!"

And this is exactly why he didn't want to tell her because he knew she'd react this way. Luckily he had prepared himself for it.

"There's something you need to understand about my kind, Bonnie. We are hunters, born predators. We are not…trained house pets. No amount of conditioning will ever tame what's innate in us. Your friend needed to learn how to control her bloodlust before it consumed her with devastating results. She didn't kill anyone if that's what you're worried about. I was there the whole time guiding her through it."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. Was that supposed to make the situation better?

"You don't like what we are, that's fine, but remember this _we _didn't chose the diet."

"I understand all that," Bonnie said through gritted teeth.

Damon scoffed. "Do you really? I don't think you do. You have a reverence for human life and so do I because without humans I'd be dead. You might think I'm a heartless killer, but here's a shocker, I haven't killed…that many. I take only the blood I need and I go about my day. There is little difference between what I do and what a mosquito does but I don't see you condemning them."

"First of all bad analogy. You use compulsion on people to wipe their memories or to get them to comply with your wishes…which are never good by the way. You take people's choices away. You can end human life without hesitation."

"And I'm still failing to see the distinction between what I do from any other human walking this earth. People manipulate people all the time to get their way. Humans can kill other humans ruthlessly and in cold blood. But because I'm the living dead, something that's not supposed to exist, I'm the species to catch hell. If you truly feel this way about my kind then you might want to examine your friendship with Caroline. Press the wrong button and she's liable to snap."

Damnit he had a point, Bonnie inwardly seethed.

"Look, in Caroline's defense she didn't want to do it and she didn't want to keep it from you, but I made her. And perhaps that was my error in judgment, overriding the trust you share with her."

"You didn't make her do anything. She chose to keep it from me," Bonnie corrected.

"Either way we're still guilty of not telling you the truth."

"I don't know what to say," Bonnie laughed humorlessly. "You take my best friend hunting and I kiss the other Damon. We are certainly 0 for 2 in the trust department."

"And there can't be a relationship without trust," Damon ran a hand through his hair. "So where do we go from here? You don't trust me and I don't trust you around Damon."

"I never said I didn't trust you, but…you broke a promise."

"And you made out with some guy with my face."

It was hard not to smile. "I really hope you were joking just now."

That bad-boy twinkle was back in his eye. "Maybe," he sat down on the sofa and tapped the cushion next to him. He didn't continue speaking until Bonnie sat down. "I don't follow rules, you know, but if I give my word on something it's ironclad. My offer to remain here still stands on the table, but…maybe we need to alter something's."

Bonnie looked at him. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

He shrugged. "What I want is you. But I don't want to be alone in the wanting department. If you have feelings for Damon, even an inkling, you need to let me know now."

"I don't," she said with conviction, although there was that super tiny microscopic part of her that felt she just lied.

"Prove it to me," he said.

For the next three hours they did nothing but "talk".

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Well, the pain finally went away. It took a little longer than usual only because bones were stubborn in terms of healing acceleration. But he was beginning to feel like his old self.

Damon was on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wanted to call Bonnie, check up on her, and make sure she was all right. It was his fault, as usual, for dark-eyes flying off the handle, but he just couldn't help himself. He wanted to be honest and get a rise out Damon, but of course the last thing he wanted to do was put Bonnie in a position to get hurt. She didn't deserve it because she hadn't been the one to initiate the kiss.

And that kiss was all he could think about. Her lips were so soft, and she had been responsive despite the fact she had been hesitant, and the kiss ended just as quickly as it began. But that event told Damon all he needed to know. She might consider herself in love or deep like with the other Damon, but she _wanted _him.

Okay, maybe he was being too cocky. Damon could contend he hadn't been overt with showing Bonnie that she was officially on his radar, and maybe he should do more to let her know she had options—better ones. But at the end of the day he knew he couldn't do that. Call him developing or having a maturity growth spurt, but Damon realized that being involved in a love triangle only worked to the advantage of the one who started it. And he had been in his share of twisted love plots to want someone of his own.

So long as dark-eyes was in the picture, Damon knew he could never have unlimited access to Bonnie, and she wouldn't give him the time of day because she wasn't that kind of girl. She followed rules and order and lived by a code of always doing the right thing even if it was at the wrong time. Nevertheless, if he really liked her wouldn't he want her to be happy?

That would be the noble part of him, but he wasn't noble. And this question remained, what about him?

Could Bonnie make him happy? He wasn't sure. They had too many problems to overcome, but as of late they had been working well together. She's had his blood and that's always a good tool to influence someone's opinion about him, to make it better. Yet Bonnie was like every other seventeen year old girl out there who waited their whole lives for some hot guy to come along and say he loved her. And Damon was nowhere _near _ready to drop those words on anybody.

His cell buzzed. He turned his head to look at it while it gyrated on the end table. Reaching over to grab it, he rolled his eyes and hit the ignore button. He wasn't in the mood to reenact highlights of the six o'clock news with Andie Starr.

Someone entered his personal sanctuary and Damon could feel judgmental eyes on him. "Go away, Stefan."

"I'm not going to take up too much of your time because you're oh so busy," he snorted. "Bonnie's my friend. I won't see her hurt."

Damon wouldn't even bother sitting up in bed to make sure Stefan saw his eye roll. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do?"

"You don't want to know."

Damon had to sit up now. His left eye squinted at Stefan. "Look who decided to put on his big boy drawers today. Finally got your balls back from Elena?"

"I could ask you the same thing in reference to both her and Katherine."

Low blow, Damon thought, but a righteous one.

"Remember, Damon I used to be a ripper."

He yawned. "Go sit down. You don't have the guts."

"Leave Bonnie alone and you won't have to find out if I do or don't. Good night."

"Kiss my ass," Damon flopped back on the bed. After a minute he had to chuckle. Seems like Bonnie was putting the life back into everyone these days.

The following day Damon was in the downtown area, leaning up against his car, shades on, eyes directed at the ground, listening in to Bonnie and Elena's conversation as they strolled down the opposite side of the street. They were laughing and talking about her "night" with Damon.

"So you guys are starting fresh?" Elena asked and took a sip of her smoothie.

Bonnie nodded. "Yep, he calls it tabula rasa."

"Cool…so have you made a decision on whether you want him to stay for good or not?"

"I'm still not comfortable making that decision for him. Of course I don't want him to leave, but the people he knows in Fell's Church might be in trouble, and they might need his help, but he won't know unless he goes there. So I asked him to consider going there, once he finds a door to open with that key, check on things, and if everything is kosher, he should be able to come back."

"That sounds good in theory, but…" Elena hedged. "What if time passes different there than it does here? What if to him he's only gone for a couple days, but here its years?"

Bonnie frowned. She hadn't really thought of that. "It was just a suggestion."

Elena took another sip of her smoothie. "Do you really think he's over your 'kiss' with Damon?"

Eavesdropping Damon turned his head just a fraction.

"He's a man, what man is ever really 'over' his girl kissing another guy? He's not the completely innocent victim in this. Yes, I should have told him as soon as it happened, but he didn't tell me about Caroline."

"So two wrongs make a right?" Elena asked. Bonnie glared at her. "That was sneaky and shady of him," Elena amended and then smiled. "You two are perfect for each other."

Bonnie reached over and attempted to push Elena into patio furniture that was being displayed on the sidewalk.

Bonnie flicked her eyes up to her best friend. "How do you feel about Damon kissing me?"

Elena shrugged. "He's not my boyfriend, but of course I don't want his lips anywhere near my friends. Damon needs to learn to get his own girl and stop trying to take everyone else's. It's gotten old and pathetic."

After hearing that Damon had to snort.

"Hey, guys," Caroline appeared in front of them.

"Hey Care," Elena greeted.

"Hi," Bonnie muttered.

Caroline lost a bit of her smile but continued to beam anyways. "What are you doing?"

"Just doing a bit of light shopping."

"Oh, are you getting accessories for the masquerade dance tonight? I have my whole outfit assembled."

Elena frowned. "Stefan doesn't want to go, but it works out because Jenna is coming home from the hospital today."

Caroline and Bonnie did not make eye contact with each other. "That's great! Do you need me to bring anything to the house before I head over to the party?"

Elena thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No, the kitchen is pretty well stocked, but more than likely we'll probably end up ordering a pizza."

"Okay, girls, I'm off to get my highlights, highlighted. Bonnie I'll see you at the party."

Bonnie merely compressed her lips into a tight smile. Odd, Caroline thought and walked off but stopped and doubled back. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know. You tell me?" Bonnie questioned.

Caroline instead looked to Elena for a hint and got nothing. "Are you still mad about last night?"

"I _know_, Caroline."

She was confused. "Know what?"

Bonnie said nothing only stared at her unflinchingly. Caroline connected the dots and her jaw plopped open as her eyebrows rose.

"Bonnie, I wanted to tell you but he made me promise not to say a word because he knew you'd get upset."

"I'm upset that it happened, yes, but you're my best friend, Caroline. You should have told me anyways."

"I know, Bonnie and I didn't hurt the guy…I mean it did hurt because I bit him…"

Bonnie reached for Caroline's hand and gripped it. "I know. Damon pointed out some flaws in my logic…not saying I agree with everything he said, but…no one is perfect, and I need to realize that…people will give in to their nature no matter what you do to prevent it."

"So just to be clear you're not mad at me?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I'm not mad. But please, if you can, abstain. I know its asking a lot but I have a duty as well and I don't want to have to put the smackdown on you, but I will if I have to," she smiled.

"That won't be a problem I promise. Consider me an official vegetarian. Okay, let me get a move on. Ramone turns into such a drama queen if I'm half a second late for his appointment."

Elena and Bonnie turned to one another once she was gone. "She needs to stop reading _Twilight_," they said in unison and resumed walking down the street.

Damon didn't climb behind the wheel of his car until he could no longer hear Bonnie and Elena. So dark-eyes took Caroline hunting? He'd take that information and store it for later use. Checking the time Damon had to hustle. He had a party to crash and a special VIP to decapitate.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I had a difficult time writing this chapter, dialogue-wise because I didn't want it be melodramatic and over the top. I'm still not happy with it, but I think I got across what everyone needed to say to each other. Next up, the Masquerade Dance. Thanks for reading. Love you guys.**


	20. Cheers, I'll Drink to That

**A/N: I think I had too many Bamon feelings from last night's episode 3x21, and I wanted to incorporate all that *married* goodness in this, but then this would turn into a much different story which a much different rating. He-he. But here is my twist on the Masquerade Ball. Enjoy guys! This is kind of fast-paced and as usual a lot is going on. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

She was dressed like Beyonce from her "Run the World" video, in that yellow tunic with those outrageous splits that raced all the way up to her hips. Bonnie's tunic was black with splits that stopped about mid-thigh. An ornate black mask covered her face, but small green stones lined the eyes which made hers sparkle like emeralds. Fish net stockings covered her legs, and four inch Nine West boots completed the look.

The front lawn of the Lockwood mansion was brimming with excited spectators raging from teenagers to the elderly. No one missed the Masquerade Ball which was nothing but another poor excuse for the Council to sniff out who was human and who was not. But it was tradition and Mystic Falls was a town that coveted its traditions.

Bonnie walked past a group of entertainers who were dazzling the audience with fire dancing and sword swallowing. There were also jugglers, and contortionists. It was plain to see that Carol Lockwood didn't spare a single expense, but then Bonnie had a cynical thought and wondered if this party was being paid for by hardworking citizens at the mercy of a tax hike. She saw a litany of elaborate and plain masks but everyone was still easily identifiable. Masquerades were big business in cities like New Orleans and Paris, and this was Mystic Falls' way of taking a walk on the cultured side.

However, as Bonnie passed a group of well-known rednecks who couldn't leave their confederate flag hats at home, not everyone received the memo this was the twenty-first century.

She carefully navigated her way up the stone steps that were lined with potted torches as she headed towards the big house. Bonnie spotted Damon and Stefan standing across from each other at the top of the stairs in matching black suits, white shirts, and black ties. Bonnie had to admit they looked fine in their tailored threads and she especially liked Stefan's mask because it contoured his face so well. When she reluctantly forced herself to look at blue-eye Damon, even though the large almost butterfly shaped mask covered a majority of his face, his blue eyes were glowing like sapphires and were focused on her like lasers.

Her Damon came out of the woodwork from somewhere and fell in step beside her, resting a hand on the small of her back. He leaned over and whispered something, "You keep swaying your hips like that I'll forget what we came here for."

She grinned shyly and looked over at him. He was dressed in all black: suit, pants, jacket that fit his body like a glove. His mask was a simple black mask something she'd see a superhero wear. And as Bonnie looked more closely she realized his mask wasn't being held together by ribbons, but it was actually adhered to his face.

_Lord, he is fine_, Bonnie drooled since the black of the mask matched his black eyes perfectly creating an eeriness to his face that made it almost impossible to look away. He looked like airbrushed perfection.

She and Damon gazed at one another as they climbed the steps and were heading to the archway which led inside the mansion.

Bonnie acknowledged Stefan with a nod of her head which he returned. She looked over to her left to do the same with Damon, but was distracted when dark-eyes reached for her hand to entwine their fingers.

When she looked back up and over to Damon he was no longer standing in the last spot she saw him. Bonnie hesitated and searched the grounds trying to spot him like Where's Waldo, and found him standing right behind her.

Dark-eyes gritted his teeth and kind of tugged on Bonnie's arm to garner her attention.

"Sorry," she muttered and entered the mansion.

Stefan fell in step with his brother. "Could you not be so obvious, please? The plan is to kill Katherine tonight. I won't have enough energy to break up another bitch fight between you and him. Bonnie's with him. Accept it and get a life."

Damon snorted. Over the years he had perfected blocking out the irritating sound of Stefan's voice and only absorbed key words when talking with him at length.

The house, as always, was beautifully and appropriately decorated. Bonnie only took note of this briefly as she listened to the song being broadcast throughout the house. She smiled a little and did a quick jig. It was her new favorite song "Put Your Graffiti on Me".

She happened to look over her shoulder at the guys standing behind her. "_Tag me_," she said with a wink and then hustled off with dark-eyes following closely behind her.

Damon smirked. Sure he'd tag her. One day, and if he had his way that would be happening very soon.

Everyone knew their assignments. He and Stefan would be on the lookout for Katherine. It would be Caroline's job to lead her to the room Bonnie was going to entrap Katherine in with something like the tomb spell so she couldn't leave, and course, Stefan and Damon will be there lying in wait.

Now all they had to do was wait.

* * *

><p>Earlier that day Katherine stood in front of the full length mirror painstakingly straightening her hair. She didn't get this Elena chick. She couldn't understand why she walked around in plain long sleeve shirts and tight jeans and sneakers. Katherine rolled her eyes in disgust. And the other thing she didn't understand about this little girl was why she chose to wear her hair pin straight. All the freaking time! Call Katherine old school, which she was from a different era where the more elaborate the better, but they were given beauty for a reason, why not flaunt it? Why hide it behind stupid clothes and boring hair?<p>

Well, apparently the Salvatore' boys altered their tastes in women and after being on the Katherine Express they felt taking a simpler road in life would equal less stress and less pain. Whatever. What was the point of going through life and having it easy all the freaking time? That was so dang boring. She could easily understand Stefan's attraction to Elena, but Damon…someone put out an APB for his dick, scrotum too.

Well tonight she would remind them both why they fell in love with her. Why, even back then they were willing to share because Katherine had proven to be far from safe and easy. She was dangerous, she was a hellion, she was controversial. All the things Damon craved to add meaning to his dull existence, and everything Stefan was told was forbidden and could lead to hell.

The door to her bedroom opened and in a nanosecond Katherine dropped the flat iron and had her pale white hand wrapped around the intruder's throat. When she saw who it was she let go and then pulled the tall, caramel beauty into her arms for a quick hug.

"Took you long enough to get here."

"Yeah, well I was in Santa Fe when I got the message to haul my ass to Virginia. I got here as soon as I could. What's with the hair?"

Katherine rolled her eyes and picked up the flat iron to resume her work. "We're going to a ball tonight and I have a part to play. Do you know what you have to do?"

The woman looked around Katherine's meager dwellings with a wrinkled nose. "Yeah, but I still don't understand why you couldn't get Greta to do this."

Katherine snatched the cord out of the electrical socket and growled. "The cow slept with my toy and you know how I am about my toys. She needed to go."

Perfectly arched eyebrows rose. "Okay, fine. Where's my dress, hoochie?"

Katherine smiled. Lucy was the only, and she did mean _only _woman on the face of the planet who could get away with calling her names. She was something like her best friend if Katherine wanted to be human and put a label on their…working relationship. Whenever Katherine wanted to have a good time and start some trouble, Lucy was who she called and she showed up no matter what was going on. It was hard to find reliable people like Lucy these days.

With a shift of her head towards a door behind Lucy, she indicated that's where she could find her dress for the evening.

"I need you to look hot," Katherine said. "I can't show up with a hag on my arm."

Just then, Ms. Flowers the owner of the lovely bed and breakfast Katherine was utilizing strolled by. "Hi, Ms. Flowers," Katherine crooned. She wiggled her fingers at the old lady and then proceeded to slam the door shut.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Bonnie were dancing, practically dry humping one another but it wasn't intentional. The crush of bodies trying to fit in one of the living rooms that had been designated for dancing had reached its capacity about eighty people ago, and still crowds kept squeezing into the space.<p>

Dark-eyed Damon was outside putting foot to ass to a group of vampires Katherine had employed to act as her muscle. She had several goals in mind: get the moonstone, kill the Salvatore's, and of course make off with the vampire she created, snatch up Tyler and make him kill someone, and get her hands on Elena.

Caroline looked out into the crowd for any strange or unusual activity. Her phone buzzed in her hand. She opened her text message. It was her turn. She leaned in close to Bonnie. "I'm up."

"Be careful!" Bonnie shouted back and watched as Caroline barged her way through the crowd.

A strong pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around her middle and pulled her flush against an equally strong chest. Cold lips pressed against the shell of her ear and neck.

"They're dead."

Bonnie inclined her head to stare up at Damon. "How many?"

He shrugged and then reached for Bonnie's hand so he could spin her around to face him. "There were six of them; complete and total amateurs they were. They just don't make vampires like they used to. I nearly fell asleep out of sheer boredom in fighting them."

Bonnie giggled and then found herself being turned back around, ass pressed up against Damon's crotch and then he bent her over.

Oh, wow, Bonnie thought as she touched her toes. Heat-filled shivers ran up her spine. For as much as was going on behind the scenes she couldn't relax into the moment, not fully, not until Katherine was dead.

Bonnie was back in a standing position with one leg wrapped around his waist.

"Relax," he told her with the slight bearing of his teeth.

"I'm trying," she whined. "So much can go wrong with this plan."

"Try harder," Damon advised and picked her up. "I won't have you looking pitiful tonight. You're looking too delicious for that."

She blushed and then really put it on him.

Twenty minutes ago, Bonnie had chosen a room to trap Katherine that was as far away from the party and recited the spell. Once it was complete she let Stefan and Damon know, and that's when dark-eyes sensed that Katherine had not shown up alone. He disappeared to check it out, and sent a text to Bonnie that he would clean house. Her job was to of course stay inside and act as normally as possible.

That naturally didn't happen. Her first instinct was to rush out and help. Sitting on the sidelines was for injured players. Bonnie wasn't injured and she wasn't a damsel in distress. When she rushed outside, she caught sight of Elena dancing with Stefan.

Wait, no that wasn't right because Elena and Jeremy were at home with Jenna and Alaric. It was Katherine.

Retracing her steps back inside Bonnie did a frantic search for blue-eyes. She didn't spot him anywhere so she called him but he either purposely ignored her call or he was in the middle of doing something else.

That's when she remembered Damon's part of the plan. He would enter the room once she spelled it and hide in the closet.

Bonnie halted her steps just outside the threshold. "Damon," she whispered and checked both ends of the hall to make sure she was alone.

He appeared right before her which made Bonnie squeak. "Stop doing that," she admonished. "Katherine's here."

"Good," he replied and made it no secret that he was giving her a _very _thorough once-over purposely stopping to gawk at her thighs and exposed breasts in the v-neckline tunic.

His mask was off leaving his face bare and Bonnie felt herself blushing and feeling self-conscious. She stepped away from the invisible barrier which kept them apart and kept them restricted from touching.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "Okay, I'm going to head back down. Be careful."

She made it to the staircase when Damon's next question nearly made her fall down it. "Would you be sad if Katherine somehow managed to get the upper hand and staked me?"

Bonnie turned back around to face him. "I might be a little upset only because you failed to kill her."

He smirked at that and didn't move from his spot, not until her footsteps blended in with all the others.

Back in the present Bonnie was grinding on Damon again when she caught sight of Caroline being led by Katherine by the roots of her hair, it seemed, up the stairs.

Hopefully nothing drastic happens.

_Someone should give me an Oscar for this_, Caroline thought as tears rolled down her cheeks as she pleaded with Katherine to let her go. Not only was she ruining two hours of hair and makeup but the she-male had seriously pissed her off by slamming her around like a rag doll.

"Where is she?" Katherine seethed as she entered the room only to find it was empty.

Caroline's tears dried up and she smiled victoriously. "I did it. I didn't think I could do it."

Katherine's dark brown eyes narrowed and she charged at the newborn only to find herself ramming into an invisible barrier.

"What the hell?" Katherine really raged then. How in the world had she been tricked by a breast-feeding vampire? Her, Katherine Katerina Petrova Pierce, Head Bitch in Charge, how had this happened? And why didn't she _see_ this coming?

Maybe she underestimated the Salvatore's, thinking they were dummies, that they weren't crafty in any way, shape or form. Her bad, her mea culpa. She wouldn't be making that mistake again.

Caroline wiggled her fingers at Katherine. "Die hard, bitch," she said and walked off.

Katherine became very still and listened and the next thing she knew, a piece of wood was being shot into her back.

Ooh, it was on like popcorn.

Downstairs the party was still in full swing and Damon and Bonnie were entertaining the crowd. Bonnie had no idea he could move like this! It was almost like she was dancing with Justin Timberlake which surprised her immensely. Bonnie twisted, bucked and dipped, and wiggled her hips and Damon kept up with her pace as "Gold Digger" streamed from the speakers, which also provided a nice soundtrack to the brawl taking place upstairs.

A stake produced itself from Stefan's jacket sleeve and he promptly hurled it at Katherine who ducked. It was soon imbedded in the wall, but Stefan had another one just like it and threw it like a trained mercenary. Katherine caught it right before it struck her in the abdomen and promptly threw it back at him.

Damon tackled her to the ground and punched the living daylights out of her, but Katherine wrenched her knee between their bodies and kicked him off her. Damon was launched in the air. His back crashed against the ceiling before he fell hard to the floor.

She was up and on her feet like a ninja and flipped her hair out of her face. Stefan unfortunately was out of stakes so he improvised. He picked up a vase and threw it. Katherine did a roundhouse kick, shattering the vase into pieces. It rained dirt on Damon's back.

"You two are such sorry bitches," she said, cut a cartwheel, grabbed Damon by his belt buckle in mid-air and promptly tossed him like a football at his brother to catch. The two went down like bowling pins.

The brothers groaned. "This isn't what I had in mind when we put this plan in motion," Damon moaned as he rose to his feet.

When he was up he caught Katherine plucking the stake out of the wall. He flashed over to her, caught her wrist and turned it around so that the sharp end was pointing towards her.

"F*CK!" roared from Damon's mouth after Katherine's kneecap met with his nuts. Tears instantly lined his eyes as he dropped to the ground, clutching himself.

Katherine smacked her palm against his forehead and pushed him backwards. She crooked her finger at Stefan. "We got unfinished business, you and I."

And right before Katherine reached him, Damon grabbed a hold of her ankle and pulled her backwards causing her to fall forward. Katherine landed on the coffee table decimating it into pieces. Stefan utilized this and picked up a leg, jumped on top of Katherine and plunged it through her shoulder.

She roared in agony, reached up and buried her thumbs in his eye sockets.

"URGGHHH!" he cried and fell backwards.

Coughing and wincing, Katherine pulled the makeshift stake out of her shoulder. She rested on her side for a moment to get her bearings together, but then found Damon standing over her, boot raised.

He missed his mark by a mile because Katherine stabbed him in the leg with the stake.

Bonnie screamed when Damon lifted her over his head and spun around. The world swam around her and a second later she was back on her feet.

Suddenly Bonnie was overwhelmed with a different kind of pressure, sensation. It felt familiar and foreign at the same time.

"Do you feel that?" she asked him.

"I do."

Wordlessly they clasped hands and sought out the feeling. They were able to trace it to another room where people stood around the table that was laden with food.

Bonnie felt the sensation increase like a sonar wave and it was radiating from the tall, black woman with the waist long light brown hair. Bonnie tapped the woman on the shoulder and narrowed her eyes behind her mask to try to figure out if she had seen her before.

"Do I know you?" Bonnie asked.

"No. I know no one here," the woman replied a little too quickly for Bonnie's liking. "I'm a plus one."

Just as she was about to ask another question, Bonnie's cell phone began vibrating against her leg. She had stuffed it in her boot. The woman had taken that as her opportunity to ghost away.

Taking out her cell she saw that it was Alaric calling. "Hey, what's up?"

"Something's going on with Elena. We were all sitting around eating and she just started screaming, and saying she felt something stab her in the back. She's bleeding. What the hell is going on over there?"

Bonnie's eyes widened. "What? How is that possible?"

Damon had heard the conversation and took off after the woman. He easily found her slipping outside heading for the parked vehicles.

She came to a screaming stop when she saw Damon leaning up against a shiny red Corvette. "Going somewhere, love?"

The woman bit her lip and looked around frantically. She was two seconds from screaming for help when Damon flashed behind her and covered her mouth with his hand, and trapped both her arms behind her back in one painful grip. He felt the woman tense at the same time he figured out what she was. He felt the same inner vibration coming from the woman that he felt from Bonnie.

He spun the mystery woman around and held her by the throat. He could tell she was trying to divert him with an aneurysm but he was much too strong for that.

"I'd stop that if I were you."

"Let go of me," the woman choked.

"Whatever you're doing to Elena I suggest you stop it right now," his eyes darkened considerably, and Lucy felt nothing but menace coming from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy clawed at Damon's hand which squeezed her neck more tightly.

"Wrong answer. Cooperate please. Or you and I are going to take a little walk."

"Give me the moonstone and then I'll stop."

Damon hated negotiating. Things worked better for everyone if everything happened along his terms. Unfortunately he heard Bonnie coming up behind him. He turned slightly to face her. "Hi, angel."

"Damon, let her go."

He held on for a second longer before doing as Bonnie commanded. "As you wish." He let Lucy go but not without pushing her up against a car. He straightened out his jacket and brushed past Bonnie. "I should warn you," Damon addressed Lucy again. "I'm the nice one between the two of us."

Bonnie stared hard at the woman and wondered why she seemed so familiar to her. "Do I know you?" she asked again.

Lucy coughed and tried to catch her breath. She took off her mask. Bonnie did the same. "No, you don't know me, but you sense you can trust me."

"You're helping Katherine hurt my friend. Why?"

Lucy shrugged. "The hoe saved my life. I owe her one. Several actually. But that's not important. Give me the moonstone and I'll unlink Katherine's life with Elena's."

"Nope," Bonnie folded her arms over her chest. "We're going to come up with a better solution."

"Yes, let's," another voice entered the picture and both women turned to regard the new arrival.

* * *

><p>Back inside, thankfully Bonnie found Caroline and told her to get Damon and Stefan to stop fighting Katherine because she was linked to Elena, so whatever they did to Katherine, she felt.<p>

They all held up different corners of the room seething. Katherine tried to go the route of small talk but neither one of the Salvatore brothers was falling for that particular trap.

Rising from the couch, she paced around the room. "You know all of this could have been avoided if you just would have given me what I wanted from jump street or you left me alone. No, you had to go digging in my past."

Stefan scoffed. "You must have forgotten you were the one to start all of this, Katherine. You were the one to make your presence known in town."

"So true," she purred and approached him. Stefan stood to his full height, on the ready in the event she tried something. "All I wanted was to make myself untouchable. Is there really anything wrong with that? And I wanted you, Stefan, and you want to know why? Because I love you."

Damon for his part rolled his eyes but then, grabbed the nearest piece of broken wood, caught Katherine by the shoulder and pinned her against the wall, arm raised.

"No, Damon! She might still be linked to Elena."

"Tell it to someone who cares."

"Say it isn't so," Katherine said dramatically. "You finally got your head out of Miss Purity's ass. Bravo, Damon!" she cackled.

"Am I interrupting something?" dark-eyed Damon insinuated. He was leaning against the threshold, arms folded looking as cool as a cucumber. He wanted this whole meaningless charade to be over so he could get back to violating Bonnie on the dance floor.

"_Please_ tell me I can gank this bitch?" blue-eyes asked.

"Sorry, old dog but you'll have to get in line," dark-eyes replied.

Katherine pushed Damon away from her but not without attempting to lick his lips with her tongue. He jerked away from her. She sauntered to the middle of the room looking bored.

"Bring him or her on so I can mop the floor with them, too."

Her jaw dropped when she saw who it was that rounded the corner. The brothers didn't know the man but apparently Katherine did because she lost all coordination and began tripping over furniture to put as much distance between herself and the stranger. They sensed real fear coming from the heartless wench who took pride in scaring school children as a side job.

"Elijah," slipped from her lips.

Elijah looked at dark-eyed Damon who handed him the moonstone. Elijah pocketed it.

"Hello…Katerina," he flashed before her and threw her clean across the room.

Stefan and Damon watched with dropped jaws. This was Katherine's ex? Or whatever.

Katherine was back on her feet and tried to make an escape only to find out the barrier hadn't been dropped and she was still trapped. When she swung back around, tears lining her eyes, she tried to plead with Elijah who had an intolerable look on his face.

"E-Elijah…please…please…"

CRACK! He backhanded her across the face with enough force to snap her neck. Elijah caught her under the arm before she hit the floor and then plunged a syringe filled with vervain right in her arm.

"Normally I wouldn't treat a woman this way, but I think we all know Katerina is far from a lady. Lucy!" Elijah bellowed.

Another mystery person entered the scene. Not bad, Damon thought as he looked her over and wondered why seeing her made him instantly think of Bonnie.

The woman said a few words and then nodded her head. "It's done, Elijah."

He smiled at her fondly. "Bennett women will always be my favorite. Where's my niece?"

"I'll get her," Lucy looked at Katherine with zero sympathy on her face. "I told you he was going to nail your ass one day," she disappeared.

Damon really wanted to scratch his head.

Stefan moved until he stood across from Elijah. "What are you going to do with her?"

The ancient vampire flicked his eyes at the younger vampire. "I'm afraid that's none of your concern."

Recognition flooded Stefan's face. "I've seen you once before. You were at the hospital. Why were you at the hospital?"

Just then Bonnie appeared. She quickly stared at all the damage that was done to the room before looking at her uncle.

Elijah took the moonstone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Keep this safe for me."

"All right…Uncle Elijah."

Damon and Stefan blinked, looked at each other, then Elijah, then Bonnie before bringing their incredulous eyes back to one another.

Damon waved his hands in the air. "Hold up," he pointed at Elijah. "You're her uncle? And you're a vampire?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"So you banged one of Bonnie's ancestors when you were still human…I'm not following."

Bonnie sighed. "He's not my _real _uncle, but his family and mine have been connected for a thousand years. He was asked to look over us by the matriarch of my family."

"Umm, hate to step on toes here but Emily Bennett was the one to entrust _me _with protecting her line," Damon reiterated with both hands on his chest.

Elijah's smile was sardonic. "Seeing as how that happened eight hundred years _after _I was asked to be the Bennett family protector, I believe my seniority trumps yours."

Bonnie found herself staring at Damon. She didn't know that and she wouldn't have guessed that.

Yet two more people entered the room. It was a woman with winged hair and blue eyes. And a man who could definitely use a shave.

"Elijah, we're ready," the woman said.

Elijah said nothing has he handed Katherine off to Rose who quickly disappeared. He turned to face Bonnie. "I must leave you now but I will return once my business with Katherine is complete. Keep this safe," he tapped the moonstone.

Bonnie dutifully nodded her head and then did something uncharacteristic of her. She reached over and hugged Elijah who was a bit startled at first but then returned the gesture. They separated but not without kissing one another very gently on the lips.

"Oh, Elijah," Bonnie leaned up on her toes to whisper, "be mindful of Trevor. He loves Katherine."

Elijah stared at his niece in astonishment and curtly nodded his head. He bowed gallantly before them and disappeared.

"Okay, Judgey you have some serious explaining to do," Damon approached her and loomed over Bonnie. "How long have you known that you had a thousand year old vampire for an uncle?"

She shrugged. "Not long. I only just figured it out when Stefan told me the story behind the moonstone. Elijah asked me not to say anything to anyone about him being in town," she looked at Stefan who was probably still wondering why Elijah had shown up at the hospital that day. "He wanted to see Elena for himself. You don't have any need to worry. He knows she's like family to me so he won't do anything to hurt her."

"Yeah, I'd like to get that in writing," Stefan said tightly and then slipped from the room. He was done with this dance. He just wanted to get to Elena.

Bonnie became highly aware of the fact she was alone with Damon. There wasn't much she could do about the destruction of the room so she turned on her heels and quickly left.

Just as she made it back to the party which never took a pause break, she was tugged off to a darkened alcove. She gasped a little when Damon held her tightly around the waist.

He spoke right into her ear. "Don't scream." Damon felt her heart beating wildly against his arm. It was such a delicious sensation. "Thank you for all you've done. None of this would have happened without you. I know you're with _him _and I'm going to try to respect that. Just know, when I'm alone tonight, touching myself, I'll be thinking about you," he whispered.

Bonnie felt the wind against her back and by the time she turned around he was gone. She couldn't freaking move, think, or speak.

"Bonnie?"

She screamed and relaxed when she saw it was only Caroline.

"I'm sorry," the blonde approached her friend. "Didn't mean to scare you, but look who I found."

Elena popped up around the corner dressed in full party regalia. Bonnie smiled but she couldn't get Damon's words out of her head. She needed a moment.

The two girls embraced.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked. "You should be at home recovering from your injuries."

Elena waved a dismissive hand in the air. As soon as whatever had linked her to Katherine was broken, the pain she suffered vanished. All night Elena moped around the house because she couldn't join her friends for one of her favorite dances of the year, yet when she learned through Alaric what was really going on tonight she was livid and had every intention of storming over to the Lockwood's and lopping off heads. But then the incident happened and she was decommissioned.

Now she felt like and looked like a million bucks in a deep crimson sheath. "Stefan owes me several dances for keeping tonight's plan from me."

"You do understand why you had to sit this one out, right?" Bonnie asked.

Elena reluctantly nodded her head. "Still, it would have been nice if someone told me what was going on. I mean I was terrified and so was Jenna. She thought I was being possessed, which I guess in a weird way I was, but you guys...when you're lives are being put on the line you can't keep that kind of information from me. Even if you think it's to protect me." Elena reached for her two best friend's hands linking them all together. "We're sisters and nothing is going to tear us apart. Who's ready to dance?"

Caroline clapped her hands. "Me!"

Would something be seriously wrong with Bonnie if she admitted she had the best time at a dance/event than she did at the Masquerade Ball? She had never danced harder, laughed louder, flirted nonstop than tonight, and it had everything to do with the fact her enemy was gone, vanquished. She couldn't say with absolute certainty that Elijah would kill Katherine. They loved each other to the point that she wanted to break her engagement with another man—his brother no less—to be with him.

Did love like that really die over five-hundred years?

But it was no longer her problem.

Dark-eyes grabbed Bonnie by the hips and lifted her up. When he lowered her, she slid down the anterior of his body. Holding her securely, Damon bent Bonnie backwards until her hair swept the floor. He kissed the valley between her breasts before slowly bringing her back to a standing position. He could never get enough of the fact she was so flexible. If he couldn't have her soon, he might very well explode.

Blue-eyes watched them from across the room guzzling from a bottle of Jack he kept in his car. The burn of the alcohol did little to quell the fire that kept roaring to life every time his eyes landed on some part of Bonnie's anatomy.

It wasn't until now, now that the adrenaline with the fight with Katherine had worn off, that he realized how revealing Bonnie's costume was. If it weren't for the boots, her legs would be fully exposed. But whenever she turned her back to him and began popping her booty like a stripper, he'd catch a little cheek action.

Dark-eyes pulled Bonnie closer to him once something with a slower tempo began to play. "You were magnificent tonight."

"I didn't do anything."

"Give yourself more credit. Seeing you dressed in that costume has given me some ideas. I'd like to run them by you. Interested?"

Bonnie bit down on a corner of her lip. "Hell yeah, I'm interested."

Damon's hand dropped a little lower and squeezed her right butt cheek before he slapped it. Shamefully that was all it took to get Bonnie in the mood. She grabbed him by his tie, twisting it around her hand and pulled him down to her level where she crushed her mouth to his.

If they kept this up Damon wasn't sure he could make it to his house.

When she needed breath, Bonnie pulled away. "Let me say good bye to my girls, and then we can head out."

Bonnie took off in search of her two best friends. She found Elena first who was canoodling with Stefan on an overstuffed chair. She tapped Elena on the shoulder who reluctantly unglued her face from Stefan's.

"I'm about to head out. I'll see you tomorrow."

Elena rose to her feet, pulling her dress down and hugged Bonnie. "Okay, sweetie. Be safe."

"You too. Peace, Stefan."

He chucked up a pair of deuces and winked at her.

Bonnie then found Caroline in Richard Lockwood's old office holding a Ziploc bag of ice to Matt's nose. "What happened?"

Caroline shook her head and was proud of the fact she hadn't lost her marbles at the sight of Matt's blood. "He and Tyler got into a fight," in an aside she said to Bonnie. "I think Katherine compelled him to start a fight with Tyler so Tyler could 187 him. But I stopped it in time."

Bonnie shook her head and then winced as she stared at Matt. "Are you going to be okay, Mattie?"

Feeling highly demoralized by having his girlfriend ram her elbow into his nose, which subsequently knocked him out cold, Matt shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm about to head out so I'll see you guys later."

Retracing her steps, Bonnie found her way back to Damon. He held out a hand which she eagerly took and was promptly swept out of the house and into the night.

* * *

><p>They exploded through the door to his bedroom, tongues dueling, hands ripping clothing part. Damon lifted her up in his arms, her legs instinctively wrapped around his lean waist. He attacked her neck; he wanted to leave his mark, his signature that he had been here. Grabbing her roughly by the hips he threw Bonnie on the bed. She bounced and giggled.<p>

Damon wasted no time crawling over her, taking her mouth again with urgency. He couldn't get her out of her clothes fast enough. Bonnie wiggled out of her fish nets, yanked the tunic off while Damon was busy tearing his clothes off and throwing them every which way around the room.

Bonnie giggled. Damon nipped her lips gently, and then stared down at her seriously.

"What?" she asked.

"I want to try something with you."

That made her nervous. "Okay," Bonnie said tentatively.

"I want to see if we can create a telepathic bond. If we're ever separated and one of us is in trouble we'll know instantly because we'll have access to each other thoughts."

That sounded much more serious than Bonnie wanted to be right now. Her thoughts were her thoughts and she liked keeping them private. And with Katherine gone, who at the moment had been their biggest threat, there wouldn't be a reason for them to need to communicate telepathetically.

Yet she was curious. "So how do you create one?"

"You'd have to feed on me and I'd have to feed on you simultaneously. The shared blood would act as a conduit and you'll be able to hear me when I call you and vice versa."

She nibbled her lip again. "Damon, I'm not sure…with Katherine eliminated…there wouldn't be a need for one."

"Sure, but it would still be an effective way for us to bond."

"But we are bonded."

With the clever thrust of his hips, he slid right into Bonnie who gasped at the intrusion. "We are now," he grinned mischievously.

She struck his arm. "A little warning next time."

He grinned.

"Will we hear _every _single thought?"

"If that were the case of course I'd never suggest it. No, only the thoughts you want to project specifically for me to hear. This may work, this may not work, but I'd like to try."

Why did this seem like a bigger commitment than marriage to Bonnie? Maybe because the idea of having a conversation with someone in her head seemed so personal and private, and too much like science-fiction.

Feeling her warmth envelope him, Damon was already losing his train of thought. "Just think about it," he buried his head in the space where her shoulder and neck connected.

Fifteen minutes into things that topic was still on Bonnie's mind. An hour and several positions later she was seriously thinking about it, close to orgasm she wanted it.

She arched her next back and groaned, "Do it now, Damon."

"Are you sure?" he panted against her cheek.

Bonnie vigorously nodded her head. Damon's incisors lengthened and he bit into his wrist. He pressed it against Bonnie's mouth who took a moment before latching on. And then she jolted when she felt Damon's teeth sink into her.

At first nothing happened. She drank his blood and tried not to gag. Damon of course was in seventh heaven as he gulped her life elixir down the hatch. He shivered and nearly flew apart just from tasting Bonnie's honey-sweetened blood alone.

He attempted to contact her. _Bonnie can you hear me?_

Silence.

He tried again only louder this time. _Bonnie, if you hear me let me know, baby._

There was some yelling in the background that he was vaguely aware of.

More time passed and Damon stopped drinking Bonnie's blood. He was connected with her at all levels.

Out loud he said. "I don't think it worked."

Bonnie turned to face him, his blood coating the creases of her mouth. _I just had an orgasm. You didn't her that?_

Damon blinked and then laughed hysterically. "It worked." Then he said it through his thoughts. _It worked._

She cupped his cheek. "Of course it worked. So what now?"

He kissed her lips. "We do it again."

* * *

><p>Across town, at the boardinghouse, Damon pulled back the sheets to his bed, climbed in and sat up against the headboard. He leaned his head back until it thudded against the wood. He was alone for once, although he didn't have to be. He could call up Andie and make up some BS story about why he had to be rude to her. More than likely she would have forgiven him and come running, but she wasn't the flavor he was craving or had on his tongue.<p>

He meant what he said to Bonnie. That was something he never lied about. His hand got missing.

Half and hour later, sweat was beaded on his chest, peppered his hairline, and he had a chokehold on his snake. Quicker, faster, harder, then slow, then fast again. He was so close, so close to his end like this was a race and he could see the finish line. He wanted to sink his teeth into something soft, he wanted to taste blood damn it.

Damon growled out of frustration. He stopped, reached for his pillow and ripped it in half. "Got damnit, this isn't what I want to do!"

Storming out of bed Damon walked stark naked to the living room where he poured himself a drink. He closed his eyes.

Patience had never been his strong suit. He did not like waiting. For anything. After draining the bourbon in his cup, he crushed the glass in his hand. This restlessness he was beginning to feel on the inside he knew wasn't going to go away. Not anytime soon. His cell phone caught his attention. Damon reached for it and then accessed his pictures. He flipped through them until he found the one he wanted.

It was a picture of Bonnie, full body shot of her in profile as she stood across the room from him at the Lockwood's. She was so beautiful tonight. Sexy and uninhibited. He wanted her. Badly.

Leaving the broken fragments of the glass behind, Damon went back upstairs. Sleep would not be his friend tonight unless of course he could see Bonnie in his dreams.

**A/N: Whoo, that was a chapter to get through. Too much happening at one time. I wanted to show the fight, but also Bonnie having fun at a party for once although there's a major brawl taking place over her head. If you're wondering if Lucy knew Elijah prior to the dance, all I will say is its a possibility. And I'm not sure if Tyler will become a werewolf, we'll see. TV Damon has decided he wants to back off Bonnie, which sounds good in theory, so we'll see if he'll be able to live up to his words. And now with Bonnie and BD being linked telepathetically will this cause more problems or bring them closer together? More is to come. Thanks for reading. Love you guys!**


	21. You Smell Like Dinner

**A/N: My passion has increased ten-fold for this story. There are some parts I want to get to in a flash and in a hurry, but I have to take my time. Here is the latest. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sharp needles were pressing into his back, arms, and legs. Strange sounds flooded his ears, and he could smell cold wet earth. Slowly he peeled open one obsidian eye followed by the other and looked around cataloguing his surroundings.

"What the-," Tyler Lockwood jolted up and switched his head left from right. He was outside. How in the world did he fall asleep outside, and why in the world was he naked? He dropped his hands to his privates as if he were in full view of the public and got to his feet. His body felt heavier than usual, disproportionate that if he leaned so much to one side over the other, he'd topple over. Tyler looked around frantically for something to throw on. Surely his clothes were nearby if he engaged in a little outside nookie with some random girl from the party last night.

But alas, there wasn't a stitch of clothing on the ground. He pulled his lips back from his teeth in frustration and cursed loudly, scaring a flock of birds. This was just perfect. How in the world was he going to explain his indecent exposure to his mother—mind you if he wasn't arrested before making it home? None of this was making a lick of sense to him.

Suddenly a horrid taste coated his mouth making him wince and spit out something that looked suspiciously like blood. Tyler jammed a finger in his mouth, prodding his gums to see if he might have lost a tooth. He remembered getting into a fight with Matt, but after that…he remembered nada. Either he had a _really _good time last night, or he had a really _crappy_ time. He was hoping for the former.

"Ouch," Tyler said and withdrew his finger to see his incisor had sliced his finger. As he continued to watch the little cut his tooth made began to close and heal itself.

"Hun?" his eyes bugged. "Okay, what happened to me last night? And where the hell are my clothes?"

As he looked around the forest trying to find familiar signs, oddly enough he could hear people talking. Depending on who it was they might offer him some help. He was a naked, hungry, confused teenager. He was no sadist or pervert. He was the mayor's son; surely with those credentials he should at least get a sock to cover his penis with.

Tyler sat out on foot towards the voices he heard. He was sure he was in the Old Wood, right next to the cemetery. He shivered, not because it was cold, but because that cemetery gave him the creeps. Normally Tyler was unafraid of anything but he had heard stories growing up as a child about the place being haunted by a pissed off witch who sacrificed children to the devil. Yeah, he was no youngin' but that still didn't mean he wanted to casually hang out in a place designated for the dead. He had his reckless side but even he had scruples. Most of the time anyways.

He must have walked two football fields or so but he still hadn't run into anyone who could help him. Growing weary and more pissed with each step he took, he covered a mile and finally ended up in a neighborhood.

Tyler blinked his eyes. He stared at the young couple as they sat on their patio enjoying breakfast. Nah, those _couldn't _have been the people he heard talking. No way was his hearing _that _good. Licking his lips he had a decision to make. Either expose himself and hope they didn't call the cops on him, or…steal the clothes off their neighbors clothesline and pay the person back later.

Tyler went with option number two.

The pants were too large, the shirt too tight, but they were clothes nonetheless. This neighborhood was about two miles from his house, so Tyler continued to head out, bare foot until he got home.

When he did it was to see the house was in a flurry, but what surprised him was the fact two police cruisers were parked in the driveway.

"Mom!" Tyler bellowed.

Carol came flitting from somewhere near the back of the house, worry and anger playing tag on her face. "Tyler where in the hell have you been?" she asked him. "And whose clothes are you wearing? Why are you dirty?"

All Tyler wanted was a cup of coffee and a large, extra rare steak. "I had a long night," he replied and headed for the kitchen. "What happened? Why are the cops here?"

Carol followed after her son and tugged him backwards by the arm. "My God, Tyler they're here because Amy Bradley is missing and…her friend Sue Daniels is dead."

For the second time this morning Tyler's eyes bugged. "What?" he asked and narrowed his eyes. "What the hell happened to Sue? How did she die?"

Carol shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's what the cops are trying to figure out. They found her body at the west end of the property," Carol stepped closer to her son though it was hard to do because he was rank, but she had supervised the changing of his diapers when he was a baby so she could get over it. "Her neck was broken. They think it was an accident, but they're not sure."

Tyler's mouth opened, closed, and opened again and still words refused to come out. Instead of saying he was sorry to hear about Sue, what came out of his mouth was, "I need a drink."

Carol nodded her head and then followed her son to the kitchen where she made the both of them whiskey sours.

Sheriff Forbes found them in the kitchen and her eyes dropped to the bottles that lined the center island. Drinking with your son at seven in the morning was probably punishable by law, but the sheriff was here to conduct an investigation to rule out Sue's death as being a possible homicide, not to chastise the woman for poor parenting skills.

"Just the two people I was looking for," Liz began. "Well, the coroner has removed the body. The medical examiner did confirm that Sue's neck was broken, but was unable to ascertain if that happened due to a fall or if someone did it intentionally."

Liz crossed over the kitchen to stand on the opposite side of Tyler. Her shrewd eyes picked up on the fact he was wearing someone else's clothes and that his arms and fingernails were covered in dirt, and debris was lodged in his hair.

"Where were you last night Tyler between the hours of ten and three this morning?"

His first instinct was to shrug. Tyler might have known Liz his entire life, but he still recognized she was law enforcement and couldn't BS her.

"I think I want to speak to my lawyer before I answer any questions. I'm going to head upstairs and shower." He didn't want to talk to anybody until he figured out what happened last night.

"I can't let you do that, Tyler. We're going to have to check you for forensics."

He snorted. "Are you serious? You don't think I had anything to do with Sue's death, do you?"

"I have to rule out anyone as a possible suspect. A lot of people here last night said they saw you drinking and dancing with Sue. We just want to make sure your story collaborates with certain facts we already have."

Bewildered Tyler looked at his mom. "Just do what she says, Tyler. If you have nothing to hide…" she shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

Inwardly Tyler cursed. "Let me grab a pair of shoes. Can I do that?" he asked with a full blown attitude and didn't wait for an answer. Liz walked out of the kitchen behind Tyler and nodded to one of her deputies to follow him just in the event he tried to make a run for it.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Bonnie climbed out of the bucket seat in Damon's Ferrari with two shopping bags in her hands. He flashed over to her and quickly took them from her. His face was already puckered as if he ate an entire lemon and chased it with battery acid because he was being forced to socialize with a bunch of ingrates.

"Stop looking like a two year old that needs to be spanked," Bonnie admonished as she looked over at her…well she guess she could call him her boyfriend now. After last night and creating a telepathetic link to each other it just wouldn't do to refer to dark-eyes as her "friend". Bonnie didn't have sex with her friends and she certainly didn't carry entire conversations with them in her head.

Together they walked around to the back of the property where they heard several voices. They were going to a barbeque hosted by the Salvatore's in victory of getting rid of Katherine. Bonnie had been more than surprised to receive a call from Stefan inviting her _and _Fell's Church Damon over for some fun and food. She had eagerly accepted the invite, but when she faced Damon, he didn't look amused.

Bonnie already suspected he wanted to loiter in bed with her all day, which would have been perfectly fine with her, but it had been so long since she just enjoyed a festivity where she wouldn't have to cast a spell or wait for danger to happen.

Admittedly this was dark-eyed Damon's first barbeque in all his five-hundred years. Bonnie had explained the concept to him and he still didn't understand what all the hoopla was about. His first response was to of course say he'd sit this little event out and meet up with her later, but Bonnie wasn't having any of that.

She told him, "If you honestly want to make Mystic Falls your home then you're going to have to get used to hanging around my friends. I'm not saying you have to like them, but at least socialize with them from time to time."

He had growled and pouted the entire time they got ready. Bonnie did her best not to be irritated by his lackluster attitude, but then thought she might cut him just a tiny bit of slack because from what she was able to gleam, Damon wasn't the kind of person people hung around because they wanted to, and he certainly wasn't the person who was invited to things because people enjoyed his company.

This was a foreign thing for him. To be included on something that had absolutely nothing to do with getting rid of an enemy. If he was nervous or anxious she couldn't tell, but that was the thing with Damon, he never gave off more than he was willing to share with the outside world.

He grinned after hearing her reference to being spanked. He switched both grocery bags to one hand and pulled her flush against him. "I don't mind the spanking so much only if you're doing the receiving."

Her cheeks reddened and Bonnie tried to wiggle away but Damon's grip was a thousand times stronger than iron. There was no escaping.

"Behave yourself," she said with a slight giggle.

"Never," he growled, and kissed her deeply on the neck just a few centimeters shy of her "spot".

They finally reached the back of the property. Bonnie did a quick count of who was there so far. Of course Stefan and Light-eyes were there. Mystic Falls' Damon was manning the grill. Bonnie briefly looked him over and had to admit in that secret place within her brain that he looked outstanding as hell in his black wife beater and tight black jeans.

Moving on, Matt was there and he, with Elena's help was setting up the volleyball net. Alaric was helping Jenna to lay on a chaise, and Caroline just stepped out of the house carrying a huge cooler that she sat under a canopy of trees.

"You made it," Stefan said as he carried a large tray filled with choice cut meats that were about to go on the grill. He stopped in front of Bonnie and kissed her lightly on the cheek, and then stuck out a hand for Damon to shake.

Bonnie waited to see how this exchange would go down. Reluctantly, dark-eyes shook hands with Stefan.

"Thanks for inviting us," Damon said graciously and then held up the shopping bags that contained various items Bonnie said was required for this…feast. "Where can I put these things?"

Bonnie smiled and wanted to pat Damon on the head for cooperating.

Stefan motioned with his head. "Follow me."

With the two vampires walking off towards the food station, Bonnie went over to Jenna.

The two young women greeted each other enthusiastically with hugs and compliments. Alaric pulled up another chaise for Bonnie who sat down.

"You look so cute, Bon in your dress. Yellow is definitely your color."

"Thanks," her head fell back against the padded chaise and Bonnie rifled in her purse for her shades. She slipped them on once she found them. "How's your recovery coming?"

Jenna nodded her head. "It's slow which is to be expected. Things only hurt if I move too quickly or if I stay stationary too long and then try to move. But everyone around me treats me like I'm a newborn," Jenna frowned.

"I would enjoy it immensely if I were you."

"Believe me I am. But they're starting to work my last nerve. You know Elena has yet to let me eat solid food. She has me on a Gerber diet."

Bonnie laughed.

The girl in question came over after giving up on trying to assemble the volleyball net with Matt who refused to read the instructions. Just like a typical man.

She sat down right on top of Bonnie. "Ugh, get off me, Elena. You might look skinny but you weigh a ton."

"Shut up," Elena laughed and then slid off her friend and sat on the far end of the chaise. "I'm shocked you were able to convince Darth Vader to come."

Bonnie shook her head and laughed. "Trust me when I say it wasn't easy. The things I had to do to get him to come."

Now if that wasn't a loaded statement. Bonnie made herself blush. Jenna grinned knowingly and looked pointedly at Elena.

"Bon-nie," Elena said in mock surprise. "I can't believe you."

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter."

Bonnie's eyes went over to the assembly of guys who crowded around the grill. Dark-eyes sensed she was looking at him and shifted until he could see her. He offered up a heart-stoppingly sexy grin that made several hearts flutter.

Jenna cleared her throat. "It's a sin and a shame for one man to be that damn fine."

Elena and Bonnie stared at Jenna in slight incredulity.

Jenna's hands flew up in surrender. "I might be with Alaric but I'm not dead. I have eyes and I do like to look."

"Well, don't look too hard because that one over there is mine."

Elena meowed like a cat and hissed. "Claws in ladies. We're here to have a good time, not rush someone off to the hospital. Again."

"Hey, Bon," Caroline beamed and leaned over to give her a hug. She made herself at home on the far end of Jenna's chaise. "I heard talk about keeping claws away from good looking men and I'm here to instigate."

Across the yard, after giving a lengthy dissertation on how to properly season a steak, light-eyes turned away from the grill and found his eyes traveling over to Bonnie. He had heard every single sentence that was spoken between her, Jenna, and Elena. He didn't appreciate that little innuendo about what she had to do get that dark-eyed bastard to come. When Stefan told him that he had invited Bonnie, of course he was ecstatic, but then when Stefan dropped the other bomb that dark-eyes would be coming with her, well, he wanted to add Stefan's head to the menu.

The two didn't greet each other when dark-eyes approached the group of men. What would they have said to one another anyways? But when they reluctantly had to look at one another, dark-eyes inclined his head, Damon did the same and that would probably be the only time they acknowledged each other.

But bringing his focus back to Bonnie she looked like a yellow rose amid a bunch of dandelions. Sure all the girls were lookers in their own right, but the yellow of Bonnie's dress against her sun-kissed caramel skin called to his other senses.

Stefan walked past him and elbowed him. Damon threw a piece of balled up aluminum foil at him, and returned his attention to the grill.

"You know I didn't say hello to Damon. He is kind of co-hosting this thing," Bonnie said.

Elena and Caroline exchanged worried glances. "Do you think you should? I mean after what happened…" Caroline didn't finish her sentence because she didn't need to.

Bonnie sighed and climbed off the chaise. "We're going to have to work past that. And he and I can't ignore each other forever, although there are a lot of people who probably wish we would."

That in mind, Bonnie squared her shoulders and made her way over to him. Dark-eyes saw her approaching and rose from the picnic table he was perched on.

_Angel? _He sent out to Bonnie.

_I'm only going to say hello. This is his house and it's rude not to speak to the owner of the house. My Grams raised me better than that._

_I understand, but…*sighs* I'll keep the women folk busy. _

They didn't say anything to one another as they crossed paths. He simply brushed his thumb across her cheek and she smiled warmly at him yet continued on her way.

Blue-eyed Damon heard Bonnie's gladiator inspired sandals crush the blades of grass as she drew nearer. He kept his back to her the whole time as he skewered the hotdogs and hamburger patties.

"Hi, Damon," she said in that sultry lit of hers that she probably wasn't even aware of it. It felt like a caress up his spine.

"Sup, Bonnie." He looked at her out the corner of his eye. "Thanks for coming but you ah…could have left your pet at home."

Bonnie shook her head. "Where I go he goes. We're a packaged deal these days."

"So I'm noticing," Damon said with a grimace.

Bonnie ignored that. "Do you need help with anything?"

He looked at her then, blue eyes blazing and lighting her up as if she were made of kerosene. Yeah, he needed help all right. Help with relieving the pressure that accumulated in his balls any time he so much as thought of her. If he said that, Bonnie would clock him, but dark-eyes would probably smash his head into the grill.

"No, Stefan and I have everything covered," he winked at her. "But thanks for offering." Just then an approaching figure caught Damon's attention. A huge grin popped up on his face.

Bonnie turned to see who it was that Damon was grinning like a loon at. It was the news reporter woman. Andrea? Alice?

"Andie!" Damon greeted too enthusiastically. When the sable-haired woman was close enough, Damon grabbed her and practically sucked her lips off.

Bonnie looked away feeling awkward and as if she were intruding. She took a step back.

"Wow," Andie gushed. She hadn't been expecting that type of greeting from Damon. Getting lost in his eyes she vaguely remembered that there was someone standing not far from them. Breaking the sexual allure of his gaze, Andie focused her attention on Bonnie. She held out a hand towards the teenager. "Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Andie Starr."

Bonnie shook her hand. "Bonnie Bennett. Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone."

"Hey, Bon," Stefan called her as she was making her way back to the group of females. "I could use some help."

Bonnie smiled and then followed Stefan into the house.

Jenna had somehow ended up alone with dark-eyed Damon. She noticed that he didn't say much when he stood around the guys looking out of place like a fallen angel. What was she saying? The heat must be getting to her already because all the guys who were there looked like air brushed European models. There wasn't a single ugly branch on this tree.

"I'm guessing learning the intricate ways to grill a steak isn't your thing?" Jenna asked to break up the deafening silence. "Or you're just not a barbeque enthusiasts? It is kind of a southern thing."

His eyes were covered up with an expensive pair of shades. "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt," he replied.

Jenna laughed. "I don't know…something tells me Abraham Lincoln would enjoy a good barbeque."

Damon slid his shades down until they rested on the end of his nose. "You're familiar with the quote?"

Jenna nodded her head and tried not to gaze directly in his eyes. "Yeah. I'm a graduate student at the local university and I took a philosophy class as part of my curriculum. That was one quote we had a discussion on."

When Bonnie came back out of the house she saw that Damon and Jenna were engaged in some type of philosophical debate. Her eyes found Alaric and well, he wasn't looking too pleased.

Jeremy had arrived with even more food and drinks. Caroline, Elena, and Matt were helping him to bring everything to the back. Blue-eyed Damon had disappeared leaving Stefan to man the grill.

Bonnie wanted to lend a hand but was detained by Andie. "I hate to say this, but this is really awkward," the older woman confided.

Bonnie merely stared at her. "What's so awkward?"

"We're essentially dating the same guy. I mean, they look like twins but Damon…the one with the blue eyes told me that the other Damon is a distant cousin from Italy. How uncanny is that?"

Bonnie didn't respond for a while because one) Andie wasn't "dating" blue-eyed Damon they were f&cking because Damon didn't date anyone. Two) Blue-eyes and Dark-eyes were nothing alike.

"Yeah, what are the odds," Bonnie said wanting to roll her eyes. "Excuse me. I'm going to help my friends."

"You know what this party is lacking? Other than a pool? Seriously, this house has its own zip code and doesn't have a pool. Absolutely criminal," Caroline said. Once she got started it was hard to get her to stop.

Elena snapped her fingers. "Caroline. Point, please?"

Caroline shook her head. "Right. Music, that's what's missing. This isn't an official barbeque until some shake-your-ass-until-it-falls off music is blasting.

"Stefan's working on it," Elena said.

Ten minutes later their heads were bobbing to "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes.

"Soups up," blue-eyed Damon announced and it was a virtual stampede as hands clamored for hotdog and hamburger buns, side dishes, cups, condiments, napkins, and drinks of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety.

Matt bit down into a juicy dog and moaned in appreciation. Then followed it with a piece of steak. His eyes nearly got lost in the back of his head. He talked with his mouth full, "Damn, Damon you can cook."

The vampire in question ignored Matt's lack of table manners and accepted the compliment. His cyan eyes looked around at everyone grouped together at the two picnic tables that had been pushed together to accommodate everyone. Hardly anyone was speaking because they were too busy eating.

Matt, Alaric, and Caroline were the first ones going for seconds before everyone else finished their first plate.

Bonnie had to literally feed Damon by hand to get him to eat. She knew human food was not his preference but he would look severely out of place if he didn't eat anything.

He said very softly into her ear, "I'm sure the food would taste better if you were sitting right here," he tapped his leg.

Bonnie easily placed herself right where he indicated and he began to eat with gusto after that.

Elena observed them with a bemused smile on her face. She was glad she didn't have to go to those extremes with Stefan yet when she looked over at him, she could tell he wouldn't mind if she did sit on his lap. Hmm. She was tempted but Jenna was here. Oh, whatever, Stefan was her boyfriend, so plop she sat right on him.

Light-eyes saw this trend and pursed his lips. He could feel Andie's eyes on him, pleading. Truthfully he didn't want this woman anywhere near him but he invited her _only _after finding out Bonnie would not be attending alone. There was no way in the world he'd go stag at his own shindig. That was unfreaking acceptable. So he called her up, had to kiss her ass for nearly thirty minutes, and sighed heavily in relief once she agreed to be his date.

Instead of obliging her silent request, he merely leaned over and kissed her neck. She pouted.

"You might as well hop on, Jenna," Alaric patted his knee. She giddily obliged him.

Blue-eyed Damon dropped his fork to his plate in exasperation. Had someone sent out a silent memo to team up and make him look like an un-caring, un-romantic asshole?

He slid back on the bench and motioned with his head for Andie to climb on board. She did so but he could tell she wasn't as happy about it since he was making the offer out of a sense of obligation, not because he wanted her to be there.

Jeremy, the odd man out could do nothing but eat his food sullenly.

Matt and Caroline looked at one another, snorted and went back to ripping into their food. They would just get in each other's way.

As soon as everyone was stuffed the guys had scattered to either toss the pig skin around or to shoot arrows because Alaric brought his archery equipment. Now that was one activity dark-eyed Damon didn't mind participating in. It was one of the many sports he partook of when he was younger, when he was human—he amended.

"You know how to shoot?" Ric asked dark-eyes as he picked up a crossbow.

Damon eyed the choices that were sprawled out over a table and reached for the Martin Jaguar Take—Down bow.

"I probably learned archery before I learned to crawl," Damon answered and admired the weapon. "Of course this is far more sophisticated than what we had back in my time." Damon pulled back the bowstring testing its elasticity.

Alaric handed him an arrow. "Give it a shot."

Damon stared at the man for a moment before accepting the arrow and placing it on the centre serving. Holding the instrument steady, and closing an eye, Damon waited between heart beats before releasing the arrow. It whizzed through the air and struck the bullseye.

"Stupid vampires," Alaric muttered.

Damon chuckled.

With the men off acting like Olympians, the women sat grouped together. Andie and Jenna were talking about what women their age talked about: getting married, starting a family, having ridiculously hot men in their lives.

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie on the other hand discussed failed crushes from middle school, and the earlier years of their high school careers.

Bonnie found herself getting a little distracted when she saw dark-eyes at the archery butts. He looked like the god Apollo in his all black, back straight, holding the perfect form before releasing the arrow. Finger-licking good, she quivered. And then almost at the same time the other Damon darted across her view as he ran at full speed with the football under his arm as he avoided being tackled by Matt which pretty much wasn't a fair line up. She had to say she liked the way his hair blew backwards as he ran forward as if he were doing a shampoo commercial.

Caroline looked over her shoulder and saw that the guys were distracted. She tapped Elena and Bonnie on the knees. "Come on girls. Now's the time to go get our surprise for the guys."

The girls snickered almost maniacally at one another and slithered off to parts unknown.

Stefan was probably the first person to notice they had been gone for a significant amount of time. "Hey, Jenna have you seen Elena?"

Jenna looked around the vast Salvatore backyard. "No, I haven't seen her for a while. Come to think of it Bonnie and Caroline have been gone for a while too."

"Looking for us?" Caroline asked as she and Bonnie approached, hands behind their backs.

Stefan stared at them and wondered about those deceptively innocent expressions on their faces. "Yeah, have you guys seen Elena?"

"I'm sure she's around," Bonnie answered vaguely. "But I wouldn't worry too much about her right now."

When Stefan narrowed his eyes and saw the girls had changed out of their sandals into sneakers, his concern shot up a notch.

"What are you—," he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence before he was blasted in the face with a stream of stinging water.

Caroline and Bonnie had withdrawn water guns from their backs and started shouting like Navy Seals.

"GIRLS RULE! BOYS DROOL!" they yelled.

Bonnie leapt in the air like a cat, tucked her body, and rolled as she continued to pelt Stefan with water. Caroline aimed for his crotch to make him look like he had an accident on himself.

Jenna and Andie screamed because they hadn't expecting this and naturally that drew everyone's attention.

Caroline slung her water gun that kind of looked like a futuristic phaser you'd see on Star Trek over her shoulder before reaching for a fake 9mm berretta. She went after Matt shooting him in the face, arm, and torso. His hands flailed around in the air as he attempted to thwart her.

Bonnie snapped to her feet and reached under her dress for a gun similar to the berretta in Caroline's hand. She thrust it towards Andie who looked startled.

"Get in the game, girly," she ordered.

"What? I'm sorry but I don't play games."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. She was such a wet mop. "_Move, _chick!" Bonnie raised her voice and then dropped the gun deciding to leave Andie to fend for herself.

Bonnie saw that the other guys were headed towards her. "Elena, drop those bombs! We got incoming!"

Something exploded near Jeremy's foot soaking his leg. He looked up towards the second story of the house, Stefan's balcony to be exact, and saw his sister launching water balloons at them.

Caroline and Bonnie looked at one another before saying, "Break!"

They took off in separate directions.

Light-eyes couldn't believe they were trying to pull a G.I. Joe on them. Where was that freaking water hose when he needed it? He eyed his possible targets, yet he already knew which member of the Bella Mafia he was going to go after.

Bonnie was an agile little thing. She managed to shake Stefan long enough to run on the far side of the yard. She held her arm out behind her compressing the trigger as she ran as fast as her little legs could take her.

Stefan was cracked over the head by a water balloon and slid to a stop on his feet. He glared up at Elena who blew him a kiss and wiggled her fingers. Smiling deadly at her, Stefan double backed and began to scale the side of the house. This wasn't what Shakespeare had in mind when he wrote the balcony scene in _Romeo & Juliet. _

Bonnie needed to get back in the thick of things since Caroline was facing Matt and Jeremy on her own. Andie stood up from the chaise and stretched but otherwise made no move to assist. Matt grabbed the gun from Andie and began going on the counter offensive.

Caroline ran for the hills yet came to a screeching halt when she spotted suave and collected dark-eyed Damon Salvatore leaning against a tree enjoying the festivities. She aimed the gum and he bared his teeth.

Holding up a finger in warning, "Don't. You. Dare."

She squirted him in the face several times and lightning fast Damon was after her. Caroline squealed and dropped the gun because she wasn't sure if he was playing or being serious about knocking her head from her shoulders if she read what she saw in his eyes correctly.

With dark-eyes distracted, Damon took off after Bonnie. Almost instantly she knew he was behind her, chasing her, clearing the distance that separated them. If he wanted, he could stretch out a single arm and pluck her off easily, but he liked chasing. He liked making this prey think they had the advantage when really they didn't. But she was fast, often times changing directions at the last second, making Damon check his steps and adjust properly.

They were deep into the forest that surrounded the property now. Damon listened as Bonnie wheezed heavily, trying to keep breathing, keep going. She was slowing down.

And just when she was in reach, Bonnie shifted to the right unexpectedly, turned around, and began firing.

"Loser!" she yelled and laughed after hitting him right between the eyes, in his actual eye, and somehow got water up his nose as well. That was more annoying than anything else, but it didn't make Damon slow down or ease up.

Bonnie dropped the gun and using her last reserve of strength, beat feet across the ground.

"You know you can't outrun me, Judgey. So don't even try."

Bonnie tried. She still wasn't fast enough.

Damon scooped her up by the waist. Her feet cleared the ground and when she felt the earth under her again, her back was pinned up against a tree.

She gasped at the same time he groaned. His ethereal orbs began smoldering as he and Bonnie began to breathe together, in and out, evenly matched. When his chest rose so did hers, only inches separated them. Bonnie's heart beat against her ribcage and in her throat, her ears, and at the base of her skull. She tried to wiggle free, but Damon was too heavy, his thighs pressing along hers were too firm.

"You know what I can do with water, Damon. I suggest you let me go."

His grin was dangerous. "You think I'm afraid of a little fire? I've been through much worst."

Bonnie tilted her chin up. "This is your final warning…move away."

He laughed at her then which only made her rage or was that lust flare. "You are so addicting I can't wait. To. Eat. You. Up. And you'll want me to," he promised.

Bonnie fought through her haze and stared at him in confusion for a second. "But you said that you were going to back off."

To his ears it almost sounded like she was pouting.

Damon leaned forward, wanting to test out a theory. "I say a lot of things I don't mean. I thought _you _would have figured that out by now."

His cool breath fanned against her lips, cheeks, and the tip of her nose. His eyes were melting the layers of protection she wrapped herself in everyday. "You look so pretty, Bonnie. So edible."

At this pivotal moment Bonnie couldn't decide if she wanted to kiss him or hit him, but her hands itched to brush away his wet hair that had fallen over his forehead, covering his eyes. If she looked away—which she should—the spell would be severed between them—which is what she should want. But Bonnie couldn't make herself feel the right emotions.

She placed her hand on his chest intending to push him away, yet Damon leaned forward, closing the gap between them. Bonnie turned her head in time and Damon got her cheek. He closed his eyes in resignation.

"I'm not a cheater so please stop trying to make me out to be one," she said softly.

He stepped away from Bonnie and eyed her, no longer with lust, but with a critical eye. Despite the signals her body where throwing his way, he could see in the set line to her jaw that she was being perfectly serious right now. Bonnie wouldn't violate what she had with the other Damon, no matter what her body may have craved.

"You're serious about him?"

She stared at him with a "duh" expression on her face. She wouldn't tell him about their telepathetic link; that was none of his business. "He's my boyfriend, Damon. Of course I'm serious about him. And you're with Andie. How do you think she'd feel if she caught us like this?"

Damon didn't give a crap what she thought. He could _make _Andie feel anyway he wanted her to.

That must have come across his face because Bonnie snorted derisively. "You're a real asshole."

He rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know about myself, princess."

"Don't call me that," Bonnie snapped, nostrils flared.

His balls tightened as he stared at the fury lining those malachite eyes of hers. When Bonnie was pissed she smelled like burning embers and crushed rose petals. He caught a brief sniff of her when she's in an aroused state and it instantly made him think of birthday cake.

"Don't you want to know if I thought of you the other night when I was alone in my room?"

A blush tinted her cheeks and Bonnie dropped her eyes to her dirt covered sneakers. "I know no matter what I say you'll tell me anyways."

He grinned. She did know him after all. Damon stepped closer to her again, but not close enough to touch. Her heard Bonnie's heart lurch.

There was so much he wanted to say to her, but he didn't know where to start.

Unfortunately, Damon heard someone approaching and then very reluctantly put even more space between him and Bonnie. Damon looked over his shoulder and saw it was his brother, armed and ready.

"You can lower your weapon, Stefan," Damon said with a slight shake to his head. "She surrendered."

Bonnie's head flew up at that. "She did not."

Reaching for her back, Bonnie withdrew another loaded water gun and started the flood works all over again.

Moments later, she, Stefan, and Damon came out of the woods soaked to the gills. Bonnie looked at the casualties strewn across the lawn. Caroline appeared as if she had been dipped head first into a cooler, which she probably had. Elena resembled that girl who climbed out of the well in _The Ring, _Matt and Jeremy had grass needles stuck to every available surface of their bodies, shirts plastered to their chests. The only people who were unscathed were Jenna, Andie, although she wasn't wearing the outfit she showed up in—hmm, Alaric, and of course dark-eyes.

Bonnie immediately went over to him. He gave her a thorough once over. "Who did what to whom?" she asked.

"I baptized Caroline. Stefan did most of the damage to Elena, and Jeremy and Mutt, pretty much got caught in the crossfire." He looked over to the other Salvatore's and smirked. "I see you handled your own with Shrek and Donkey."

Bonnie couldn't help it, she had to laugh. Damon took her by the hand. "We should get you changed into something less revealing. I can see your bra, and I don't need anyone else drooling after my lady."

* * *

><p>Hot water never felt better to Tyler than it did right now. All day he spent it at the police station recounting his story of what he was doing before, during, and after the ball. He remembered everything fine up until he got into a fight with Matt, and after that it was nothing but a black hole.<p>

Liz, putting on her tough cop act, said she would keep looking into things, and would wait to hear Sue's autopsy results before determining if an arrest should be made. He was advised not to leave town. Tyler wasn't overly worried because everything they had right now was circumstantial at best.

Climbing out of the shower and wrapping a thick towel around his hips, Tyler wiped the condensation off the mirror above his sink and stared at himself. Instinctively he already knew Sue's death would be ruled a homicide, but the question remained, did he have her blood on his hands, or had someone else done the deed?

* * *

><p>Night had fallen and the barbeque shifted into a bonfire. Jeremy called it a night since everyone else who was in attendance was coupled up. He didn't feel the need to stick around for that. Besides the house would be empty which meant he could blast the music he actually liked listening to and play video games until his eyes dried up.<p>

Andie sat next to Damon using his arm as a pillow. "Other than the childish water fight that ensued, I had a pretty awesome time. Thanks for inviting me."

"Yeah, don't mention it," Damon replied blandly and chugged from a beer bottle. He hated beer, wanted something stronger. His eyes cut across the fire and he stared at Bonnie wrapped up in a blanket with dark-eyes. They were being unreasonably quiet but every now and a then Bonnie would smile. It was like they were having a silent conversation or something. ESP. He rolled his eyes.

Damon tightened his arms around Bonnie. Their heads were pressed close together as they watched the flames from the bonfire grow and mingle.

_See, _Bonnie said, _today wasn't so bad. And if I recall I think I saw you smile at least three times. _

_I'll admit I had a far better time than expected. You have interesting friends, I'll say that much and with all kindness. _

Bonnie shook her head because she knew he was being sarcastic. _So it's safe to assume that you never had any downtime like this in Fell's Church. _

_No, unfortunately. As soon as one problem was solved there was always another just around the corner. I do feel a bit idle but I'm sure it'll pass soon enough. _

_What do you want to do? What do you want to try next? I have to keep you busy to keep you out of trouble._

_Me starting trouble is only half the fun. Hmm…I've never eaten sushi off a live person before._

Bonnie shifted her head until she could sort of kind of make eye contact with Damon. "You want to eat sushi?"

_Shush, princess. You can't answer me out loud remember._

_Oh, right. My bad. Who is the person you want to eat sushi off of?_

_I think you should know, but I'll be glad to tell you. _Bonnie heard him chuckling softly in her head. _Seriously I don't care what I'm doing next as long as I'm doing something with you. That's all that really matters._

_I refuse to believe you're that easy to please, Damon._

_Why? You assume I'm complicated. I mean I am, but I have my moments of simplicity._

Bonnie didn't say anything for a while. She thought back over her day, omitting that moment with Damon with the blue eyes. She had placed herself in dark-eyes' shoes and wondered if he felt off being around so many humans pretending to be human. She imagined it would get tiring after a while pretending not to be as fast or as strong in order to keep his secret a secret. Bonnie had her own secret to protect but she didn't have to work overtime to hide what she was.

_Damon?_

_Yes?_

_Do you miss being human? _

There was a pregnant pause before he answered. _No. _

She was startled. _Why? _

_I'll tell you later. Caroline has been trying to get your attention for two minutes now._

Bonnie blinked and her secret line of communication with Damon ended. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Care?"

Caroline looked extremely vexed. "Did you spaz out on me? Of course you did. I know you find it difficult to think straight when you're anywhere near Damon, but could you _please _try to focus?"

Bonnie pursed her lips in disapproval. Her attention span wasn't that bad…oh what is his hand doing? And his lips. They were fluttering around the back of her neck. Crap, focus on Caroline because her lips are moving and words are coming out but they just aren't translating.

Caroline tossed her hands in the air. "You did it again!"

"I heard you," Bonnie replied weakly and really hoped Caroline didn't decide to quiz her.

"Oh, really, so what did I say?"

_Damon, help._

_You're on your own, princess. Good luck._

_You turd._

_What?_

_*sighs* Nothing. Please, help me._

_She wanted to know if you wanted to extend your weekend by staying at her house to relive more moments from your childhood._

_Oh. Good lookin' out._

_It's what I do best. _

Out loud, Bonnie said. "Yes, Caroline I'd love to have a sleepover."

The blonde vampire blinked and then deflated. She was so looking forward to blasting her out.

From there conversations lulled until several of the humans started yawning.

_I should get you home, angel. You can barely keep your eyes open. I _did _kind of keep you up late last night. _He grinned naughtily.

Bonnie giggled. _I wasn't complaining. But you're right, I am tired and I should definitely go home. _

Bonnie and Damon said their goodbye's to everyone before taking off. Alaric, Jenna, and Elena left although Elena tried to keep the grin off her face because Stefan would be coming over, more like sneaking in as soon as it was safe. Caroline and Matt made their way out because they were starting to get frisky with one another.

Blue-eyes doused the flames of the fire, and was actually kind of glad everyone pitched in to clean before fleeing. There was nothing left to do but put the tables back and store away the grill all of which he'd do in the morning. He reached for Andie's hand, hauled her up and the next time they were facing one another they were chest deep in sudsy bubbles in his bath tub.

Andie constantly bit her lip. She didn't know what she liked best. A wet Damon Salvatore or a dry Damon Salvatore. In either case she was a winner because the man was sex on a stick. She had to pinch herself for her luck. Nevertheless there was that little nagging voice in the back of her head that told her Damon's thoughts had been preoccupied tonight by a certain teenager. As a woman that made her seethe, but hey Damon would be screwing her tonight.

"I need a distraction," Damon said to interrupt the silence.

Andie played with the bubbles. "You can booty call me any time you want."

He didn't even attempt to smile. Sometime's he had it a bit _too _easy with women. All he had to do was bat his baby blues and their underwear would be dangling from the ceiling fan in half a nanosecond. Where was the challenge?

"See, the only thing is, sexy reporter girl," Andie giggled and he indulged her with a smirk, "I need help with a problem I'm dealing with. It's really messing with my mind." Damon picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

"Tell me about it."

"I like a woman who should be my natural enemy, but I can't stop thinking about her."

Andie's cheer immediately fled. "I knew it. I sure know how to pick em," she lamented. "So what's the problem? She's with another man?" she reached for his wine glass and took a sip.

Damon frowned and took the glass back. "Yeah, but that's not the point. What I have a problem with is the way she makes me feel when I'm around her. I feel like she has total control over every part of me. I can't stand it. I like being in control."

Andie stared at him. "You don't trust yourself around her?" she guessed.

"I don't trust myself around anyone." A beat. "I'm bad, Andie. I _do_ things. Things she doesn't approve of." He looked at her seriously, his light-blue eyes darkening like clouds announcing a coming storm. "I kill people."

At first Andie thought he was joking but from that serious expression turning his face into something monstrous she sat up in the tub ready to bolt.

Damon leaned over and stared her intently in the eye, his pupil dilating. "Don't be afraid. You're okay," he said soothingly.

And then whatever fear she had been feeling evaporated. "Why do you kill people?" she asked.

"Because I like it. It's in my nature. That's who I am. And if I want to be with her then that's one part I'd have to alter drastically," he sighed and finished off the wine. "She changes me, or at least she tries. Really, she's the only one to succeed in getting me to stop to think about my decision-making skills," he snorted. "She made me earn her trust, the _hard way_ and…she was there for me…when I needed a friend."

Andie nodded like a good little toy. "I don't know, Damon. Sounds like you more than like her, sounds like you love her."

He snorted rudely at that. "I want to bang her brains out; that doesn't necessarily equate love in my book."

"Are you wishing she were here with you right now?"

There was no point in hiding the truth. Damon nodded his head, and then reached for Andie. She eagerly came to him. "See, that's why I need a distraction," he kissed her with an all-consuming force that decimated her brain cells. Damon trailed his lips down the column of her neck, opened his jaw, fangs protruding and buried them deep in Andie's neck.

She struggled against feeling pain and ecstasy in equal measure. She should be screaming, she should be terrified but she just couldn't really care at the moment. As Damon fed there was only one persistent thought on his brain.

_Bonnie._

* * *

><p>Turning out the light to her bathroom, Bonnie pulled back the sheets to her bed. <em>Bonnie. <em>She heard plain as day. Standing up, Bonnie opened up her mind, like Damon taught her to do. She was being a good girl tonight, and was staying in her own home, sleeping in her own bed.

_Damon? _

His response was instantaneous. _Yes, princess?_

_Did you call me?  
><em>

_No, is something the matter?  
><em>

Bonnie frowned. Maybe she was hearing things. _No, nothing's wrong. I'm just probably really tired, I thought you called me. I'll see you in the morning._

_Missing me already? _

Bonnie could imagine the cocky grin on his face. _Probably not as much as you miss me.__  
><em>

_So true. Sleep tight, doll.  
><em>

_I will. Good night.  
><em>

Chapter end.

**A/N: Tangled web in the making? Hmm. I wanted to show the Scooby-Doo gang having a day off from constantly having to save the world *cough* Elena, and act like normal teenagers for once, which is something we hardly get to see on the show. And even their "Klaus is dead" celebration at the end of 3x21 felt off to me only because we hardly see them all in the same room when they aren't fighting for their lives. So very sad. More was supposed to happen but I'll just save those moments for a later chapter. Things are calm now but does it mean it'll stay that way? Thanks for reading. Love you!**


	22. Girl Talk

**A/N: This is just to wet your appetite before the season finale. I'm bracing myself not to get my hopes too high for anything. Enjoy you guys!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>There was an eerie sensation tapping Bonnie on the shoulder. The kind of sensation that made a person feel they're not alone in a room when they know they're the only occupant in a house. Bonnie turned over in bed, dragging the sheets with her momentum, and that's when she saw him.<p>

He was standing across from her bed, in front of the window, facing her. From his silhouette alone Bonnie knew who he was and didn't feel compelled to scream and wake her father or her neighbors. She was in no danger. Well, she _was _in danger. In danger of having her wicked little fantasies come true.

Wordlessly she slipped from the bed, taking the sheets with her and turning them into a makeshift toga. Her feet carried her closer to him and when she was near enough to touch, she stared up into his face which was covered in shadow. His hands, those tepid hands captured her hips pulling her flush against his broad chest. A rush traveled through Bonnie starting from the crown of her head ending at the soles of her feet, and tingled everywhere in between. Automatically her body responded to his nearness with enough force to leave her dizzy and breathless as if she were on a roller coaster. His smell taunted and teased her senses to the point her mouth watered. She wanted him.

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Bonnie tugged him down until their lips crashed. This was not a gentle kiss, an innocent kiss that two inexperienced lovers gave one another. This kiss was legendary, the kind that won MTV Movie Awards. Epic. She sucked his bottom lip deep into her mouth and laved it with her tongue, while his teeth bit gently into her upper lip. This wasn't good enough. She wasn't close enough to him. Bonnie wanted—no _needed_—to feel more.

Her feet began to trek backwards until her legs bumped into the bed. She went down, taking him with her. A frenzy ensued as the sheet was ripped clean from her naked body. Hands, mouth, teeth, and that wicked, artful tongue of his licked trails and carved valleys whenever it landed on her heated flesh. Growing impatient, Bonnie pulled his shirt away from his torso, separated him from his pants, and then he entered her with one powerful thrust.

"_Yes!" _they hissed in unison as he began to move, and Bonnie undulate her hips. Their mouths became fused together as her wrought iron headboard banged against the wall, knocking her pictures loose.

The air which rushed from his nostrils tickled that sensitive patch of skin on her neck. "You feel so _good,_" he praised Bonnie before kissing her neck, her cheek, and devouring her lips.

She couldn't think straight; she didn't want to think at all. Everything she ever wanted was in this man, and he was exactly where she needed him to be. In her.

_I used up all of my tricks. I hope that you like this. But you probably won't. You think you're cooler than me._

One green eye opened followed by the other. Bonnie groaned as her dream, her really good dream, began to fade as Mike Posner's whiny voice grated her ears. That friggin' Caroline forgot to turn off her alarm!

And of course her best friend's hair would be tickling her cheek. Brushing it away, Bonnie sat up in bed and looked around as intrusive sunlight poured into the room.

Soon, Bonnie heard another groan only this one sounded more distant.

Blindly Caroline shot an arm out and shut off her alarm before turning over in bed facing Bonnie. Staring at her for a second, Bonnie proceeded to shake her awake.

Caroline frowned, "What?"

"Where's Elena?"

A hand rose from the side of the bed and waved. Bonnie crawled over Caroline to find her other best friend sprawled out on the floor. This happened every single time they had sleepovers. Elena, who would refuse to sleep in the middle, would end up on the floor by morning because she turned over one too many times, ending up on the floor, however she never made an effort to get back in bed.

"What is your obsession with sleeping on the floor like a dog whenever we have sleepovers?"

Elena chucked a teddy bear at Bonnie's head who managed to dodge out of the way lest it pop her in the eye. "You two are notorious bed hoggers. The floor is my best bet."

"And I'm sure your back is loving you right now."

Just at the mention of her back, Elena felt an ache deep in her muscles. "Thanks for that," she winced and stood from the floor and attempted to stretch the soreness away.

"Can you two please stop talking?" Caroline mumbled, eyes still closed. "Johnny Depp is about to propose to me."

"We're up and we're hungry," Bonnie said. "Elena can you hand me my bag?"

Elena did as her friend asked and handed Bonnie her purse. When she pulled out her cell phone, Elena lunged on the bed and tried to pry it from Bonnie's hands. The two engaged in a fierce battle of tug-o-war.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked between clenched teeth.

"Oh, no. We made a pact last night. Absolutely no contact with boyfriends for the entire weekend. Give me that phone."

"I'm not calling Damon, nitwit. I want to play a special song to get Princess Caroline out of bed. She sleeps like the dead, and knowing her condition that's no excuse."

Elena sat back on her haunches and pursed her lips. "You swear that's all you're going to do?"

Bonnie smirked and Elena didn't trust that smirk. "Yes," she answered. "Don't act like you didn't text Stefan late last night."

Elena dipped her head. "I just had to ask him a simple question."

Bonnie didn't look amused. "This simple question couldn't wait until Sunday afternoon?"

Elena got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response until after I've brushed my teeth," she paused at the door and swung back around to face Bonnie. "And what were you dreaming about, Bon? You were making all sorts of breathless sounds, I thought I would have to go and get you an inhaler."

Bonnie looked away and willed her cheeks not to scarlet over. "I plead the fifth."

Elena giggled. "I'm sure you do."

An hour later the girls were raiding the kitchen. Elena was at the stove making scrambled eggs. Bonnie was in charge of the pancakes, and Caroline was supervising. She acknowledged a long time ago she had zero culinary skills. Ordering takeout was her best friend, and she lived and died by Stoffers dinners.

It was quiet moments like this that made Bonnie realize how much of her teen years she was missing by being knee-deep in supernatural crap. So far they had had two weeks of pure bliss. No one died of a mysterious animal attack; each the Salvatore's had been on their best behavior, things were beginning to feel normal again.

Except, they had to attend the funeral of Sue Daniels. Whenever Bonnie thought of Sue, her skin tingled and she thought of the phrase self-fulfilling prophecy. Damon from Fell's Church had told her that Tyler Smallwood activated his werewolf gene by killing a girl named Sue Carson. And lo and behold Mystic Falls' Sue _Daniels _ends up dead on the Lockwood property.

Tyler of course proclaimed his innocence. The forensic evidence that had been collected was still being tested, and Tyler was doing what he could not to freak out and skip town. Bonnie had her suspicion, and when her eyes flicked to the calendar that was hung on the refrigerator, there would be a full moon at the end of the mouth. That left Tyler, if he did kill Sue, approximately a little over a week to prepare himself for the worst.

Bonnie wanted to help but she had no idea what to do. If she told Damon, he'd freak. She wanted to freak, but someone would have to be there to help Tyler through the transformation and to make sure he didn't kill or eat anyone. She wanted to bring this up in casual conversation, but it would kind of defeat the purpose of her girl's only weekend. No boys were allowed. Conversations about boys weren't permitted either, but Bonnie couldn't ignore something which may become a huge problem.

"Guys, I'm worried," Bonnie said.

Elena spooned the scrambled eggs out of the frying pan and dumped them in a serving bowl. "What are you worried about?"

Caroline's eyes grew as large as saucers. "Are you PG?"

Bonnie and Elena's expressions were mirrors of one another. "PG?" Bonnie asked.

To this, Caroline rolled her eyes. "Pregnant?"

Bonnie snorted and laughed. "Um…no! That's not possible. You know that."

"Well, how can you be a hundred percent sure? Do you use protection? Are you on the pill, patch, IUD, the ring? You're a witch which gives you a magical vagina. Anything is possible."

Elena stared at Bonnie and wondered the same thing. Bonnie darted her gaze between the brunette and the blonde.

"We don't use protection, and no I'm not pregnant. What I'm worried about is Tyler."

"Why are you worried about him for?" Caroline asked brusquely. "He's a douche."

"Caroline," Elena reproached.

"Oh, please," Caroline chortled. "Tyler has been nothing but a world-class jerk since he was an embryo. He's been nothing but exceptionally rude to me since the first day we met, and he treated Vicky and every other girl he hooked up with like crap. Okay, so he might be enemy number one with my mom and her trusted deputies because of Sue Daniels, but hey," she shrugged unsympathetically, "he brought it on himself."

Elena propped a hand on her hip. "No, please tell us how you really feel about him, Care. I think you might have forgotten to say he would be doing the world a favor if he kicked the bucket."

Caroline smiled. "I wouldn't shed a single tear at his funeral."

"All right, guys can we focus on why I said I'm worried about Tyler?" Bonnie only continued once she had their attention. "If he is…responsible for what happened to Sue, you know what this means."

Elena and Caroline became somber at the reminder.

"Someone will have to be there and kind of explain…what he's going to go through."

"Well, you're not going to sign up for that job, are you?" Caroline asked incredulously.

Bonnie shrugged. "I did some digging through Grams old textbooks. She actually had an anthology on werewolves and I was thinking of anonymously leaving it for him."

Elena decided to endorse this idea. "That might not be such a bad idea. Do you think it might help him in any way?"

"Maybe. But knowing Tyler he'll probably just shrug the whole thing off. It doesn't hurt to try."

"When were you thinking of leaving it for him?" Caroline was curious.

Bonnie looked at her. "Some time this week. He's going to need it and soon because the next full moon is a little over a week away."

All three girls' vision trailed over to the calendar. Caroline sighed heavily. "Just when things were starting to get quiet again we have our own Teen Wolf to deal with."

"That is, if Damon doesn't kill him," Elena said.

"He wouldn't be that stu…wait, what am I saying. Of course he's that stupid to take out the mayor's son," Caroline threw her hands in the air. Then she locked eyes with Bonnie. "However, there is one person who can talk him out of making a dumb ass decision."

Elena chewed a forkful of eggs. "Damon isn't going to listen to me. We barely speak."

Inwardly, Caroline chuckled. Elena could be so dubiously cute sometimes. Apparently her eyes have been too full of Stefan to realize that Damon stopped chasing her Fruit of the Looms long ago.

Caroline thought back to the barbeque where she caught light-eyed Damon staring at Bonnie several times throughout the entire day. Lingering stares. The kind of stares a man gives a woman he's seriously crushing on. In the past, Damon hardly looked Bonnie's way because he had been too busy trying to catch Elena's eye, but the tables had turned, the scales now shifted and tipped in the witch's favor.

She did want to bring it up to Bonnie, but decided not to because it would only create more friction, especially after the showdown that took place in Damon's bedroom. And the other thing Caroline wanted details on was the kiss shared between Mystic Falls Damon and Bonnie. She certainly hadn't seen that one coming.

Bonnie flipped the pancake over because it was beginning to burn. Caroline could have that one.

"I wasn't talking about you, Elena," Caroline told her friend plainly, and then motioned with her head towards Bonnie.

"My contact with Damon has been restricted," Bonnie automatically said in her defense.

Caroline snorted. "You're going to let some dude tell you who you can and can't talk to? That's not the Bonnie I know. Please tell me you're not one of those chicks who gets rid of her friends because her insecure boyfriend can't handle a little competition?"

"It's not like that," Bonnie's nostrils flared. "Out of respect for my relationship I can't be in Damon's face every two seconds. Would you want Matt to constantly be around the girl who kissed him?"

Caroline compressed her lips into a tight line. "No," she answered honestly. "I see what you're saying, but if Damon puts one of his plans into motion it goes hand-in-hand with epic failure and certain death. He has a tendency to make things worse when he thinks he's being clever and proactive."

Bonnie could only agree with Caroline's assessment. "Fine. But I'll only talk to him _if _he does have a plan to go after Tyler."

Caroline placed her elbows on the kitchen island. "This brings to mind a topic we failed to have any type of discussion on. You, sex, and dark-eyes," she waggled her eyebrows.

"That's right," Elena agreed and gawked at Bonnie. "Things have been crazy but you've only given us snippets of what went down."

This time Bonnie didn't even try to contain her blush. She let it encompass her entire body. Sighing wistfully, she shared, "It was an _amazing_ night. But a lady doesn't kiss and tell."

"Like hell she doesn't," the blonde quickly refuted. "We're your best friends so cough up them details, girly."

Bonnie scooped the last pancake off the girdle and turned it off. "All right," she began to pass the plates around. "I was really nervous, so nervous that I fell asleep," she giggled amid looks of horror shared between Caroline and Elena. "When I woke up, I straddled his back, started kissing him until he woke up and from there…," goose bumps broke out over Bonnie's skin in remembrance. A light throb began in her clit, beat in time with flow of blood speeding through her veins. "His mouth…"

Caroline was grinning uncontrollably.

"His hands…"

Elena sat on the edge of her seat.

"I really thought I was going to die because it felt, _he _felt so fucking amazingly _good_," Bonnie finished her point by fanning herself. "He was incredibly gentle. I mean it hurt but not for long, and he took his time."

"Wow," Elena murmured in awe.

"Did he bite you?" asked Caroline.

Bonnie shook her head. "There was no biting involved."

"One penetration at a time, I see," Elena giggled.

Bonnie snapped a dishtowel at her. "But…he did do eating of another kind."

Elena and Caroline looked at one another before squealing like pigs and doing happy girl dances.

Caroline's eyes were as big as Neptune. "What was _that _like?"

"I'll say this…he didn't spill or waste a single drop."

The squeals, screams, and giggles started again and continued for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Damon checked the barrel of his sawed off shotgun. Seeing that everything was in operating order, he filled the chamber with rounds and cocked it into place. Spread out on his favorite table was a myriad of weapons that could do extensive and sometimes irreversible damage to the human body. The full moon was upon them and he would be ready to do a little hunting.

Stefan stood behind his brother, staring over his shoulder at the assembly. "I don't think its official deer hunting season yet."

Damon rolled his crystalline eyes. "I'm not hunting deer. That's your job."

The younger Salvatore shook his head. "What are you preparing to hunt?"

"An oversized cocker spaniel."

Stefan yanked the shotgun out his brother's hands and slammed it on the table. He already knew what this preparation was all about, and it was exactly the last thing they needed. Things had finally gotten back on track after months of zaniness, and the last thing any of them needed to do was to start trouble again.

"Damon, you're not going to kill Tyler."

The vampire in question sneered and faced Stefan. "He's a werewolf," he said as if that explained the mysteries of the universe.

"You don't have definitive proof that he's the one who killed Sue or that he activated the werewolf curse."

"Like that matters, Stefan. He still has the gene that turns him into a big, hairy dog one week out of the month. If he didn't kill Sue and he's still nothing but a dumb, entitled jock, it'll only be a matter of time before he _does _kill someone especially in a town like this. I'm merely stopping a potential problem before it snowballs."

"For who? For us or for people of this town?"

"Both," Damon boasted.

Stefan didn't believe that lie. Damon never did anything for anyone except to cover his own ass. Stefan reached over and braced his hands on Damon's shoulders. "You consider Carol Lockwood a friend don't you?"

Damon looked away. He didn't have friends or make friends for a reason because Damon figured he'd have to kill them at some point down the line. Carol placed blind trust in him only because she wanted to take a ride on his joy stick, and he used that to his advantage. Yet he had no qualms about killing her only child just to make sure Tyler didn't try to murder him with his sharp teeth. He couldn't let a werewolf run free, not on his turf.

"Point, please?" Damon snarled impatiently.

"My point is when do you get tired of screwing people in the back, Damon? I know it's a favorite past time of yours, and you like using vampirism as an excuse for a lot of the dick moves you pull, but at some point when are you going to grow the fuck up?"

A tic hammered in Damon's jaw and he thrust Stefan away from him. Would it be too much to ask for his little brother to get on the same page as him _one_ time? Just once?

"And why are you always so gotdamn sentimental, Stefan?" he fired back. "Who is Tyler Lockwood to you other than the prick who tried to take your head off with a football because you were talking to his BFF's girl? You let me worry about Carol, and if you aren't going to help, stay out of my way."

Shouldering past his brother, Damon headed towards the staircase.

"Have you thought of what Bonnie will say if she found out about this?"

Damon froze and then zoomed back over to Stefan. "You breathe a word of this to her…"

Stefan rolled his eyes, "And you'll rip my heart out. Blah, blah, blah. Come up with some new threats, please."

"I will as soon as you stop trying to modify my behavior by threatening to tattle on me to a chick."

"It seems to be the only leverage I have over you to get you to stop and think," Stefan licked his lips. "I know you care for Bonnie and you can scoff and laugh all you want. Tyler is someone she's known her entire life. Do you honestly think it'll win you any brownie points with her if you kill him? Besides, he's not the Damon I'm rooting for her to end up with. I'm just trying to help you out."

Hun? Damon thought as he combed his brother with a speculative eye. "You want me and Bonnie to hook up?"

Stefan shrugged. "The other Damon doesn't belong here, and deep down she knows that. He's a cooler version of you, I'll admit."

Damon cut his eyes at Stefan.

"But he's not my brother. To answer your earlier question, no I don't want you and Bonnie to hook up. Not in a casual sense because she deserves so much more than that. You're not ready for her. Not by a long shot, and if you go all Crocodile Dundee on Tyler you might as well hang it up."

There were several things Damon hated, and admitting his brother was right was high on that list.

"What makes you think I stand a chance? She's sleeping with him. He's told her he loves her."

Stefan folded his arms and leaned against the desk. "He does have several advantages over you. But Bonnie cares for you. She could have let Mason bite you but she didn't. She could have let you burn at the basketball game, yet she put you out. Additionally, she could have let you take full blame for that kiss you laid on her, and let the other Damon shred you to pieces, but again she intervened. Whatever her reasons or motivations are, you'd have to ask her, but its proof that she cares something for you. And you can build on that."

Damon took up a similar stance as his brother. He could hardly believe he was about to get relationship advice from his little brother but when he examined the facts, Stefan was the one who had more stable relationships.

"Are you advising me to steal Bonnie?"

Stefan quickly shook his head. "No, what I'm advising you to do is build an ironclad friendship with her. It'll be a relationship she'll want to protect more than anything. But if you keep pushing up on her, it will only drive her farther into your nemesis' arms. So stop with the sexual innuendo that you're known for."

Damon grimaced. That was the fun part of his relationship with Bonnie. Getting her all hot and bothered. "I'm not going to start calling her princess and angel," the words dripped with disdain.

Stefan chuckled. "I'm not saying you have to become a fairy for crying out loud. Or that you have to be unnaturally nice or sweet to her. But talk to her. Show a genuine interest in her life."

"You know how she is, Stef. She'll only think I'm after something and she'll shut me down in a heart beat."

"Then you keep trying until it takes her longer and longer to rebuff you."

"Yeah, and what about her guard dog, her shadow?"

"Damon can't control who she talks to or who she's friends with and if he tries, he'll only earn himself a one-way ticket to the doghouse. Bonnie is much too headstrong to let that crap fly."

Damon had to smile. If that wasn't the truth.

"So is it safe to ask that you've aborted your plan to off Tyler?"

Damon stood to his full height and stared at the weapons on the table. "For now," was all he'd commit to saying before whistling off to his bedroom.

* * *

><p>On and off all day Bonnie's dream would haunt her. She had spent a relaxing day at the spa getting a facial, manicure and pedicure, and of course engaging in hours and hours of gossip with her two friends. However, her explicit dream was never far from her mind. Bonnie was fairly certain that the man in shadow was Damon yet the question remained which Damon was it?<p>

Clearing her throat, Bonnie knocked on the front door of the Lockwood mansion. It took several minutes before it was eventually opened.

"Bonnie?" surprise was etched on Tyler's face. He opened the door wider. "Come in."

"Thanks," Bonnie looked around and was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the place. Any time she was there it was always bustling with people, shrinking the massive home in size. She turned and faced Tyler who looked more suspicious of her unexpected visit than happy to see her.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here on a Sunday night. We're not close."

Tyler lifted a dark eyebrow and tilted his head. He couldn't really refute her claim. Bonnie was one of a multitude of people he knew and maybe occasionally associated with stemming from which of her friends he was banging, but that was about it. So yeah, this would be their first time interacting one-on-one. Alone.

Bonnie looked around. "Can we go sit somewhere and talk?"

"Yeah, sorry," Tyler said as if remembering his hospitality etiquette. He showed Bonnie to a private den that was just off the living room. He closed the sliding doors behind him. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he sat down beside Bonnie on the couch.

Bonnie said nothing. Only reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She handed it over to Tyler. Confusion was the dominate expression on his face. He turned the well-worn leather book over and over in his hands before opening it.

"I'm not really the reading type, Bon. Do I need this for an English paper or something?"

Bonnie shook her head and stared at him seriously, arresting Tyler with her moss green gaze. "I know."

He narrowed his dark brown eyes that nearly matched his hair color. "You know?"

The hidden threat in his voice was easy to discern. "I know what…you…are…Tyler."

He shot off the couch and glared down at her. "And what might that be? A killer? That's what everyone in town is saying about me behind my back!"

Bonnie stood to her feet to even the playing field. Now she was kind of regretting her decision of coming here. She should have stuck with leaving the book anonymously with a note attachment, but the goodness of her heart wanted to talk to Tyler and tell him he didn't have to go through this alone. Like she had to do when she came into her powers.

"Tyler, I didn't come over here to talk about or accuse you of anything."

"Then what are you here for? To get me to read?" he dropped the book to the table.

"What I don't understand why you're being so hostile towards me. But then…it's only a characteristic of a werewolf. You're quick to anger."

His eyes flashed and Bonnie gulped but she refused to back down or be intimidated. "How do you know about that?"

"I know a lot of things, Tyler. Things I'm not at a liberty to discuss, but I want you to know you don't have to go through this alone. That book can help you. It's from my Grams' personal library. You know she taught occult at the university?"

"Yeah," he sucked his teeth, disinterested in hearing her family history. "I don't understand what any of this has to do with me."

"Just read the book, Tyler. That's all I came here to say."

Bonnie collected her purse and made a move to leave, but Tyler grabbed her by the arm and pulled her backwards. Not with enough force to hurt, but still it was a bit jarring.

"Hey!" she said.

"Who else knows about the apparent Lockwood family secret?"

"Just me," she lied.

Of course he didn't believe her. Tyler shook his head. "You might want to try again."

"And you might want to take your hands off of her."

Both Tyler and Bonnie shifted to stare at the person who entered the room as silent as a ghost.

"Mr. Saltzman, what are you doing here?" Tyler frowned.

"I have a meeting with your mother. And you might want to drop your hands from Miss Bennett's person."

Tyler hesitated as he stared at Bonnie before doing what the history teacher suggested. Bonnie didn't spare him another look as she quickly fled the room, but not before saying her thanks to Alaric.

The two men merely glowered at each other before Tyler cracked. "I wasn't going to hurt her."

"Bonnie is a good person and she was only trying to help. Would it have killed you to be a little nicer to her?"

The young boy didn't answer right away but scrubbed a hand across his forehead before dumping his body on the sofa. He eyed the book with contempt for a second. "I don't know what's going on with me, man. It's like I'm PMSing or something."

Alaric snorted and pushed away from the door. He stepped into the room and stood on the opposite side of the coffee table. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tyler shook his head. He wanted to talk but not to Alaric. If only Mason hadn't taken off he could talk to him. But in a way Tyler felt this was his uncle's fault for putting that crap in his head, and then of course seeing for himself what his uncle was and what he could potentially become. It went without saying Tyler didn't want to go through that. Turning into an animal against his will. No thanks!

Yet how did Bonnie know? Tyler heard the rumors that circulated the Bennett family. That they were witches. Tyler never believed the hype, but maybe…

"All right," Alaric relented. "You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"Yeah, right," Tyler grumbled.

Alaric waited a beat before pivoting on his heels and leaving the kid to stew. Alone, Tyler picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. There were some illustrations, mostly of wolves, but he paused when he saw one picture of a man in chains, half his body was still human, the other was beginning to shift into wolf form. His eyes bugged and Tyler felt bile tickle the back of his throat.

Digging for his cell phone in his pocket, Tyler surfed through his contacts until he located Mason's number.

"Hey, this message is for Mason. It's your nephew Tyler. Call me as soon as you get this."

* * *

><p>Two weeks was probably the longest Damon went without seeing or talking to Bonnie since he became aware of her. So he had to think of a way to end this… whatever it was they were doing and organized a movie night at the boardinghouse. He was not the type to plan activities. He left that to his little minions so that way his hands remained clean, although they always had a way of getting dirty. But he needed a legitimate excuse to see Bonnie because he knew without one she'd blow him off.<p>

He did war with calling her out of the blue in a fake rage about going over to stomp Tyler to death. Bonnie would have rushed over to talk him out of it, but Damon figured it best not to go that route or manipulate her that way. Although this planned movie night was slightly manipulative, he was hoping Bonnie would see him as putting in a genuine effort of being not necessarily a good guy but a nice guy.

Ugh, he wasn't nice. Damon stopped being nice back when wearing a three piece suit to dinner was in style. Besides, being nice only earned him the short end of the stick.

He was going to take a page from Stefan's book and try to be more of a gentleman. Ew.

The rarely used doorbell tolled and Damon quickly answered it. His smile split his face. "Bonnie! Thanks for coming."

Bonnie entered the residence staring at him strangely. "Hey," she greeted tentatively and didn't see anyone else. "Am I early?"

"No, Elena and Caroline are in the kitchen with Stefan. Let me take your coat," Damon didn't give her a chance to answer before he slipped her pea coat off her shoulders. He hung it up.

Bonnie's eyebrows lifted but she made her way to the kitchen. Damon fell in step beside her.

"So how you been?" Damon asked. "We haven't seen each other in a while."

"I've been good. And yourself?"

"I haven't gone on a murderous rampage so I'm kosher."

Bonnie snorted.

"So is it just you tonight?" he asked and was praying that dark-eyed fool would sit this event out.

"No, Damon is on his way."

_Fuck, _Damon thought yet kept his face notably blank. Bonnie looked up at him waiting for his snarky reply and when one failed to come, she stopped walking causing him to do so as well.

"Are you feeling all right? Did you drink some bad blood?"

Damon laughed jovially and slung an arm over Bonnie's shoulder. "Have I told you how much your dry wit cracks me up?"

"What have you done with Damon? This is a pod person, right?"

Okay, maybe he was laying on this trying to be civil thing a bit too thick. They had barely been alone for two minutes and already he was exhausted. Damon faced her, that flirtatious expression back on his face.

He trailed his eyes over Bonnie and had to say she looked killer in her lavender wrap dress.

_She has amazing calves. I just want to wrap those legs around…_

Bonnie's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Had she just heard? Nah? She couldn't have heard Damon's thoughts, thoughts about her as plain as day. She didn't.

_Do I have something stuck in my teeth? Why is she looking at me funny?_

"Oh, shit," Bonnie said out loud and then recovered.

He frowned and lightly cupped her cheek. "Bon, are you okay?"

She jumped two feet away from him. "I'm…fine. I…need something to drink," Bonnie side-stepped Damon and broke through the kitchen door. She said hello to the occupants in the room and headed over to the sink to get water from the tap.

It never occurred to Bonnie that the two Damon's might, in some way, be connected. Now that she had established a telepathic link with dark-eyes, did that now make her privy to blue-eyes thoughts or everyone's thoughts?

Bonnie tried to probe the minds of her friends and came up with nothing. However, when she focused on Damon, she caught words and sometime's images. Explicit images of what he wanted to do…to…her. Gulp.

Shit! What did this mean?

_Damon? _And she purposely directed that thought at blue-eyes. He didn't look up as he stood beside Elena and stole a cookie off her plate. Bonnie licked her lips and tried to "contact" him again. Still there was nothing.

She sighed a little in relief, however, it was short-lived. What was she supposed to do now? Because she certainly didn't want to hear blue-eyes' thoughts at all. And she didn't want to dwell on the fact he was thinking of her inappropriately—despite her curious nature to dig. There were certain mysteries that needed to remain mysterious. The inner workings of Damon Salvatore's mind being one of those mysteries. Even she could admit, very privately to herself in feeling flattered he thought of her past wanting to drain her dry.

However, if she told dark-eyes, Bonnie didn't even want to think about his reaction, but he needed to know.

_Bonnie?_

She screamed and this caught everyone's attention. She smiled at them sheepishly. "Sorry, thought I saw a…cockroach."

Stefan and Damon narrowed their gazes at her. Elena looked around and picked up her feet. Caroline merely sat and enjoyed her tub of popcorn.

_Yes?_

_I'm going to be running later than expected. I blew a tire. _

_Do you need me to come and get you?_

_No, love. I'll be there in a while. _

_All right. I'll see you when you get here. Oh, and there's something we have to talk about. Soon!_

_What? It sounds urgent._

_It is, but it can wait until we're alone._

Bonnie closed off her link with dark-eyes.

"Bon, you okay? You look a little stressed?" asked Elena.

"I'm fine," her voice was maybe two octaves higher than normal. _Get yourself together, Bon._

The bell tolled again. Bonnie felt her heart climb to her throat.

Damon went to go answer it only to find it was Andie and Matt who arrived at the same time. Andie leaned in for a kiss which Damon quickly pecked her lips. He tried not to smile too much because it was becoming obvious that dark-eyes was going to be a no-show. He couldn't tell you how bad that made him feel. Ah, well, he'd be there to make sure Bonnie didn't feel as if she had been stood up by her boyfriend.

With the kitchen full of people, the men went to go move some of the furniture out of the way to make the living room feel more like a home theater, therefore, leaving the women in the kitchen. Once things were situated, the three guys settled at the table to play a quick game of poker.

"What movie are we supposed to be watching?" Caroline asked.

"It's not _The Notebook _if that's what you're wondering," Elena explained. "We'll be watching _Centurion _with that hot Michael Fassbender."

"He's the guy that played Magneto in X-Men: First Class, right?" Andie wondered.

"He would be the one," Bonnie responded dreamily. "I do love a man with a cool accent."

All the girls laughed.

Andie took a sip of her red wine. "And speaking of men with accents, where's yours?"

"He's on the way."

"Oh," Caroline hopped off the stool and retrieved her satchel from a corner of the kitchen. She rifled through it. "Since we had such a good time reminiscing over the weekend, I was cleaning out my room and I found this," she pulled out an old spiral notebook.

"Is that what I think it is?" said Elena.

Caroline nodded her head and retook her seat.

Andie looked on in confusion. "What is that?"

Caroline addressed the anchorwoman. "This is what was once referred to as the secret circle journal. Bonnie, Elena, and I would write in this thing for hours, pass it around, offer up advice, that sort of thing. But," Caroline opened the journal and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. "One day we decided to write down what we wanted in a future mate."

Elena and Bonnie faced palmed themselves. Things were about to get embarrassing in two seconds.

"Please, don't do this now," Bonnie stressed. She hadn't seen that journal since she was nine years old. There was no telling what she could have written in that thing.

"Stop looking constipated you two," Caroline admonished both Elena and Bonnie. "I just want to see how accurate or off the mark we've been thus far." She cleared her throat. "I'll start with Elena. 'These are the qualities I want in a future mate. Someone with a generous heart, loving, kind, sensitive to animals', there's a slight disqualification on that one," she said in an aside.

Elena chucked a popcorn kernel at Caroline who kept reading. "You wanted someone who is a protector, dashingly handsome, and blah, blah, blah. You basically got what you paid for."

Elena smiled very pleased with the results.

"My turn," Caroline shimmied in her seat. "I wanted someone with blonde hair and green eyes, that way we could avoid being mistaken as brother and sister. I also wanted my future mate to be athletic, have table etiquette, knows how to fix things, and is a great kisser. Hmm, that sounds like my Mattie—well apart from eye color."

Bonnie couldn't explain why her heart began to speed when Caroline focused on her.

"Ready, Bonnie?"

And Bonnie couldn't explain why she heard an echo.

"Bonnie wanted someone who is tall, dark, and handsome. Smart, is a great listener, will take out the trash, knows a lot about the world, has a great sense of humor, gives awesome massages," Caroline stopped reading abruptly.

Three different women were holding their breath.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline flicked her eyes to the page and rose them slowly to her friend. "The last thing you wrote… 'his initials will be…DS."

"WHAT?!" Bonnie exploded and snatched the book from Caroline's hand. She flew over the words and there it was scribbled in blue ink her wish, her dream, her "prediction" about her future mate.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Andie drained the rest of the wine in her glass before picking up the bottle and turning it up to her lips.

Elena coughed to clear her throat. She and Caroline exchanged baffled expressions.

And that's when the girls noticed the absence of boisterous laughter coming from the guys in the living room.

Caroline clamored off the stool and approached Bonnie. "Those initials could stand for ah…Daniel Smith."

"Do you know any Daniel Smith's, Caroline?" Bonnie barked and slapped the journal on the kitchen island. She was with a Damon Salvatore so this didn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe this was all the proof she needed to validate her relationship, not like it needed validating. Damon from Fell's Church made her happy. That was the end of the story.

Out in the living room, however, Damon was slightly freaking out. Stefan stared at his brother with concern. There wasn't a lot that could shock Damon into speechlessness. It went without saying that he and his brother had tuned in when the girls started discussing what they wanted in a mate. It also went without saying that Bonnie was psychic and might have been in a trance when she wrote that passage.

Damon dropped his cards on the table and rose from his seat. He headed towards the kitchen.

Stefan hastily followed after him. "Damon, hold up."

"Not now, Stefan."

He zoomed in front of his brother and put his hands on his chest to stop his momentum. "_Think, _Damon, that's all I need you to do right now. Think before you do or say something stupid. Andie is in there."

Blue-eyes snapped fire. All that was on Damon's mind was "claim my woman". "You think I give a shit about Andie?"

He said it loud enough for the lady in question to hear. She swallowed heavily and hopped off the stool amid sympathetic gazes. Grabbing her purse and what was left of her dignity she stormed out. She did pause long enough to slap Damon clean across his face.

When Andie reached and opened the front door she gasped loudly because there happened to be another Damon Salvatore standing on the other side.

"All Damon's are assholes," she muttered and shouldered her way past him.

Damon stared after her and bared his canines. She should consider herself lucky he had more important things on his mind. Yet when he entered the boardinghouse he was hit in the face with the pungent scent of tension. What the hell happened now?

_Bonnie, I'm here. _He sent out to her.

Bonnie came flying out of the kitchen, yet had to stop abruptly or she would have crashed into Stefan and Damon. She barely made any kind of eye contact with them before she quickly made her way to Fell's Church Damon where she launched herself into his arms.

She was no longer interested in having movie night. What she wanted was to be alone with Damon and process several things she learned tonight.

"Can we go?" she asked quietly.

He nodded his head.

Bonnie grabbed her coat, took Damon's hand and the two of them disappeared like ghosts.

Damon turned thunderous eyes on Stefan. "Tell everyone else to get the fuck out." And he was gone.

Chapter end.

**A/N: So let's tally up things shall we? Bonnie can hear TV Damon's thoughts, but he can't hear hers, so in essence they can't communicate. She may have predicted one of the Damon's as being her future mate at the tender age of nine. And Stefan has given his endorsement for TV Bamon. What will TV Damon do now that he's armed with that piece of ammunition and how will Book Damon react when Bonnie explains the situation? Stay tuned. Love you!**


	23. Nothing is Black or White

**A/N: This will probably be the last "calm" chapter before things get coo-coo again. There is some flashback goodness. Enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>Elena took a deep breath before raising her closed fist to knock on his door. The sound that followed sounded meek to her ears but knew it was loud enough to capture the immortal's attention. When no call came to enter, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.<p>

The inside of Damon's room was dark. Only the fire from the hearth illuminated the room casting odd and frightening shadows on the paneled walls. Her eyes instantly traveled over to his bed only to find it was empty and perfectly made up.

"Damon?" she took a single step inside, nearly gripping the door for life. Elena could only guess at his emotional state right now. The Damon she knew only indulged in two emotions: volatile and assholerly. "Damon?" she tried again, louder this time, voice steadier.

Many would probably question why she was showing up here to talk to him. She heard the exchange that took place between the brothers after Bonnie's prediction about her future mate was revealed. When she added up all the little red flags Elena was aware enough of her best friend and the impulsive vampire to see that something had changed in their dynamic; that something was going on between them. They kissed for goodness sake and Damon still had his life. What this all spelled out to Elena was that Damon meant something to Bonnie; however, Bonnie was involved with someone else at the moment, which meant Damon would continue to walk the earth alone.

Movement from her right caught her attention, and there he was coming out of the shadows white skin glowing like the surface of the moon. Elena swallowed hard and stepped all the way into his room, leaving the door open.

"What do _you_ want?" his voice was nearly guttural. Almost like a man in transition to becoming an unstoppable beast.

Elena honestly hadn't been this afraid of Damon since she learned he was a vampire. She no longer held on to the notion that Damon would never hurt her because he cared for her. So she knew not to press her luck.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," she said steadily. "The night ended before things got started and I know you heard what Bonnie wrote when we were kids…"

The shadows caught Damon's face and the fury that lined his eyes cut off Elena's spiel. He certainly wasn't in the mood to talk about Bonnie or what she wrote, or his feelings in reference to finding out she might have predicted their future, if he was in fact the Damon she had been writing about.

"Get out, Elena," he said with an eerie calmness that it actually made her shiver.

"Damon, don't do this."

He was in her face before she had the chance to blink. His hands clamped on her arms and he pushed her up against the nearest wall.

"If you are here to put me in my place about not being right for your friend here's what I'm going to tell you. Shut the hell the up and get the fuck out."

Her heart was pounding hard. "Damon, that's not what I came here to do. I consider you my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt."

He scoffed and let go of her and walked back towards the comforting shadows of his bedroom. He didn't need or want to hear anymore pep talks. Damon had had a lifetime of pep talks.

"Yet you had no problems cracking my face," he retorted.

"You were trying to turn me into Katherine!"

Damon swung back around to face her, condescending smirk on his face. "Please, don't flatter yourself."

His emotions were too volatile right now because the base part of him had one thought on the brain: _claim_ Bonnie. His palms were itchy, his feet couldn't stop moving, and his mind was zipping in a million different directions. Admittedly, Damon had never felt this way about anyone. He tried to compare this feeling to when he first met Katherine and Elena but those feelings were like kindle burning. Tonight everything shifted inside of him that he was the equivalent of a volcano about to blow.

Why did he care so much? Damon knew the answer. Being a vampire was both a blessing and a curse. He could move and think quicker than humans. However, as a consequence felt things more intensely, which usually spelled trouble for those around him. Bonnie had been tailored for him. Damon knew that like he knew the back of his hand. He felt it deep in his bones, down to the marrow, and if only she would realize it and get rid of the irritating clone and come to _him_, he could get some fucking sleep.

"Elena," Damon had softened his tone. "I don't want to talk about tonight, or your friend. I just want to be left alone. I'll be fine. Like I always am."

She wanted to believe him, Elena really did. Yet she also knew that Damon went to that dark place when things didn't go his way.

"Damon…just take solace in the fact you are important to Bonnie. She wouldn't want you to do anything to hurt yourself or someone else."

He spun back around to face her again. "DIDN'T I JUST SAY I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT HER!" he shook his head. "I'm sure you think I'm contemplating murdering someone but for once I ain't in the mood. So don't worry. All the little inhabitants of Mystic Falls are safe. At least for tonight. Tomorrow, not so sure."

Elena studied him for a moment before nodding her head and slipping out of his room. Well, at least she could go to sleep knowing no one would lose their life because Damon was in a sour mood.

With her gone that left Damon alone with his thoughts once more. He went back over to the floor to ceiling windows and stared out into the darkness. All he wanted to do tonight was maybe spend some time with Bonnie, even if it was in a roundabout sort of way. Damon wondered when things changed. When did he start to like Bonnie? He wanted to trace the inception back to when she pushed him out of bed, kidnapped him for the day, and told him to get over himself and Katherine and realized he was someone worthy of being loved.

Or maybe the shift started after the first time he saved her life by giving her blood when Katherine's witch put the whammy on Bonnie. He could admit to feeling his heart soften a little because he did something he rarely did and that was give his blood to a human he had no intentions of turning. Damon likened that moment to giving birth to Bonnie, if that sounded right. But she had been totally dependent on his altruism, and the old him could have left her there inside her home to die, but he just couldn't. It didn't feel right. Especially after what she did for him.

Damon stared at the crescent moon. Maybe it would be best if he backed off. At least for a little while. Alaric had a point. No chick liked being smothered, and it was always wise to just dabble a bit of charm here and there, let her know he was interested and back off and let her come to him. Seek him out. If only he had patience, but then he could always turn this into a game.

Well, tonight wasn't the right night to make any decisions. Damon tugged his shirt over his head and kicked his shoes off. When he turned to face his bed he saw an impression there, like a ghostly apparition. When he blinked it was gone. Had that…had that been Emily?

He grimaced. "I don't have time for your shit tonight, Emily." Damon pulled the covers back and climbed into bed. "If you're mad at me because your little grand-witch predicted her future mate to have the initials DS well," he lifted his hands, "I had nothing to do with that. So leave me alone. Although it would serve you right if I am meant to be with her," he couldn't contain his cocky grin.

The windows rattled and the fire nearly went out. Damon yawned. "You're going to have to do better than that to get _me _to stay away from Bonnie. Much better."

Damon face planted in the bed and tried to ignore that cold lick of fear running along his spine. Even from beyond the grave Emily was formidable and he certainly didn't want to make more an enemy of her. But whatever. He was Damon Effing Salvatore, he didn't run and he didn't hide, and he sure as hell never stopped fighting for what he wanted. She better recognize.

Damon closed his eyes and he was in la-la land….

….When he opened them it was the middle of the afternoon on a hot June day. He was standing on the sidewalk in a neighborhood he had never traveled to before and there was a reason for that. The place was crawling with kids. Kids of all sizes, ages, and walks of life. They were loud and obnoxious so much that he grimaced and wondered where the hell he put his car keys, and more to the matter where the heck did he park his car.

Shrugging, he sat out on foot hopefully walking towards the exit of this American Pie neighborhood when a small girl with long pigtails caught his attention.

She was attempting to skateboard and of course the object went flying out from under her and she broke her fall with her hands and her knee. She didn't scream or start crying, but actually sat back on her tail and looked at her skinned knee.

"Ain't this bout a bitch," she said and then covered her mouth and looked around to make sure no adults had overheard her using profanity. Damon had to snicker. There was something awfully familiar about the little tyke, and when she tossed her eyes in his direction, his breath got lodged in his throat.

_Bonnie? _

Damon remembered being here when he was in town on one of his rare visits to torture the latest Salvatore who was living at the boardinghouse. He didn't remember telling his feet to take him across the street but the next thing he knew, he was holding out a hand to help her up. He ignored the crimson blood that leaked from the torn and ripped skin of her knee. He had much better control over his bloodlust than his younger brother.

The little girl brought those haunting moss green eyes up at him before laying her hand in his. It didn't take much strength on Damon's part to haul her to her feet. When she was standing, and brushed off the back of her shorts with a hand, Damon saw that she barely came to his hip.

"Thanks, Mister," she said.

"You should get that cleaned up so it won't get infected."

She stared up at him in consternation. Oh, yeah this was definitely Bonnie. "I know that. I was born at night not _last _night."

Damon grinned and chuckled. This little chick better watch herself. She was sassing a vampire. "Has anyone told you, you need to work on your manners?" he chastised her.

Bonnie dipped her head a bit. Her grandmother had repeatedly told her to watch her mouth, and she also told her that a hard head makes a soft bottom.

"I should get home," she said and began to walk away although walking isn't what Damon would classify she was doing. Mostly dragging her injured leg along the sidewalk.

"Let me help you," he offered to scoop her up, but Bonnie held up a hand.

"Um…no offense, sir, but I don't know you. You could be a kidnapper and I'm a kid so maybe you should just, I don't know, leave me alone."

Damon couldn't resist interacting with her. He folded his body so he could be eye level with her. He found Bonnie staring into his orbs transfixed.

"Your eyes are so pretty," she said almost as if she were in a trance. "I've never seen a boy with eyes like yours."

"Well, I'm not a boy," he told her. "And you have pretty eyes, too. Your leg is kind of bad, little person, so maybe I should help you."

"Um," she chewed on a thumbnail. "I don't know. My father doesn't like it when I talk to strangers."

He held out a hand for Bonnie to shake. "I'm Damon. I'm not a stranger anymore."

Bonnie looked between his outstretched hand and his eyes before taking his hand with her tiny one. "I'm Bonnie. I'm a Gemini so if my evil twin comes out, you've been warned."

He winked at her and then scooped her up. "Which house is yours?"

Bonnie pointed to a small colonial home across the street.

"Is your father home?"

Bonnie shook her head. "He works late. Wait I'm not supposed to tell you that."

Damon frowned. It was hard to discern Bonnie's age based on her size alone because she appeared smaller than kids her age, but he was willing to guess she was maybe nine or ten.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Old enough to know that a man should never ask a lady her age."

He couldn't help it, he had to chuckle. They reached her house in little to no time. Damon deposited Bonnie on the top step. They stared at one another awkwardly.

"If you want," he began, "I can clean that up for you," he pointed at her bruised knee.

"Ah," she stalled. "I'll be right back."

Damon remained on the walkway and looked around the neighborhood again, and at Bonnie's house. He saw an assortment of toys scattered across the yard, most of which were Barbie dolls in various states of undress, pink convertible cars, a jump rope, and a walkie-talkie.

Bonnie came back out with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a packet of cotton balls, and a box of band-aids. She held out everything to Damon and then took a seat on the step.

Damon soaked a cotton ball. "This might sting."

"I know," she said completely unfazed. "I have a, what do you call it, high tolerance for pain. At least that's what my Grams said. This one time I smashed my entire hand in the car door, but I didn't break anything. I cursed like a sailor and had to get my mouth washed out with soap. Grams wanted to know where I learned to curse like that, and I blamed it on watching late-night shows when I can't sleep."

Damon didn't know what to say other than to shake his head. This girl was a trip.

"So you're here all by yourself until your dad gets home?" he asked.

Bonnie shrugged like it was no big deal. "I mean I'm not a baby or anything. Don't let the size fool you. I know how to take care of myself. I know not to touch the stove, and to call 911 if anything starts to burn," she winced when he applied the cotton ball to her skin.

"I get that," he flashed his eyes up at her. "But you're still a child. Someone should be home with you."

Bonnie pursed her lips. Something told Damon she had heard this argument quite a lot. And strangely he felt his heart going out to her.

"I have friends," she said. "I stay over at their houses sometime's. It's cool. Hey, do you have any gum?"

"No," he told her flatly.

Bonnie looked at him annoyed and that she was two seconds from dismissing him. Damon covered up her bruise with a band-aid.

"Done."

She inspected his handiwork. She shrugged a shoulder as if to say she could have done a much better job. "Thank you. That's an awesome ring by the way. Did you get that out of a cereal box?"

Damon stared at his day-walking ring. "Yeah," he deadpanned. "Corn Flakes."

Bonnie sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Well, Dr. Damon, I better get inside. Thanks for the medical attention."

He saluted her and watched as she collected her supplies. "You're welcome."

Bonnie bounced her way inside the house and promptly slammed the door shut. When she did Damon found himself being transported some three years into the future. He was now standing outside of Robert E. Lee Middle School.

An older version of Bonnie, this one being slightly taller and a little bit thicker in the hips, legs, and arms came storming out a building. "I can't believe he did this to me again."

Damon watched from behind a tree as Bonnie paced wildly back and forth as she fumed about something. He took a chance by stepping out and when Bonnie sensed someone was watching her, she spun around and Damon audibly heard her breath hitch.

She was still doll-like and resembled that tiny girl with the pig tails that he helped, but he could see her maturing in the cat-like shape to her eyes, and the fact the last visages of baby fat were nearly gone from her face. In a few more summers she would be perfectly ripened, but right now, this was still a little girl in Damon's eyes.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped at him.

Damon was only mildly taken aback by her bluntness. Had she always been this rude?

"Nothing much," he decided to mess with her.

Bonnie's eyes widened and her nostrils flared in anger. She flipped him off and continued pacing like a hungry lion. She stopped abruptly and faced him again. "Is it too much to ask for someone to live up to their word? Is that really so difficult?"

"Depends on the person. Some people live and die by the words they speak, while the rest of us are professional bullshitters."

Bonnie blinked at him before giggling. Damon took that as a sign to draw just a little bit closer. He could see Bonnie flush yet she maintained eye contact, refusing to back down or be intimidated.

"Who are you mad at? If you don't mind me asking?"

"It doesn't matter. It's not like there's anything you can do about it," she objected.

"Well, you never know. I haven't done my good deed for the day."

She smiled and then stared down at her shoes. "My dad," she murmured quietly. "He promised he'd take me to this father/daughter event but he's putting his job before me. _Again._ It's like I can't win with that man and I shouldn't have to."

"You're absolutely right, Bonnie."

Her head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at Damon. He cursed after realizing his slip. Bonnie took a step back from him.

"How do you know my name?"

Would it be a good idea to tell her they met a while ago? Surely she wouldn't have forgotten a man with his face or eyes, but apparently she had. He didn't remember compelling her, and Damon wasn't certain it would work anyways considering she was a witch and witches couldn't be compelled.

"I know a lot of things."

"I think I should go back inside."

He didn't try to stop her. What would be the point? This was only just a dream.

He was displaced somewhere else, only this time he was waking up in his own bedroom. Damon heard water running and then shut off followed by the sound of a melodic voice humming. Bare feet shuffled against the hardwood floor and the next thing he saw was Bonnie popping out of the bathroom with a hundred watt smile on her face.

"Bout time you woke up," she climbed on the bed and snuggled against him.

Damon wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer and kissed the crown of her head. Bonnie reached for his right hand and began playing with his fingers. That's when he noticed he was wearing his day-walking ring on his right hand and not his left.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Better than last night."

Damon vaguely heard her answer as a diamond rock on Bonnie's ring finger caught and held his attention. He brought his left hand into view and saw a platinum band around the finger which symbolized marriage.

_The hell?_

"My morning sickness wasn't so bad today," Bonnie told him.

_The fuck?_

Just then their bedroom door burst open, and two small mocha hued kids, a boy and a girl with jet black hair came bombarding into the room and climbed on the bed.

"DADDY!" they yelled and proceeded to jump on top of him, their tiny hands pulling the blanket and sheets away. Damon stared into their faces seeing himself and Bonnie in their features. His daughter had his eyes, and his son had Bonnie's. And she was pregnant with their third?

So far, this was the best damn dream he had had in his entire undead life.

Bonnie leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Damon. Forever."

* * *

><p>Finally she had fallen asleep. All night she had been fidgety, couldn't get comfortable no matter what position they tried. They started off spooning, but his arm was too heavy around her waist, so they tried lying side by side. Turned out not to be enough contact. Now Bonnie was essentially using him like a full body pillow. Her right leg was entwined with his, her head on his shoulder, her arm thrown across his torso while Damon's hand palmed her ass like a basketball. He liked this position <em>a lot.<em>

Damon glided the tips of his fingers across her arm. Bonnie sighed and wiggled a bit closer. She stirred until her eyes opened.

"You're awake again?"

She frowned. "I can't seem to stay asleep. What time is it?"

Damon had lived long enough that he didn't need a watch to tell him what hour of the night it was. He knew instinctively it was a little past two in the morning. She had school, but from the looks of things she wouldn't be getting any rest.

"It's two o'clock in the morning. Why are you having such a difficult time getting to sleep? Something is on your mind, I know it is."

Several things, Bonnie wanted to say. But the reason sleep was eluding her was because every time she closed her eyes she found herself back in the Salvatore kitchen staring at that journal entry she wrote when she was nine. It never occurred to Bonnie to ask Damon, the one with the blue-eyes if they had met when she was a child. Learning if they shared a past hadn't been one of her priorities. However, Damon wasn't the kind of man any woman forgot no matter her age.

Yet that made her curious about something.

"You're a vampire so that means you drift in and out of people's lives, right?"

Damon wasn't entirely sure where she was going with this. "Yes, otherwise people would figure out what I am and of course it wouldn't end so good for them."

Bonnie ignored the implication. "Was there anyone from your past that you visited and revisited frequently or infrequently?"

The first person to pop up in Damon's mind was the other Bonnie, Bonnie McCullough. He had met her before he officially came back to Fell's Church. He had saved her from a werewolf attack when she stayed in the library after closing hours to finish a paper. However, Damon used compulsion on Bonnie and took the memory away. He very well couldn't have her spelling the beans about meeting him before he made his presence known in town, and well, he had kissed her on that night.

Apparently _he _couldn't keep his lips off of the Bonnie's of the world much like this dimension Damon couldn't. Maybe that was his problem with him. He saw too much of himself in Mystic Falls Damon and it painted a very ugly picture of the cold-hearted bastard he flirted with being on a daily basis.

Conversely, it had been Bonnie, his little red bird that brought snippets of his humanity back to the surface. And it was Mystic Falls Bonnie who finally provided him with everything he looked for in a mate. She was power, beauty, intelligence, and pure-hearted rolled into a sensual package.

"You have to understand that I couldn't form attachments with anybody, Bonnie. Not because I didn't want to, but because being a vampire means living in secret. That's the difference between me and my little brother. Stefan wanted to belong, he wanted to blend. Me," Damon shook his head, "I wanted to rule. Even when I was human. Why are you asking me about visiting people?"

Bonnie sighed. "I was just curious. You've been alive for a long time. It has to get lonely, or do you not feel loneliness the way a human does?"

"I don't feel a lot of things the way a human does," he rolled over on top of Bonnie. She giggled a bit. "All my senses are magnified. I feel things intensely, sense things on an unconscious level."

"So you always have the advantage over people and your enemies?"

"Pretty much," he hunched a shoulder. "But I use my senses for others things than just looking for trouble. For example, my sense of touch is a thousand times more sensitive that when I touch your skin it's like touching the softest rose petal. You feel like liquid silk."

The young witch felt her cheeks explode with heat.

"Your scent is sweeter; your taste more decadent. Everything about you comes alive through my eyes, Bonnie. Do you know that I can see tiny flecks of gold in your skin? You actually do shimmer."

"What?" she blushed.

"Yes, and in your eyes around the pupils. I see gold. Your hair alone is made up of three different colors."

"Really?" Bonnie was intrigued by this.

"Auburn, crimson, and dark chocolate."

"How do you know I didn't highlight or dye my hair?"

He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Because I can smell artificial chemicals, and color treated hair feels different. It's more brittle. Your hair is soft like silk, satin, and cashmere rolled into one. _You_ are all natural."

Bonnie ran her hands along his strong bare shoulders.

His gaze lowered to her breasts. "And my senses can also tell me that your temperature has dropped."

Bonnie frowned in speculation. "Is that a bad thing?"

He turned the force of his mercurial eyes on her. "When we're together you're usually scorching. Do you feel all right?"

Bonnie felt just fine. She didn't feel any dissimilar than she typically felt, and soon realized it had been a while since she caught a cold, sinus infection, or suffered with the flu for that matter. Not to say she had been a sickly child, but during this time of year she normally caught something from her classmates.

"I'm fine, I guess."

Damon brushed her bangs off her forehead and pecked her lips. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

_Oh, yeah that. _Bonnie wondered if perhaps she should keep her mouth shut about being able to hear blue-eyes' thoughts. There wasn't anything she could do about it at this point. At least she didn't think there was.

"We can talk about that later. I really should try to get some sleep."

Damon made no move to get off of her or to break eye contact. There was something important she wanted to discuss, she was apprehensive about bringing it up.

"You know," Bonnie motioned that she wanted to sit up causing Damon to move so she could do so. "I think I should take a warm bath. That usually helps me get to sleep faster."

A devilish grin popped up on his face. "I'll join you."

"Then I definitely won't be getting any sleep."

"I can't help it if you always get distracted when I'm around."

"As if you don't purposely do things to throw me off my game. You like messing with me."

He winked. "That wouldn't make me an effective vampire boyfriend if I didn't. I'll only wash your back. I swear."

Bonnie pointed her finger at him in warning. "You'll keep your hands where I can see them?"

He rolled his eyes. "If I'm washing your back then you won't be able to see my hands."

Well, he had a point. But it was always dangerous mixing these key ingredients together: naked skin, and Damon's hands.

Bonnie hopped down from the bed and the next thing she knew she was being chased into the bathroom and thrown over his brawny shoulder.

* * *

><p>School was school, at least the parts Bonnie could remember. So when she arrived home and saw Tyler's Charger parked out front, she hesitantly climbed out of her vehicle at the same time he exited his car. The two of them met halfway.<p>

"What are you doing here?"

Tyler stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked off for a second before staring down at Bonnie. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted the other night. You were trying to be a friend to me and I nearly ripped your arm off because of it."

"Thank you for apologizing. Do you want to come inside?"

"Nah, I can't stay. I just wanted to thank you and apologize," he repeated what he already said and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I know I've never given you a reason to like me, but I want you to know I don't take what you did lightly."

Okay, that's _exactly _what Damon with those panty-melting blue eyes of his said to her. Bonnie shook her head.

Lightly griping Tyler's arm, she ruefully said, "Don't mention it. It's what I do."

"Well, I gotta jet. I'll see you later, Bonnie."

She waved and watched as Tyler climbed behind his American muscle car, gunned the engine, and peeled off down the street.

Alone, Bonnie entered her house, traipsed upstairs, and fell backwards on her bed. As usual she had too much on the brain. The situation with Tyler, notwithstanding, Bonnie had to think about her possible telepathic link with blue-eyed Damon. The only plausible explanation she could think of why they were linked was because of ingesting his blood. Yet, vampire blood left a human's body after twenty-four hours. It had been weeks since the last time she had his. Soon another theory formed, and this one wasn't any better, but maybe all the Damon Salvatore's who possibly existed in different dimensions were somehow interconnected. Ugh! That didn't make her feel any better. Bonnie didn't want his thoughts in her head. That was for certain. She'd have to figure out someway to block him.

Later that night, Bonnie flopped on her bed, phone pressed to ear as she fell back against the pillows. She spooned ice cream into her mouth and listened as Caroline raged over Bonnie's novel idea.

"You have officially lost your mind or have fucked your mind away if you think for one second that I'm going to help Tyler Lockwood through his werewolness."

"Caroline, I don't think that's a word."

"Oh, poo. You do realize that he is my enemy, at least according to folklore, and if he bites me I might die."

"Yes," Bonnie murmured, partially guiltily. She took a sip of her iced water. "One of the things I've always loved about you, Caroline is your big ridiculous heart. You're the girl who spent the money she saved for an angora sweater to buy a plane ticket for the kid she mentored so she could fly home to Louisiana for Christmas."

"Your point?"

"My point is that Tyler is going to need someone with him. Someone who won't coddle him too much, and who will keep things real with him. And you are just the type of person he needs."

"Why can't you do it?" she whined. "I mean, you gave him that book. He would expect you to help."

Bonnie sighed. "I would, but there's something else I have to take care of. Please, just think about it."

Caroline sucked her teeth on the other end already knowing she would cave. "Okay. I'll talk to him, but the first time he's a jerk to me, I'm gone."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right," Caroline sighed heavily into the phone. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>He could think of nothing constructive other than Bonnie's prediction and of course those dreams he had last night. The entire day he operated on autopilot. Showering without conscious thought, getting dressed, and heating up a cup of blood in the microwave. He nuked it for too long and actually burned his blood. Damon didn't know you <em>could <em>burn blood, so hey, he learned something new.

"You're being gotdamn pathetic," he admonished himself.

Constantly he stared at his cell phone wanting to call Bonnie just to hear her voice, but he refused to cave, give in, show his weakness. What he should do was just…Damon couldn't think of one agreeable alternative. He could go out and find some unsuspecting female to screw to make himself feel better, but even that had gotten played out. He called Bonnie.

Her phone ringed forever before she answered. "Damon."

Her voice was flat and well, it didn't make him feel all tingly inside. "You promised me that we would talk," he began without preamble.

Bonnie sighed heavily. "What do we possibly have to say to each other? You know where I stand, Damon."

"But what you wrote, you saw me in your future," he contradicted.

"I saw _a _Damon and well, it might not even be a Damon Salvatore. Like Caroline said, those initials could stand for Daniel Smith."

Damon gripped his cell phone a little tighter in his hands. "You know good and damn well that you predicted _me, _Bonnie. So stop pretending otherwise. It's not cute anymore."

"I don't understand where this is coming from all of a sudden, Damon? When we met I was single, unattached, but you were sleeping with and using Caroline as a blood bag, and then you fell in love with Elena. Now I'm supposed to _buy _that you want me in your life that badly?"

"Is this about me almost killing you?" he speculated. "I thought we worked past that."

"This has nothing to do with you attacking me. Yes, we have gotten past it, but screw it. I'm tired of having this conversation with you."

"Then let's stop talking. Spend the weekend with me."

Silence.

"Okay, you must have a death wish," she came back on the line. "The hell I look like spending the weekend with you."

"_Fuck_ your relationship, Bonnie," he growled and felt himself getting hard because he absolutely loved arguing with her.

Bonnie laughed humorlessly. "What respect I have for you is slowly going down the toilet. Is that what you want?"

"No," he admitted softly. "You don't think I have genuine feelings for you?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to think when it comes to you. You confuse me."

"What else do I do to you?" he asked salaciously.

"I'm not going down that road with you."

"Why not? Scared you might like it?"

"No, devil I don't think so."

"Your voice is changing," he lowered the timbre of his own voice. "It's getting deeper. I'm getting to you aren't I?"

"You're irritating me, yes."

"Stop with the lies, woman. Where are you?"

"I'm not telling you."

"I know you're not with him because if you were you wouldn't have answered your phone. Just tell me where you are and I'll be there in a jiffy and then in half that I'll put the both of us out of our misery."

"I'm not in misery, Damon, or denial. But I do have to go."

"And do what?"

"You are so nosy. Bye."

"Bon…"

Dial tone. Damon sighed. Well, he got his fix for the day. It wasn't enough. Stefan told him to show he was interested in other areas of Bonnie's life, but that wasn't him. Damon cared and he had his own way of showing he cared. With Bonnie he couldn't help himself even if he wanted to. Getting her upset was part of their dynamic and he saw no reason to change it. At least not now. For as many times as he promised to leave to her alone, he just couldn't. She was like catnip or something. He was completely addicted and downright infatuated.

Damon was horny and he was hungry. And dammit someone was going to supply his needs tonight. It might not be Bonnie but it would be someone who looked liked her. He would accept a substitute for now.

Flicking a tongue over his lengthening incisors, Damon grabbed his car keys and sped out of the house.

Half an hour later he was whispering in a young college student's ear. Her hand dropped to his leg, rising higher and higher until she cupped him. Twenty minutes later he was banging her senseless in the men's room at The Grille.

* * *

><p><strong>Pennsylvania <strong>

Autumn would be leaving soon and to make the most of it, the school organized a trip for juniors and seniors to an apple orchard in eastern Pennsylvania.

Bonnie walked along the dried grass as she stuffed her hands in her pockets and admired the beautiful, fat and shiny red apples that begged to be picked off and eaten right there on the spot. The sounds of her classmates' voices did nothing to quell the storm that was brewing inside of her. Things in life had been, for the most part, calm but she suspected that something else was coming. Anticipated that the next chapter of her life would be beginning.

As she stood off to the side watching her friends in their designated pairs: Stefan and Elena, Matt and Caroline who were not as simpatico as they used to be because Caroline's jealous tendencies have been flaring up as of late, it made her miss her own boyfriend. With them distracted, Bonnie just wanted a few moments alone because it had been nothing but ceaseless chatter from the time they arrived at the school and boarded the coach bus to when they arrived at their destination.

The air was cooling and she could see her breath. The chill didn't bother her so much. Bonnie checked her cell phone to make sure she still had a signal before she decided to walk down another path to escape her friends.

Alone, Bonnie brushed her hand along the bright green leaves of the trees and over a few apples. Birds flew overhead but a crow landed on a branch directly above her. It cawed loudly and displayed its massive wings as if it were showboating. The black feathers reminded her of Damon's eyes and she wondered for a second if it was him spying on her. She knew that he could take the form of birds when it served his purpose to do so. He hadn't felt the need to change since being in Mystic Falls, but she wondered if he too was finding it impossible to deal with this slight separation.

Bonnie ignored the bird for now and continued down the path. Of course she heard it fly to another branch, this one a little farther ahead of her. It kept its steely black eyes on her.

"If that's you, Damon, give it up."

The bird cawed but otherwise remained in the tree. Bonnie sighed and kept walking. When she reached the end of the path it forked in two different directions.

If she headed right it would probably take her back to the group, yet if she went left she could find herself deeper into the maze. And of course the fog that was beginning to accumulate from the left entrance didn't make her want to head in that direction. She went right.

That damn bird followed her.

As she looked above her she noticed that these trees were different. They appeared older and taller, more weathered as if they faced a thousand tumultuous storms and survived. They groaned when the wind blew through them and they were absent of fruit.

"I think I need to head back," Bonnie intoned and turned around. The fog she saw earlier had spread, and now it was a little more difficult to see exactly where she was headed.

Bonnie reached for her cell phone to call Stefan and have him come find her if necessary. And of course when she tried to make the call her phone beeped before dying.

"You've got to be kidding me. This is so stereotypical, Bonnie," she admonished herself. "You just had to be the girl to leave the group and get lose in an orchard. You got yourself into this, you can get yourself out."

She stumbled over uplifted tree roots that hadn't been there a minute before. "Stefan!" she shouted. He would be able to hear her. Maybe. But Bonnie recalled walking less than a hundred feet away. She couldn't have gone that deep into the orchard.

_Damon, if you really are here and you're trying to play a trick on me, I swear you won't be getting any booty for a week._

She heard nothing in reply.

Bonnie turned left where she knew she headed right and could hear her classmates' voices. Sighing in relief, she quickened her steps only for something to grab her from behind.

A hand was clamped over her mouth and Bonnie's first instinct was to give whatever was manhandling her, an aneurysm.

Cool lips pressed against the shell of her ear. "Don't worry, it's only the man of your dreams."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Well, well, well I have not a whole lot to say about the season finale. I was pretty much underwhelmed by everything. I'm still trying to figure out what the BIG death was. We saw Bonnie for all of thirty seconds *sighs* business as usual I see. And I have to say my heart did go out to Damon when Elena made her choice. But you want to know what I don't want to see: the continuation of the friggin triangle! I'm not going to rant. Let's focus on this here chapter shall we? Which Damon will it be that has captured Bonnie? And I'll tell you this, Damon's first "dream" about Bonnie actually "did" happen, in my story at least. The following two dreams he had were just that, dreams. I wanted to include a flashback last chapter, but seeing how the writers decided to make Delena meet first, well *two middle fingers go up* that pretty much sums up my feelings on that. Love you guys! My heart hurts. **


	24. It's A Kind of Magic

**A/N: I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with this story, added to your favorites, and of course shared your feedback, thoughts, opinions, feels, all that good stuff! Over 600 reviews, certainly didn't think it would be possible, so thank you again! Enjoy the latest.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

><p>"Party central," Damon answered the front door and lost all mirth from his face. He sighed heavily and wondered what new fugdery they were going to have to deal with now that the Grim Reaper had shown up on his doorstep.<p>

Elijah spared Damon with a cool look before motioning with his hands. "May I?"

Damon was inclined to tell him no and to piss off but he knew better than to be disrespectful to a thousand year old vampire. "Why, of course," he replied with false civility and opened the door wider.

Elijah entered the Salvatore dwelling, and looked around with a critical eye. Everything was garish and kind of stereotypical of what you'd find in a vampire's home, but even he could admit he liked the atmosphere, which reminded him of the estate he used to share with his brother.

Damon headed over to the wet bar to pour himself the first of many drinks. His alcohol intake hadn't decreased now that Katherine was out of his life for good—at least he hoped that's what Elijah's impromptu visit was about. To tell him he didn't need to worry about Katherine popping up again for any reason. But Damon left optimism to other people because it never did a thing for him.

Elijah unbuttoned his jacket and sat down on a padded chair. "I'll dispense with the pleasantries and cut right to the chase. Katherine has managed to escape my compound, and I have every reason to believe she'll be making her way back here to conduct revenge."

Damon laughed heartily. "Of course you did! Perfect._ Fucking_ perfect," he glowered.

Elijah ignored his impertinent outburst. "I've been calling my niece but I haven't been able to get a hold of her. Where is she?"

Damon sighed and scrubbed a hand across his forehead. He should have known the peace that delved on Mystic Falls would be short-lived. He sat down across from the suave vampire who seemed unflustered. Damon began to be assaulted with memories of having the same cool detachment from a situation and he wanted that feeling of not appearing to give a damn back. Now he cared too much and stood to lose more than what he had, which he didn't have much to begin with.

"She's on a school trip. She'll be back tonight."

Elijah nodded his head.

"Answer me this, how did you manage to lose Katherine? I thought you were supposed to be some thousand year old tough as shit vampire that no one could get the jump on?"

Elijah pulled his lips back from his teeth. "I should have heeded my niece's advice about Trevor. Not to worry because his head rots on my mantle just as I promised him."

Damon's eyes went wild for a moment. "Good for you. You have no idea where she might be? All you know, and you don't even know this for certain is, that Katherine could be on her way here or is already here. How long ago was it that she escaped?"

Twisting his gold ring back and forth on his finger, Elijah answered, "By my estimation she escaped twenty-four hours ago. I wasn't home at the time."

Damon pulled out his cell phone and called Stefan. "And you know for sure that she wants to take Bonnie out?"

"Katherine was nice enough to call and let me know ahead of time that she'd give me a small window of opportunity to save Bonnie. So is that proof sufficient enough for you that her life is in danger?" her pursed his lips together.

The edge in Elijah's voice was hard to miss. Damon could certainly give the man brownie points for keeping his composure because Damon was sure Elijah was trying not to go out of his mind with worry. Everyone knew how devious Katherine could be and having been captured and no doubt tortured, she was looking to reciprocate. Already Damon was formulating his own plans and strategies in keeping Bonnie safe. Some of his ideas he knew would probably end with Bonnie attempting to roast his nuts, but she couldn't afford to be ignorant about her own safety. She was high strung, bit off more than she could chew at times, but she never backed away from a fight. It was her greatest strength and her ultimate weakness.

Stefan finally answered his cell. "Damon? What's up?"

"We have a problem. A Katherine problem."

* * *

><p>Having sex on a class trip, Bonnie never would have imagined she'd do it. Having sex outside, kind of sort of in public, she was asking to be arrested. Once her heart stopped pounding, and she listened to the timbre of the voice who whispered in her ear that it was the man of her dreams, her fear was replaced with anger, and she turned around and struck Damon.<p>

He had laughed which only served to piss Bonnie off even more, and she jumped on him attempting to pummel him not realizing that her blows felt like feathers tickling him. Damon figured if he said as much it would only start round two of this game.

Damon captured Bonnie by the wrists and pulled her up until she stood on her tippy-toes. His eyes roamed over her face, the potency of her blood made his gums itch and thirst rise.

Bonnie gulped and wondered if he was going to clear the distance which separated them, which hadn't been much distance to begin with since the tips of their noses constantly brushed one another. A wave of lust slammed into her the moment Damon smiled, and Bonnie crushed her lips against his and stabbed her tongue in his mouth. He laughed throatily and gave her exactly what she wanted.

Hidden deep in the orchard, sprawled out on the grass, their clothes strewn everywhere, Damon plucked blades of grass out of Bonnie's hair as he spooned her from the back, occasionally planting kisses along her slightly dampened skin.

"How long have I been gone since you're technically not supposed to be here?" she blinked languidly.

"Probably an hour," he nicked her with his teeth right on her birthmark, "You have really shoddy friends if they haven't come looking for you."

Bonnie squirmed, "Or, knowing them they're probably scattered off to do their own thing. I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't the only couple getting frisky right now." Bonnie rolled over, exposing herself. "Why did you follow me?"

"I thought what would be more romantic than to surprise my lady love on her trip. I couldn't help myself. And if by the welts on my back and arms is evidence enough, you _really _needed that."

Bonnie pulled his leather jacket up to cover her face. "I don't think the thought of having sex outside crossed my mind. Ever."

Damon pulled his jacket away, observed as her nipples tightened. "Don't beat yourself up too much," he moistened his thumb and traced her hardened bud with it. "I can admit it wasn't my original plan. It changed when I saw you looking lost and tasty. I couldn't help myself."

"It wasn't? So what was the plan? Scare me? Make me question my sanity? Hmm," she moaned as a fresh wave of pleasure shot through her.

Instead of answering her question, Damon pulled Bonnie until she straddled him. He held her steady by the hips leaving her completely exposed to him. Her upper body was covered with various love bites and hickeys.

"Those weren't my intentions, nope," he said. "My intention was to be at your disposal. When you need me, that is. Don't think I'm trying to impose on your independence."

"Oh, I'd never think that," Bonnie replied sarcastically and then reached for her bra. Damon stared at her petulantly when she slipped it on. "Get up. We need to get dressed, and I need to find my class. They probably left me."

Damon groaned as he sat up and began dressing but he couldn't resist himself. When Bonnie bent over to slip her panties back on he pinched her bottom. She squealed, turned around and tried to return the favor, but Damon being more agile hopped out of the way.

She started chasing him even while knowing it wasn't going to be a fair race. But it was moments like this that made Bonnie feel she was a simple girl in a relationship with a simple boy who only wanted to make her smile, keep her happy. And she was happy.

Damon got missing leaving Bonnie twirling around trying to spot him. She magnified her senses like Stefan taught her do during her training, and felt a cold spot from above. She spotted Damon in a tree and with a single squint of her eye, the tree branch exploded.

Caught unawares he plummeted to the earth but landed like a cat on the ground. "You've gotten better at sensing a supernatural presence."

Bonnie shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's just a testament to how awesome I am."

"Really?" he deadpanned and rushed past Bonnie, effectively snatching her bra off. Bonnie's hand flew up to cover her breasts, her face beet red.

"Give that back!" she hastily reached for her shirt.

Damon stood from her some twenty feet swinging her bra around his index finger. "Come and get it, angel."

The chase started again, and any time she was close to tackling him, Damon would utilize his vampire speed and he would be gone only to appear somewhere else.

She was tired and fed up. "That's it. You win. I'm out. Keep the stupid bra. It's yours!" she yelled to the air around her and walked back to their makeshift campsite. Bonnie thrust her legs into her jeans, zipped them up and threw her shirt on.

Damon stood right behind her, which Bonnie knew that so she had no problems tossing him backwards into the nearest tree with a flick of her wrist. He landed on his ass unceremoniously. Bonnie approached like an Amazon warrior and stood poised over him.

"You need to work on your reflexes," she chastised and reached for his hand to lift him up.

"And you need to work on your sensitivity," he told her and tugged her down. She landed on his chest with enough force to knock the wind out of her.

Damon hauled her closer and buried his face between the crook in her neck. "_Vous êtes ma poupée vivante_." (You are my living doll) he whispered to her in French. Bonnie had no idea what he just said but it didn't stop her toes from curling.

Bonnie wrapped one arm over his shoulder at the same time Damon lowered his head until their lips brushed.

Before he could deepen the kiss he heard Stefan approaching. Damon gently nudged Bonnie off of him who pouted. "Company is coming," he explained and seconds later was fully dressed.

He had just slipped his arms into his jacket, when Bonnie saw Stefan turn in their direction. Surprised registered on his face for a nanosecond at seeing Damon with her, but then he became grave again.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked immediately.

"I just got a phone call from Damon. Elijah is at the boardinghouse. He says that Katherine has escaped and she's looking to get revenge. We're about to head back."

Damon and Bonnie shared a look. "The honeymoon is over," they said in unison.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Caroline didn't like this energy. The energy that permeated the air made her feel antsy with a side of needing to do _something _because they were sitting ducks. For hours after they arrived back in Mystic Falls and headed over to the Salvatore's, she sat and listened as Elijah, blue-eyed Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, and black-eyed Damon came up with scenario after scenario on how to handle Katherine. Accusations had been thrown like knives because all fingers of blame pointed to Elijah who had custody of Katherine. Why he didn't outright kill her had been the main point of contention, and still Elijah had given nothing but vague answers in reply.

She had her theories. Elijah still loved Katherine for whatever reason though she proved to be nothing but a selfish, unstable bitch. Why men simply lost their shit over her was a head scratcher and more complicated than a Sudoku puzzle. Was the jelly between her legs _that _spectacular? Caroline didn't think so.

However she sat in her little corner and kept her mouth shut. No one thought she could offer any constructive ideas that could get the jump on Katherine. Caroline had no problems with people underestimating her because she knew she was stronger than anyone wanted to give her credit for. It was no less annoying, of course.

Nevertheless the show that was playing out before her was interesting enough to watch. Bonnie and Mystic Falls Damon, circled one another like sharks around the room. They probably weren't cognizant of what they were doing, but whenever Damon moved to get close to Bonnie, she'd shift her position so she would always be standing next to someone whether it be: Elijah, Stefan, or Alaric.

And that was something else which captured Caroline's interest. The way Elijah looked at Bonnie. He certainly didn't keep his eyes on her the way a concerned uncle was supposed to do, but more like a man on the cusp of being besotted. That was a bit disgusting if you wanted her honest opinion, despite the fact Caroline, as she understood it, knew there was no blood relation between Elijah and Bonnie. Still, if the man was going to claim to be her uncle than he should look at her like she is his blood related niece.

When she spied dark-eyed Damon, from the way he narrowed his orbs at Elijah whenever Bonnie came to stand beside him, it was easy to see he had picked up on Elijah's less-than-noble thoughts about his girlfriend, too.

Inwardly this made Caroline squeal.

"The best course of action to take," Elijah began for the hundredth time, "is for you to go to my safe house in Umbria. You may take Damon with you," he directed at Bonnie.

"No," Bonnie refused. "I'm not running and I'm not hiding. I'm not going to live the rest of my life moving from place to place to keep Katherine off my back. Grams wouldn't run and neither will I," she pointed her finger at Elijah. "I warned you about Trevor and either it escaped you or you just didn't think it was that big of a deal, but if you had just killed her right there, none of this would be happening."

Elijah stepped forward and stood unnaturally close to his niece. This made both Damon's tense. Neither one of them liked the way he looked at Bonnie.

"I understand your frustration with me, Bonnie, but I honestly had everything under control. As your guardian I need you to understand my position and do as I advise."

Bonnie tilted her chin up defiantly. "You're not my guardian, Elijah."

From the look that crossed his face you'd think she just said she hated him and wanted to dance in his entrails.

"This is my home, and I'm not leaving. I'm not the only person in danger here. Sure, I might be number one on Katherine's kill list, but that doesn't mean everyone else is safe."

And it was at that moment Bonnie realized she had traded places. Oh, God, she secretly lamented.

"You Bennett women are all the same," Elijah bit out through clenched teeth though amusement and affection shone in his eyes. "I've yet to meet a softie among the brood. I suppose that should be comforting, but it's not."

"Welcome to my world," blue-eyes said and finished off his fiftieth drink of the day, and he still wasn't drunk.

_Why hasn't she looked at me? I look damned good today._

No, no, no she didn't want to start hearing blue-eyes thoughts right now.

Bonnie finally cast a glance in his direction which he returned with his notorious smirk.

_That's more like it. Her ass looks amazing in those jeans._

Bonnie did her best to shut down that frequency.

_Bonnie, are you okay?_

_Not now, Damon._

"How long," Elena entered the conversation, "how long do you think we have before Katherine makes her first move?"

Elijah slipped a hand in his pant pocket and turned to face the doppelganger. It was always startling how much she resembled the women they were planning to kill. "There's no telling with Katerina. Everything is to her advantage now. But if there is one thing about vampires I've learned over the centuries…we always go for the weakest link first."

Elena then found all eyes on her. "You think Katherine would use me to get to Bonnie."

"It's what I would do," blue-eyes said unsympathetically. "Katherine has just as much reason to want you dead as she does Bonnie. She's always hated competition unless it's over her."

"So now what?" Stefan folded his arms. "We take shifts watching Bonnie and Elena's every move?"

The two friends eyed one another each hating that suggestion because of what it would entail.

"Let me go ahead and nix that idea," Bonnie mused. "Nothing changes."

"Bonnie," blue-eyes tone was reproachful. "We all get that you're not a punk but lets be smart about this. Katherine is…"

"I know exactly what Katherine is!" Bonnie snapped. "She's all we've been talking about for the last three damn hours and my head hurts." Bonnie turned her fury on her uncle. "I need to know right now if you still have feelings for her. Because if you do, and that moment of truth comes and you back out, I am _not _in the mood to be double-crossed."

Nothing could be heard outside of silence, crickets, and Mystic Falls Damon snickering. That was his spitfire Bonnie.

Elijah didn't appreciate being called out especially in a room full of lesser vampires—maybe with the notable exception of the darker eyed Damon—but he could understand Bonnie's frustration with the situation.

"I assure you," he responded tightly. "I have no love in my heart for that woman."

Yeah, she'd believe it when she saw it. "And you're still willing to do whatever it takes to kill her?"

"Yes," Elijah answered succinctly.

"We'll see." Bonnie faced the other vampire siblings. "Salvatore's am I going to have a problem with you?"

Damon elected himself as spokesperson. Stefan wouldn't be a problem since he never confused his feelings for Katherine and Elena, only Damon had been guilty of that.

"She's threatened the life of my future boo. I can't have that."

Caroline giggled but then stopped abruptly. Elena shook her head. Dark-eyed Damon did nothing but clutch his fist taking it as a personal jab. Stefan pursed his lips used to this sort of thing from his brother. Elijah looked mildly confused, and Bonnie…

She chewed the inside of her cheek but then nodded her head. "So that settles it. We'll talk some more tomorrow and hammer out a definite plan."

Damon rose from his perch on the couch and took Bonnie by the hand. _Are you spending the night with me?_

_No, I think I should go home._

_Then I'll keep watch over you while you sleep._

Bonnie smiled and when she faced the group again the spotlight was on her. She and Damon really needed to be more discreet when they were using telepathy.

"Good night, people."

"Night, Bonnie."

After Bonnie left, Elena and Caroline headed out as well. Elijah stuck around to discuss something's with Alaric before the both of them departed leaving Stefan and Damon alone.

They sat down in front of fireplace drinking scotch. "If Katherine hadn't bound her life to Elena's…do you think you would have killed her at the masquerade ball?" Stefan asked his older brother.

"Yes," Damon answered unequivocally and looked at Stefan askance. "She never gave a damn about me, told me as much. Why should I give a damn if she lives or dies by this point?"

Stefan shrugged. "You loved her, Damon. Intensely."

"And?" the vampire in question sneered. "You know what they say it's a fine line between love and hate. All bets are off, Stefan. She's gunning for Bonnie and I can't let anything happen to her."

Damon rose from his chair and headed towards the staircase. Entering his bedroom he began to think. There had to be something _he _could do either speed things along because living in a weird state of flux for the next week, hell for another minute was out of the question. If he had his way he'd club Bonnie over the head and they go to his place in Key West, but she'd never go for that.

Back and forth, around and around, sitting and standing, Damon did nothing but think. He was sure he hadn't spent this much time thinking in his entire life, but finally an idea struck him filling him with a renewed sense of purpose.

"Emily," he called and waited. "I know you're around somewhere waiting to eye my junk in the shower. Your grand-witch needs you."

There had been no fire burning in the hearth but one spontaneously erupted. It didn't scare him so much because he expected some sign that he had Emily's attention, so he smiled cockily. "I knew you couldn't stay away or ignore me forever. You _owe _me after destroying the crystal. Show me a way to save Bonnie, and that'll make us even."

An invisible wind blew in his room that nearly toppled him over. "If I want to see a magic show I'll hop a plane to Vegas! So cut the shit. Katherine, remember her? She wants Bonnie's blood and if you don't come up with a solution well, looks like I would have protected your line for nothing. Is that what you want?'

The wind stopped immediately. "Good girl. So what's the plan, mama, because I know you have one? All witches have that special card up their sleeve. See I didn't say broomstick."

The fire went out and the entire house was plunged into darkness. "My bad," he backtracked.

* * *

><p>The following day everyone gathered at an old, decrepit house located on the outskirts of town. From the outside it was plain to see that in its heyday this had once been a grand estate, but had been abandoned and condemned by nature. Bonnie certainly didn't get a good vibe from the place and wondered why Mystic Falls' Damon had requested her presence.<p>

She parked her Prius and climbed out and eyed her assembly of friends. Damon hadn't offered up any details no matter how many questions she asked. At first she was inclined to blow him off, but he said it was important and may give them the advantage over Katherine.

"I'm here," she came to a stop in front of Damon and looked up into his pretty boy eyes. "Will you tell me now what this is about? Why are we here?"

"Did you know that the death of a single witch could leave behind enough energy to power a house for a month? What about the deaths of a hundred witches?"

Bonnie blinked. "Are you trying to tell me that a hundred witches were killed here?" she pointed at the ground. That would explain why she felt equally drawn to and repelled by this place.

Damon nodded his head. "Because they died a violent death their energy was left behind creating a hot spot, a marker if you will. It would take one of their kind to be able to tap into it," he eyed her pointedly.

"So let me get this straight. You want me," Bonnie laid a hand on her chest, "to absorb the energy of a hundred witches into my body? Or however it's supposed to work?"

"Essentially."

"But would that kill her?" Elena asked, needing to be the most prudent.

That was the part Damon wasn't so sure of but he knew Emily wouldn't have suggested it to him in his dream last night if that were the case. Witches looked out for their own and he couldn't imagine Emily willfully putting Bonnie in danger of being overwhelmed to point of death.

"No," dark-eyes materialized out of nowhere to light-eyes consternation. "It wouldn't kill her but she would be tempted to solve the world's problems in one fell swoop," he winked at Bonnie.

"I'm not that bad," she said in her defense. "Okay, so what do I have to do?"

"You have to find the hot spot, and then…I'm sure nature will kick in and you'll know what to do from there."

That sounded too simplistic with a world of problems attached to it. But at the moment, what were her other options? Use too much of her own power to put a stop to Katherine and die as a result of it?

Licking her lips nervously Bonnie observed each of her friends. No one outside of Damon looked confident about this experiment, and even she didn't want to go through with it, but if it meant having a greater advantage over Katherine and anyone else who might pop up, she'd do it.

Damon tried his best not to be distracted when Bonnie traced her bottom lip with her pink tongue. This was about business, and he needed to keep his mind focused, however, he couldn't stop a dirty thought or two from springing up.

Dark-eyes might not agree with who suggested this plan, but even he could admit it had a certain brilliance to it. He sighed, if only he had come up with it first.

Bonnie turned to head towards the house. Everyone followed but the vampires hit something of a brick wall before their day-walking rings stopped working and each of them began to sizzle and holler.

The Bennett witch swung back around seeing the vampires' skin redden, bubble, and boil.

Heart quickening she watched them burn, and after a slight hesitation Bonnie closed her eyes and mumbled a counter spell. The second the vampires could move they zoomed into the surrounding shadows of the area.

"What the hell just happened?" Caroline raged as she clung to a tree.

"I don't think the witches want you guys here," Bonnie said. "I think I have to do this alone."

"By all means," blue-eyes waved her on. Slowly he was able to stand on his feet again once his skin was unblemished and the feeling of being grilled to death dissipated.

"Wait, wait, wait," Elena waved her hands around. "Bon…I wasn't having a good feeling about this before and I certainly _don't_ have one now. Maybe we should think things through some more. You're not sure what could happen to you."

Elena had a point, but time was of the essence and there simply was no time for second-guessing.

"I'll be fine, Elena," she didn't tack on "I promise," because if things went to hell in a hand basket that would make her out to be a liar. "Just make sure they don't follow me," Bonnie motioned toward to the vampires.

Bonnie looked at dark-eyed Damon one final time before walking to where she felt the energy drawing her.

She really had no idea what to expect. There was no noise here; silence engulfed the place, eerily so. This place screamed unnatural to her, yet she sensed a oneness with it that was probably more shocking than the state of the house. Bonnie had seen houses like this mostly in scary movies, and she hoped for her sake she wouldn't have to travel indoors for any reason.

Bonnie was perhaps a hundred feet away from the back of the house when she saw a huge area of flat, blackened earth about the circumference of a weather balloon. If she dared to, Bonnie could probably still smell the fire that claimed the lives of all those women. She wasn't sure if it had been a mass burning of witches or individual burnings, but in any case it made goose bumps break out over skin as apprehension got lodged into the base of her neck, tightening the muscles. Bonnie felt pregnant with fear and all she wanted to do was either abort it or give birth to it.

Her mind started to grow crazy and an image of a tower of piled bodies flashed before her eyes.

Bonnie swallowed nervously and walked to the very center of the blackened earth. A crushing pressure weakened her knees. She closed her eyes and held her hands out and waited for instructions to follow.

Elena rubbed her hands up and down her arms. It wasn't terribly cold outside. The sun was shining high in the sky, but being in this place was like standing in the dead of winter. She looked at Stefan who appeared just as worried.

"How long has she been back there?" the doppelganger queried.

"Probably fifteen minutes at the most."

Every fiber of his instinct was telling Fell's Church Damon to go back there and make sure Bonnie was all right. She was strong, could handle more than the average girl her age, but she was still just that—a girl. Damon had seen and experienced a lot in his five hundred plus years on the earth, but witches were probably one of the species he didn't interact with much. No matter how he tried to charm them they lumped him with the vagabonds of his kind unwilling to acknowledge there _was_ a vampire hierarchy, and he happened to be at the top of it.

Caroline approached the grandmaster idealist of this endeavor. Damon cut his cyan eyes at her as he sat on the hood of his car. "What do you want Vampire Barbie?"

"If anything happens to Bonnie I'm holding you personally responsible, and," she crowded his space, "I might not be diabolical like Katherine, but I'm sure I can think of something to make you regret the choices you make, Damon."

In response to her threat, Damon yawned and leaned back on his car, propping himself up on his elbow. "Was that supposed to scare me, little girl?"

Bonnie's blood-curdling scream did in the next second. Damon was off his car in two tenths of a second and slammed into that invisible wall that kept his kind off the land before he realized he'd be burnt to a cinder by the time he got to her.

"Damon, no!" Elena tried to warn him, but it was much too late.

He was stuck, his feet glued to the ground as he stood on the other side of the invisible line.

Stefan attempted to reach out for his brother, but any time he reached over, his skin felt the rays of the sun.

Dark-eyed Damon stretched out his thoughts to make contact with Bonnie. Panic swept through him. _BONNIE! BONNIE? ANSWER ME._

…_damon I can't…hurts…_

_Bonnie just stop! You don't have to go through this. Come back to me, baby._

…_I can't stop…I have to…_

_I'm coming to get you._

_NO! You'll burn…just stay…_

Damon could do nothing but pace like a wild panther and stare at the creature with his face, burn.

This was not a bright idea, was blue-eyed Damon's thought pattern. He heard Bonnie screaming, Elena crying, Stefan cursing, and a whole bunch of other noise. This pain was exquisite and he tasted blood and bile in the back of his throat. His eyes closed and he wondered how long it would take for him to flake away into nothingness.

Sound began to ebb and when he chanced opening his eyes again it was to a light so bright it had the negative effect of burning his prize winning baby blues.

A hand, a soft hand, touched him and the pain that erupted over his entire body dissipated almost instantaneously.

"He and the others are my friends. They can be trusted," a voice similar to Bonnie's urged.

Damon was released from his invisible prison and sank to his knees. Smoke from his clothes and skin rose to the heavens as he coughed uncontrollably to get the taste of burned flesh out of his lungs and mouth. He looked up towards Bonnie who stared down at him. There was a new wisdom and grace in those malachite irises. Her skin was different, glowing with a luminescence he'd associate with angels, and her aura screamed nothing but Power.

He realized that Bonnie still held his hand and it was she who lifted him to his feet. They locked gazes as his skin continued to heal.

"You can be awfully dumb sometimes," she told him.

Bonnie was still Bonnie at heart which relaxed Damon considerably. "You know me. I have to do one dumb thing a day."

"How bout we fix that?" she suggested and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're going to need a fresh change of clothes because I think your butt is hanging out of your jeans."

Damon twisted around to see and sure enough he looked like he was wearing a pair of chaps.

When he turned back around, sheepish, Bonnie cupped his cheek, healing the rest of his burns. Damon's eyes did that wild thing they do where his eyebrows couldn't figure out if they wanted to stay married to his face or not. A look of true vulnerability washed over him. Damon kind of regretted not making her agree to meet with him alone, but because of their precarious relationship everything they did would have to be in a group setting. Bonnie didn't trust him to behave and he didn't trust himself to keep his hands to himself either. But she was touching him as if he were as delicate as a newborn, and he simply ate it up.

"Bonnie, are you okay? How do you feel?" Elena approached her friend.

On the surface Bonnie looked the way she always did, but the subtitles were abundant. Her eyes were freakishly green and glowing and for some strange reason Elena felt the need to bow before her.

Bonnie shrugged and stepped away from Damon to head over to her boyfriend who looked downright impatient to touch her. "I feel…like I can literally balance the world on my shoulders." She wrapped her arms around Damon's neck. "I want to fly, Damon."

He winked at her and was prepared to go but then Bonnie stepped away from him and approached Stefan.

Damon watched as his younger brother began to, he could only describe it as, blush.

Bonnie reached for Stefan's injured hand and noticed it was taking longer for him to heal. "Are you still struggling with drinking human blood?"

He looked embarrassed for a second. Nodded infinitesimally.

Bonnie exhaled audibly. "You can be so much stronger, Stefan if you trusted yourself more. You gotta be at the same level as your brother and my Damon. Katherine will use that against you."

Naturally this made dark-eyes puff his chest out to have Bonnie refer to him as being hers.

"Bonnie," Stefan attempted to say as quietly as he could. "You know what will happen if I drink human blood. I won't be able to control it."

"You will," she told him vehemently. "You have to have faith in yourself, Stefan. You won't turn into a monster because of it if you don't want to," Bonnie brought his hand up and kissed it and instantly his sore and reddened skin was perfectly smooth like marble once again. Stefan could do nothing but marvel at it.

"Thank you, Bonnie."

She inclined her head and went back over to her boyfriend and placed her hand in his. "I'll see you guys."

They were gone like ghosts.

"Well, I'm hungry," Caroline announced. "Elena, are you rolling with me to The Grill?"

"I'll meet you there."

"No," Stefan turned to Elena. "I need a moment with Damon. Go with Caroline. I'll meet up with you later."

Elena wanted to argue to the contrary but did as Stefan instructed. She followed after Caroline but not without casting a glance towards Damon who appeared dazed and confused.

"Hey, man you all right?" Stefan asked.

It took a moment for Damon to respond. "Yeah," he smiled that irritating smirk of his. "Bonnie is all powered up and…" he couldn't finish his thought.

"How did you come up with the idea?"

Damon headed towards car. He was beginning to feel a draft. "I know I don't look like I'm all that smart but I do have some brain cells left over from the dark ages. Catch you on the flip side."

"Damon," Stefan was standing next to the car door preventing Damon from closing it. "I think what you did for Bonnie was probably the most selfless thing you could have done."

Crap, Damon wasn't in the mood to get sentimental with his baby brother. "Whatever you're thinking, Stefan, don't. I'm worried about my fine ass just as much as Bonnie's, and don't think any different, it'll only cause more wrinkles."

"Things will go much more smoothly if you stopped lying to yourself to begin with," Stefan advised.

"Yeah, whatever," Damon replied dismissively.

When Damon made an attempt to slam the door, Stefan didn't stop him. He watched his brother peel away but not without shaking his head.

* * *

><p>The Klingons were right when they said that revenge is a dish best served cold. Well, Katherine would amend that and serve up that slop on a platter that was as hot as lava. Her biggest yearning for life was to live it according to her terms. So what she had a baby out of wedlock when she was eighteen and ruined her chances of making a good marriage and sullied her family name? It was the freaking dark ages where her extracurricular activities consisted of: reading, sowing, and staring out of a freaking window.<p>

Boring! Rebellion had been in her blood along with an insatiable, unquenchable thirst for more. Katherine wanted it all and felt it was within her right to have it all. She was freaking gorgeous and ingenious. When she was introduced to Klaus she thought he was handsome enough, but he had been so austere. It didn't take long for her to wander over to Elijah.

It had been centuries yet thinking of him could still get her kitty to purr and she hated him for it. Stealing the Mona Lisa was simpler than getting Elijah to climb into bed with her back then. But once she got what she wanted, Elijah was hooked, and she supplied him whenever and wherever he wanted it. However, when shit hit the fan, Elijah didn't stand up for her like he said he would, and he had been a man of honor and promise, at least that was the propaganda he tried to sell. But Elijah was as much, if not more, an elitist snob than Klaus, choosing family over her. So Katherine vowed they'd regret the day they brought her into their lives.

Elijah should have killed her when he had the chance. But he would know pain, Stefan and Damon right along with him. She really had no idea who was the worst offenders between them.

Katherine picked up a disposal cell phone she lifted from Wal-Mart, grimaced at the idea of the squalor she had been reduced to, and dialed a number.

Naturally, no one answered and she hated leaving messages, but that didn't mean she still couldn't cause damage in the mean time. It was time to put on a performance worthy of an Oscar. Katherine started crying.

"This message is for Jules. You don't know me…this is so hard…but I think M-Mason is dead. He was visiting family in Mystic Falls, Virginia and got into an argument with a guy named ah…Damon Salvatore. No one has heard or seen Mason since. I'm so worried. If you can…"

The line clicked and Katherine stilled. She hadn't expected Jules to screen her calls. "Who is this?" Jules hissed into the phone.

Katherine tried her best to keep the hysteria in her voice, and not laugh. She knew about Jules. Knew that she was madly in love with Mason, but he dumped her ass like a bad habit the minute Katherine batted her dark brown eyes in his direction. Of course she couldn't give her identity away.

"Jules?" Katherine asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," the woman replied irritably. "Who the hell is this? What's this about Mason being dead?"

"I'm so glad I was able to track you down. I don't know for certain if Mason is dead, but I know he was in Mystic Falls, and no one has heard from or seen him in weeks."

"Again, I ask who the hell is this? If this is a trick you are one dead bitch."

_I'm already a dead bitch but that's neither here nor there, _Katherine thought, and then civility left her voice. "Look, if you want answers about Mason I suggest you get your ass to Mystic Falls and when you get here ask for Damon Salvatore."

She hung up. Maybe it wouldn't take Jules twenty years to arrive, but whatever. She picked up her pad and crossed Damon's name off the list. One down, nine more to go.

* * *

><p>Running a towel through his ink black hair, Damon came to a sudden stop. He looked around the four corners of his bedroom expecting to be ambushed from some angle, but his room was empty. When he faced the door he was mildly surprised to see Bonnie standing there.<p>

"Hi," she sauntered in his room leaving the door open.

"Hi," he perused her languorously. She had changed from the jeans and cardigan she wore earlier into a pair of wide leg black slacks, a tuxedo jacket with a beaded top underneath. She looked as if she were dressed for a night out on the town.

Bonnie felt the need to explain her attire. The only time she dressed up was if there was a function or dance she had to attend "I have a date tonight but I wanted to stop by first and thank you for what you did for me today."

She tried her best not to ogle below his neck. Bonnie could count on one hand how many times she saw Damon without a shirt. Zero, zilch, zil. His torso rippled with muscles, but his chest wasn't like his dark-eyed counterpart.

_She's fighting so hard not to check me out. Cute._

Bonnie's nostrils flared at hearing his thoughts.

Damon threw his towel over to his bed. There was still a wealth of space separating them. "You're welcome," he finally responded. "I know you're against running, which I don't condone by the way, so I thought there had to be a way to increase your odds."

Bonnie graced him with a heartfelt smile that made Damon feel like he was seconds from rubbing the back of his neck and saying, "Shucks, lady."

"I'm beginning," she approached, "to believe you do care."

"Duh," he planted his hands on his hips. "I've only been saying that for the last ten years." Damon gulped nervously as the scent of Bonnie's perfume infiltrated his airway. His fingers longed to run through her wavy chocolate hair, touch her warm skin. Bonnie was so pleasing to the senses that it left Damon feeling unsure of his next move.

She studied him for a moment. "I haven't properly thanked you for being there for me in the past, Damon. I know I give you a hard time but it's because I know you're capable of being more than a jackass. Don't take this as me trying to change you, but only to get you to see people want to be in your life. They want to be your friend, but you have to be willing to meet them halfway. So," Bonnie leaned closer and Damon actually stopped breathing.

Her red lips kissed his cheek and lingered for thirty seconds longer than a kiss on the cheek dictated.

"Thank you," she pulled away. "Emily thanks you, too."

His eyebrows lifted. That was supposed to be their secret. "How do you know?"

"I can feel them and occasionally hear them, Damon. Emily is the loudest naturally. And she says… 'We're even'. What does she mean by that?"

Damon shook his head. "Nothing," he cleared his throat. "I don't want to keep you from your…date," he spoke the word grudgingly.

"It's not with who you think," she winked. Bonnie headed for the door but Damon was there to block the exit.

They stared at one another. "Will you do something for me, Bonnie?"

She didn't immediately agree to this.

Damon cupped her chin. "Will you dream about me?"

Her eyebrows arched and Bonnie was fully prepared to tell him no, but when she thought of what they had done for each other in such a short span of time, what would it hurt to agree to something she really had no control over anyways.

Bonnie wrapped her hand around his wrist. "I'll do my best, but I'm making no promises. Good night, Damon."

"Good night, Bonnie."

He let her go although he wanted to kiss her. Badly.

* * *

><p>Outside Bonnie approached the town car that was idling in the drive way. The door opened but Bonnie paused before climbing inside. She caught something attempting to hide itself in the shadows, but she saw those telling orbs of a four-legged animal.<p>

Tyler leaned out of the car. "Bonnie, what is it?"

She frowned before getting in the car, sliding across the leather seat. "I thought I saw something."

Tyler looked at the driver and motioned with his head for him to drive on. "What was it you thought you saw?"

She turned to face a lifelong acquaintance. "A wolf."

"Two days," Tyler said without an ounce of glee. "That's how long I have before my life changes forever."

"So much can happen. And no, it won't all be for the best."

They said nothing as the sleek automobile moved through town heading towards the Lockwood estate each lost in his and her own thoughts. Tyler would be a werewolf, and something was telling Bonnie she might have to choose who gets to live and who has to die.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I wanted to change up how Bonnie was inducted with the power of 100 witches. I found it kind of *coughs* dumb to think they were burned "inside" the house because the house was still standing. That made no sense and figured it would make better sense if they were burned outside, and the house was just the meeting place not the actual site. But things are going to get crazy, and well, not really looking forward to writing the next chapter b/c of all the ideas buzzing through my head, but hopefully it will make sense. But thanks again for reading! Love you!**


	25. An Unfinished Life

**A/N: I have to put out a disclaimer with this chapter because it gets a little…intense, a little gruesome…that's the best way to put it. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Once upon a time there was a girl who grew up in a small town who had big dreams. These dreams consisted of either becoming a fashion designer living in luxurious cities such as Milan, Paris, Tokyo, or New York or becoming a doctor and making a medical discovery that would revolutionize the world, but then reality sat in and her dreams diminished.

Now she was faced with a dilemma, an internal struggle, a ceaseless nightmare with no probable outcome that could conceivably work in her favor. She had bitten the forbidden fruit of the supernatural, poisoned by its seductive lore, shrouded in endless sorrow.

Yet what stood before her were two princes both alike in darkness but filled with their own light. Each carried with them both condemning and redemptive qualities that made them perfect mates in an imperfect situation.

In her mind's eye Bonnie stood in a dark forest standing across from her immortal options with that forbidden fruit in her hand, and when she looked down to see what it was, she realized it was her heart. Was it every girl's wish to find herself in a love triangle, to be the benefactor of having caught the attention of men so alike they were twins but were not born of the same womb? Many would call her lucky, having the pick of the litter, but Bonnie felt nothing but trapped.

But this power that dwelled inside her, engorged like a wave, pulled them both infinitely closer to her. One she'd have to let go of while she other she gave herself fully to.

This would not be a fair fight.

The Bonnie Diaries…

"Watch your step," Tyler instructed as he led Bonnie down into the slave quarters of the old Lockwood property. Ooh, she hated being here for several reasons and felt she was doing a grave disservice to her ancestors by willfully going into this dungeon. Bonnie tried her best not to think of a million scenarios that the enslaved were treated too here. Yeah, Mystic Falls was a place that reveled in its "Founder's traditions" yet they liked to gloss over the fact this was also a town entrenched in slave ownership.

Tyler licked his lips. "How did you know…about my secret?"

Bonnie wasn't sure how much of her own secret she should expose. But there was one thing she knew for certain, she couldn't tell Tyler about the vampires.

"I know you've heard me in the past say that I'm psychic. Well when I touched you the night of the basketball game that ended in infamy, I saw something in you, Tyler. So I did a little research and I was able to put two and two together."

"So you've know what I am since the basketball game? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure back then, and you wouldn't have believed me if I told you."

Tyler took a deep breath and realized she was telling the truth. If Bonnie Bennett had pulled him to the side to tell him he would one day become a werewolf he would have asked what drugs she was on after laughing in her face and calling her some colorful names. After she left his house that night he stayed up all night reading the book she had given him.

Well, it certainly didn't make him feel any better. He learned that he would break every bone in his body during the full moon cycle before turning into a snarling creature that would kill whatever got in its way. He also learned that wolfsbane was toxic and if touched or ingested it would burn the living daylights out of him, but it may be useful in slowing down his lycanthropic transformation.

"You're right, Bonnie. I wouldn't have believed you," Tyler scrubbed a hand across his face. "Did you know there is a classification of werewolves?"

Bonnie shook her head.

Almost excitedly Tyler began to explain what he learned. "There are werewolves that are exactly that, they stay werewolves meaning they can never change back into human form again. And then there are lycans. Lycans can take the shape of humans but turn into wolves during the full moon cycle. And then there are shape shifters who can take the form of any animal, but sometimes take the form of a wolf."

"Oh, that's…um…interesting."

Tyler moved over to the chains giving them a sturdy tug. "These chains are pretty far embedded into the rock. I think if I anchor myself to them, it should help keep me from transitioning."

Bonnie looked around at the lovely décor. She cleared her throat. "I still think someone should be here to keep you company."

Tyler refuted her words with a vehement shake to his head. "I can't risk it, Bonnie. There's no proof that I'll be able to recognize anyone in my lycanthropic state."

"But Tyler, this isn't something you should do by yourself."

"I don't need a live audience, either," his tone changed and Bonnie figured it best to stop pushing the issue. She couldn't say she was particularly fond of Tyler but that didn't mean she wanted him to suffer. He approached her looming over her. Tonight she had been his "date" for this fundraiser thing his mom concocted at the last minute. Bonnie agreed to come only because Tyler said he wanted to talk to her and share something with her.

"Don't take my attitude the wrong way. I do appreciate everything you've done for me. Oh, and thanks for the wolfsbane."

Bonnie attempted to smile and was sure it came off as shaky. She didn't like being here underground and especially not with a werewolf. Tyler's emotional state was volatile and the wrong spoken word, or someone bumping his shoulder in a way he didn't approve could set him off earlier than expected.

"You're welcome. So you're really determined to do this by yourself?"

He shrugged. "I'd ask Mason to help me but he's left town and hasn't returned any of my calls or texts."

Bonnie did her best not to drop her eyes to stare at her shoes. She hated she had to keep such a large, crushing secret from Tyler, but that was one problem she rather not have at the moment.

"Besides," Tyler continued, "I figured all of this is payback for being a dick to people for no reason other than I could. I got away with so much because of who my dad was and it wasn't like he was the best person on the face of the planet either."

Okay, so in need of a subject changer, Bonnie thought idly. "Ty, just because you…weren't nice to a few people doesn't mean you deserve _this _as some type of punishment. You were born with this unfortunately, but it doesn't mean you have to be a monster."

Tyler sighed heavily and thrust his hands in his pockets. "I know that, Bonnie. But in the end aren't we all just rehabilitated monsters? There are people who are inherently good. You couldn't pay them to be evil. People like you."

Bonnie shook her head to refute the claim. "I have my bitchy days, trust me."

"Yeah, I know not to mess with you a certain week out of the month," he cracked his first genuine smile of the night.

Bonnie smacked his shoulder. "Ass."

"Just keeping it real.

"Well if I can't change your mind with my awesome negotiating skills, does this mean we can go now?"

He snorted and then showed them the way out. In silence they walked back to the front of the property where Tyler helped Bonnie into the town car that would take her home.

"Be safe," he told her.

"You, too," she smiled at him.

Tyler shut the door and watched as the car pulled away. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and wondered what the following day would bring.

Minutes later Bonnie entered her house, traipsed upstairs, and fell backwards on her bed. As usual she had too much on the brain. The situation with Tyler, notwithstanding, she had all these powers swimming under her skin, and in her blood. Damon had been persistent in wanting to tap a vein and she repeatedly told him no. Slipping her boots off, Bonnie began to undress, and once she changed into her night clothes, armed with a bowl of ice cream, she called Caroline. She spooned the dessert in her mouth and listened as Caroline raged over Bonnie's novel idea.

"You have officially lost your mind if you think for one second that I'm going to help Tyler Lockwood through his werewolness."

"Caroline, I don't think that's a word."

"Oh, poo. You do realize that he is my enemy at least according to folklore and if he bites me I might die."

"Yes," Bonnie said and took a sip of her iced water. "But one of the things I've always loved about you, Caroline is your big ridiculous heart. You're the girl who spent the money she saved for an angora sweater to buy a plane ticket for the kid she mentored so she could fly home to Louisiana for Christmas."

"You're point?"

"My point is that Tyler is going to need someone with him. Someone who can bring him down a peg or two, and someone who is eternally optimistic, and you my love fit those qualifications."

"But why can't you do it?" she whined. "I mean, you gave him that book. He would expect you to help."

Bonnie sighed and sat up in bed. "I would, but there's something else I have to take care of. Please, just think about it."

Caroline sucked her teeth on the other end already knowing she would cave, but she had something else in her arsenal "But what about the Katherine situation? I'm supposed to be lending my muscle or something. How do you expect me to be on the lockout for her _and _help Tyler?"

"Do you think I haven't worked all the variables out in my head? If Katherine is smart she wouldn't want to go anywhere near a person who's going to transform into a werewolf. The way I see it, your safest bet is being with Tyler."

"You're putting me in danger to keep me out of danger."

"Yep, that sounds about right," Bonnie replied cavalierly. "Care, you don't know the responsibility I feel is on my shoulders to keep everyone important to me safe."

Caroline sighed. "I can't believe I'm about to go along with this. Okay, fine. I'll talk to him, but the first time he's a jerk to me, I'm gone."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right," Caroline sighed heavily into the phone. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p><strong>The following night…<strong>

There wasn't a clear cut definition for the term eye-sex but Bonnie was fairly sure she could create one. And she had the perfect target i.e. motivation for it-Damon Salvatore. She wouldn't call herself a seasoned professional when it came to this sort of thing. Bonnie could clearly remember the first time she engaged in the act. She had been at a party, holding up a wall when this gorgeous guy with honey colored eyes and deep mahogany skin strolled past her line of vision. Bonnie instantly locked gazes with the dark stranger, following his every move with a piercing stare that packed enough heat to melt the flesh off his bones. She didn't have a salacious thought or curiosity about the size of his package or how ripped he might be underneath his Polo shirt, but with her gaze alone, she let him know she was deeply appreciative of what she was seeing.

Bonnie was enjoying a late dinner with her small group of friends when Damon, dressed in his usual uniform: a skin hugging black T-shirt, dark jeans, and Durango boots sauntered by their table, his methane flame eyes targeting her like a heat-seeking missile. Bonnie held his gaze without a hint of challenge or defiance, tracking him like a sniper shooter, saying everything in her eyes that her mouth couldn't form the words to speak. She felt his gaze break through the impenetrable barrier that kept her feminine wiles locked away, imprisoned, and entombed lest everyone around became consciously aware of how devastatingly beautiful she truly was.

His gaze, she could translate into a thousand different meanings but they each shared the same chord: sex. He wanted to touch her in all the places where his eyes landed; wanted to taste her butter soft skin on his icy tongue, wanted to join their souls in that spiritual union that's only legalized through and by marriage.

She broke so many rules whenever she and Damon were in the same vicinity. But when Damon reserved that look of mischief and lust coiled together and pinned her with it, Bonnie felt arrested, tried, and convicted.

Bonnie didn't so much as blink. She kept her eyes plastered to his back as he exited the restaurant. Conversations around her flowed without interruption, and she covertly looked around to see if anyone was paying her any attention. The coast was clear and Bonnie rose from her seat, pushing the chair away from the table, and maneuvered her body through the tables without bumping into a single soul.

Once outside she didn't need to look right or left because Damon was front and center, perched on his car looking smug and delicious. She didn't give herself time to question the intelligence of her decision to follow him. Bonnie knew better than to tempt fate. There had always been something about the Damon she verbally sparred with, attempted to murder, and had saved more than she'd like to think about, that held her. His hooks were buried deep into the recesses of her subconscious and no matter what she tried to do, she just couldn't shake him.

And she no longer wanted to.

Her feet carried her over to him and he stood from the car to tower over her. In the past Bonnie had been intimidated by his closeness, his nearness, but now she lived for those moments where mere inches separated their clothing, their bodies. When she was in reaching distance, he cupped her cheek, ran the pad of his thumb across her warm skin, his blue eyes darkening to indigo.

"What do you want, Bonnie?" he asked point-blank.

Bonnie slipped her finger through a belt loop and tugged him just a little bit closer. "You."

That cocky grin broke across his fatally handsome face making her heart subsequently melt and beat faster. How had she been blind for so long? Hatred had a way of turning the most beautiful person into the ugliest monster born in the imagination. Nevertheless, she no longer hated Damon. She was beginning to need him like air, like water, like shelter.

Yet there was something else she needed more. His touch.

Right there their mouths fused together like pieces of steel. They fought for dominance, fought to get closer to the other, just plain fought until they tumbled backwards to the hood his car, Damon's back taking the brunt of the fall. His mouth ravished hers, biting, licking, sucking, and Bonnie felt dizzy and out of control. He was consuming her, bulldozing his way past all those brick walls she'd built up since the death of her Grams, since the murder of her innocent perception of life in Mystic Falls.

She shamelessly whimpered when Damon tunneled his fingers through her long, wavy chocolate locks. And with those hands they trailed down her back, contouring the moons of her ass before grabbing them.

A gasp escaped her kiss swollen mouth and Bonnie pulled away so she could watch his pupils dilate.

"You continue to fight me on this," Damon nipped her bottom lip, "and I'll make you regret it."

"I'm going down with this ship, Damon, and I have no regrets…"

Bonnie's eyes slowly opened and crashed into a pair of black as night orbs. She was fully prepared to scream one) because he scared her half to death and two) he might have picked up the last visages of her dream, which could end with her being a world of shit. Damon stopped her from uttering a single shrill sound by forcing his lips against hers.

Her eyes remained open the whole time Damon kissed her. Guilt about what she dreamed slammed into her that it nearly knocked Bonnie backwards out of bed but then she felt a warm body against her, and her horror intensified.

"Good morning," Damon whispered. "You're in Elena's room so I think its best you not scream. Wouldn't want the girl to wet the bed, would we?" he snickered.

Bonnie giggled and swallowed numbing fear back down her throat and relaxed against the bed, and snuggled up to Damon, but then realized she was caught in an Elena/Damon sandwich.

She jolted up. "Get out!" she screeched as quietly as she could. "Are you freaking crazy?"

That notorious grin was locked on his face making it damn near impossible to remain pissed at him. "If you can live out your fantasies of being all powerful why can't I by waking up in bed with two beautiful women?"

"Damon, I swear I'll kill you right now if you don't get lost," she ended with a tiny smile.

His nimble fingers tucked unruly strands of hair behind her ears. "You'd miss me too much if you did try to assassinate me."

Bonnie face palmed herself and made a move to climb out of Elena's bed who slept like the dead. For that she was grateful. Bonnie's dream continued to plague her, and when Damon made the comment about her missing him if he died, it did tighten her chest. What the hell was she doing? Bonnie didn't turn around to acknowledge the fact Damon was following her and the both of them entered the bathroom.

He locked both doors and stood against it, arms folded.

"I have to pee," she announced.

Damon hunched a shoulder. "I heard someone say that its love when you can carry a conversation with a person while they use the restroom."

Bonnie grimaced. There were certain things she didn't mind doing to prove she was close to Damon, however, urinating in front of him wasn't one of those things.

"Out, vampire," she huffed.

"If I haven't said this before you are the most beautiful thing, even when you're attempting to be stern with me." Damon bowed before her and disappeared.

After handling her business, Bonnie stepped out of the bathroom back into Elena's bedroom where she saw her friend making up her bed.

"Morning," Elena beamed as she pulled her long hair into a messy ponytail. "I feel like playing hookie today."

Bonnie crossed over to the bed and flounced on it. "You feel like playing hookie everyday."

"Did I hear Damon's voice or was I dreaming?"

Bonnie grabbed a hold of one of Elena's favorite stuffed animals and played with its ear. "No, you heard him."

A look of confusion marred Elena's face. "Either he really loves you or he's just a stalker. I thought you made it perfectly clear that you were spending the night with me and that you wouldn't be available," she grinned and slipped her socks off in preparation for her shower.

Bonnie shrugged, and felt that pang again when Elena mentioned Damon loving her. Jeeze her conscience was going to get a workout today. "I've learned a long time ago not to deny Damon anything. He's going to do what he wants regardless and I'll just be wasting my breath."

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in," Elena said.

The door slowly opened revealing the culprit.

"Good morning, Damon. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," Elena rolled her eyes.

Damon ignored her catty remark and approached Bonnie. "I don't mean to impose on your morning, but I find it nearly impossible to stay away from Bonnie."

Elena shook her head, ponytail swishing back and forth. "Yeah, she is irresistible. Are you two going to behave yourselves while I'm in the shower?"

The smile Damon flashed her way told Elena everything she needed to know.

"We'll be good," Bonnie promised.

Elena eyed them before stomping her way to the bathroom.

Damon studied her for a minute and realized Bonnie hadn't made eye contact with him. He sat down on the bed facing her. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"I do," she opened up to him. "When this is over can we go somewhere? Just the two of us?" There was a lot she would need to discuss with him and she didn't want to do it in Mystic Falls. Plus, there was something else she needed to tell him but she just wasn't ready. Not yet.

Interest and intrigue flashed in his eyes and he reached for Bonnie's hand. "Wherever you want to go just say the word and I'll make it happen."

She smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you, Damon."

Sometime later when Elena stepped out of the shower she could hear Bonnie and Damon whispering.

"Bon, just let me lick it."

Elena's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks coloring over.

"Damon, we've talked about this and my answer is the same, buddy, no."

"Don't be cruel, woman. You know you enjoy it just as much as I _love _it."

"We're not going there in my best friend's bedroom. So stop asking."

Elena slipped on her school clothes and came flying out of the bathroom. The scene before her didn't exactly match what she had expected to see. Bonnie was digging in her overnight bag pulling out her clothes, while Damon stood next to her running his fingers along her spine.

"Hey," Elena's voice made Bonnie jump but she didn't move away from Damon. She stared pointedly at her friend.

"I'm going to head downstairs to see if Jenna needs any help in the kitchen," Damon made himself scarce.

The moment he was gone, Elena walked over to Bonnie. "Was he seriously going to try to…go down?"

Bonnie grabbed Elena by the hand. "No!" she blushed profusely. "We would never do that in your room. Completely disrespectful. I cut my finger; it started bleeding, he wanted to lick the blood away. He's been obsessed with drinking my blood now that I'm powered up like the energizer bunny."

"Oh. Do you think you taste different?" Elena asked awkwardly.

Bonnie shrugged. Her blood probably had more kick to it but she figured that was all.

"Well I'm going to monitor his behavior around Jenna."

"Good luck," Bonnie teased.

The minute Bonnie was alone her phone buzzed on the night table. Stretching to retrieve it, Bonnie stared at the LCD screen before answering. "Hi. Yeah, I'm up. What's up?" Bonnie listened to the voice on the other end and quickly gathered her things for her shower.

"I'll see you soon," Bonnie concluded her conversation and got lost in the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Damon had a bad feeling about today. Nothing was going to go as planned. Despite it being a beautiful sunny day, he heard a news report about dogs around town going berserk and attacking their owners. He had no idea what that was about and really wasn't interested in looking into it. Besides he had his own mind on his own problems, and that sense of foreboding only tripled when he walked into The Grill and smelled the familiar stench of wolf.<p>

His lip curled back from his teeth as he headed over to his favorite stool and ordered three shots of Jack. Damon ignored the fact it wasn't happy hour. He texted Stefan for an update on Bonnie's status and waited for his brother to get back at him.

Damon flashed his eyes to the bartender when he sat his drinks down in front of him. The burn of the alcohol was familiar but didn't do enough damage to counter the burn of impatience that was roasting the center of his chest. His palms, for the first time in a long time were itchy and clammy. Damon just wanted this whole business with Katherine to be over and done with for good.

The sounds of two familiar voices caught and held his attention. Damon looked over his shoulder as Elena and Caroline entered the eatery. His brow furrowed and he wondered what they were doing here when he knew they should have been in school.

He must have been on Elena's radar because her eyes found him immediately. She told Caroline to find them a table as she made her way over to the surly looking vampire. Damon sighed heavily and turned back around to face the plethora of bottles stacked behind the bartender.

"Damon," Elena said in her most gentle voice.

"What are you and Suzanne Sommers doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Something she did when she was nervous. Damon's left eye squinted as he looked at her.

"School was mysteriously cancelled. A lot of kids are taking advantage of it and they're planning a party tonight in the woods."

"Of course they are," Damon muttered sardonically. "Have those little crackheads learned nothing?"

"You know how it is, Damon. When there's danger around people lose common sense like loose change. Have you seen Bonnie or talked to her? I've called her three times and she hasn't answered my calls. I mean, she spent the night with me…"

That got his full and definite attention. "And you're just _now _letting me know about that?" Damon reached into his back pocket for his wallet and slapped a twenty on the counter. He rose abruptly from the stool causing Elena to jump back.

"I'm sorry," she said feeling flustered about her faux pas, "but I figured she might be with you or with her boyfriend."

Upon hearing that Damon rolled his eyes fully prepared to hunt.

"Oh, I don't mean to intrude," a woman with blue eyes and dirty blond hair infiltrated their conversation. Damon sensed the wolf on her which instantly made his hackles rise. "Did you say his name is Damon because I'm looking for a Damon. Damon Salvatore to be exact."

Elena was fully prepared to answer the woman when Damon reached over and quickly pinched her to keep her mouth shut.

"Ow," Elena complained and rubbed the spot.

"Sorry, don't know the guy," Damon replied and quickly bustled to the exit, Elena fast on his heels.

"Damon!"

He zoomed back over to Elena, slapping his hand over her mouth and taking hold of her arm. Briskly they walked towards his parked car. Through clenched teeth he said, "Stop screaming my name, Elena! That chick back there is a werewolf."

The brunette's eyes widened before they trailed back to the entrance of the restaurant where the woman in question stood on the sidewalk eyeing them something akin to suspicion.

"How can you tell?" Elena asked as lowly as possible.

Damon fumbled for his keys. "I can smell it on her. Keep her off my trail while I go look for your little witchy friend."

Elena looked lost and overwhelmed. "What do you expect me to do? Have small talk with her?"

"Yeah, do what you do best and talk a hole in her head. But do not, and I mean _not _tell her I'm Damon. I mean it, Elena."

"I understand you, D…"

His eyes were furious and wild which squelched what Elena was about to say. She curtly nodded her head and stomped her way back to The Grill.

And so it begins, Damon thought as he collapsed behind the wheel and gunned his engine.

* * *

><p>Bonnie entered the boardinghouse with one goal in mind. Retrieve. She had been too careless the other night, showing up unannounced all because she wanted to see Damon and thank him, but then forgot she left something vitally important behind. Something she knew she'd need in order to defeat Katherine.<p>

She disliked thinking of her impending showdown with the bitch of all whores as some comic book event-glossy images come to life in the real world. But that's how she felt and figured it was the perfect analogy to use.

Bonnie took full advantage of the fact that neither Salvatore was here and quickly went into the library to retrieve her grimoire. She hugged the book to her chest and retraced her steps, but then stopped.

And there she was. Katherine.

The vampire in question with her best friend's face turned as if she were in a pageant showing her beaded evening gown in Bonnie's direction. Her blood red lips parted revealing perfectly white teeth just seconds before her incisors lengthened to fangs.

"You just made this _too _easy for me, Bonnie. Thank you."

Bonnie snorted because she heard the sincerity in Katherine's voice. Bonnie's stomach didn't cramp and her fight or flight mechanisms were operating at their normal levels. She was ready for this, knew she could do this. All she really had to do was survive. Sounded good in theory, but Bonnie didn't have the power of a hundred witches for nothing. The days of floating feathers and lighting candles were over.

"So how would you like to do this?" Katherine asked calmly, deadly calmly. "The easy way or the hard…"

Bonnie dropped her book at the same time she thrust out her hand which sent a pulse of energy spiraling into Katherine, punching her in the gut with enough force to slam her up against the wall. Bonnie didn't give her the chance to right herself before she thrust Katherine into the staircase railing where her body splintered the wood.

The wizened vampire groaned and cricked the broken vertebrae in her spine. She glared at Bonnie and was on her feet again, flying at her.

Bonnie stretched her arms out and then made the paintings and mirrors that lined the paneled walls crash into Katherine to divert her. It didn't slow her down much and unfortunately Bonnie found herself sprawled out on the floor, Katherine's hand clamped around her neck.

"I'm going to enjoy draining you dry," she hissed.

Broken glass sliced through Bonnie's skin. She ignored the sting of it as her fingers fumbled with finding a piece large enough to use as a shank. When she found one to her liking she wasted no time jamming it in Katherine's side.

An inhumane gurgle bubble from the demented vampire's lips but she didn't release her hold on Bonnie, who in turn punched Katherine with all her might. That finally got her off of her.

Bonnie took off running and made it to the front door when she was yanked backwards by the hair and thrown across the living room. She landed in one of the padded chairs, toppling it over prior to crashing on the floor. She bit down on her tongue hard, hard enough she tasted metallic blood. Slowly Bonnie got to her feet ignoring the internal pain of her body and looked around.

Katherine was nowhere to be found.

Anger, Bonnie told herself. She needed anger to fuel her because her adrenaline was working overtime and it wouldn't help her last as long. So Bonnie took an inventory of all the shitty things Katherine had done. She came between two brothers, one of them her immortal uncle. She repeated her actions again, the effects which would trickle through the decades pitting her best friend in the middle of an ongoing feud between another pair of vampire siblings, and then of course was the biggest offense. Katherine killed and turned her best friend into the one thing Bonnie had been programmed to hate and destroy if given the chance.

Unbridled rage took over and Bonnie saw nothing but red. But she had to be smart about her next move.

Soon her ears were bombarded with the sounds of Katherine's taunting laughter. And the next thing Bonnie found herself doing was throwing herself over the back of the couch or she would have been hit with a vase that came flying out of nowhere.

"I can understand why Damon wants to bend you over the nearest flat surface. You're a tough bitch, I'll give you that much, which really comes as no surprise. You're Emily's blood."

Bonnie looked over the edge of the couch and saw Katherine perched on the second floor railing, admiring her nails.

"But Damon will never love you and I'm sure if he had to choose between who's life he'd save something tells me it would be Elena every time. He sees _me_ when he looks at her, and he loved _me_ for nearly two hundred years," Katherine boasted. "That kind of love never dies overnight, Bons. Can I call you, Bons?" she grinned prettily.

In the art of war it was always best to let your adversary think they were capable of a quick and fast victory. That way they'd let their guard down which would subsequently make them vulnerable.

Bonnie stood up and recanted a spell. Blood in copious amounts began to pour from her nose. That was the trick, to make Katherine believe she was weak and possibly near death.

Katherine stared at her with glee before she sobered. "Flimsy," she chastised. "I thought I could play with you for a little while longer but c'est la vie, I guess I don't know my own strength," she shrugged.

Inwardly, Bonnie smiled. "I don't know, Kat...do you mind if I call you Kat…I think I still have a few rounds left in me," Bonnie flew, _flew _up to Katherine who hadn't been expecting that and tackled the hoe to the ground.

* * *

><p>His mate was in trouble. That innate feeling slammed into him with the delicacy of a sledgehammer to his brain, and instantly got Damon into motion. Without question he jumped into his Ferrari, gunned the engine, speeding through town like a phantom. Damon reached out with his mind searching for Bonnie, calling her, shouting her name demanding she answer and tell him what the hell was going on. But instinct told him exactly what was going on. She was fighting for her life.<p>

His phone started wailing like a hungry child and he distractedly answered it. "If this isn't Bonnie get off my phone."

"Bonnie's in trouble," his double alerted him.

Eyes the color of charcoal reached heavenward. "Tell me something I'm not vitally aware of."

"Where are you headed?"

"To the place where I feel her the most. The boardinghouse."

Their lines disconnected at the same time and Damon pressed his foot harder on the gas.

* * *

><p>Bonnie never thought she'd experience what flying through a glass window would feel like. She knew it wouldn't feel amazing but mostly like having her skin exfoliated with needles.<p>

She didn't go through it alone. She held on tightly to Katherine like she was a Koala bear as they went careening through glass thick enough to lacerate her skin and shred her clothes. She used Katherine as a pillow and toppled over her with her full weight which had been successful in jarring the vampire for a second, leaving Bonnie enough time to get to her feet and take off running towards the woods.

Katherine spat out a wad of blood as the world around her went on a tailspin. This bitch was proving harder to kill than nuclear powered roaches. It was slow moving getting to her feet but she accomplished this in possibly a matter of seconds that felt like hours. Katherine dazedly look around, didn't spot Bonnie anywhere yet when she turned the volume up in her ears she could hear the girl running at full speed towards the surrounding forest. Katherine's high heel boots shattered the remaining glass on the ground into microscopic bits and after taking two steps she threw herself across the expansive yard to close the gap that separated her from her prey.

Bonnie ran at a breakneck speed—for her—and didn't waste time by stopping to check to see if Katherine was following after her. Sooner than expected, Bonnie felt rushing wind behind her and she said nothing but a single word.

"Incendia!"

Fire erupted along the trees, spreading, licking up the ozone in the atmosphere to make itself grow. Katherine screamed, hopped out of the way to avoid being scolded but the heat of it alone licked across her icy skin making her taste her death with each step she continued to pursue the witch.

_Bonnie? Bonnie where are you damnit?_

_Forest, _Bonnie replied simply. She couldn't carry a conversation with Damon right now despite being relieved to finally hear him. She was almost at her destination when naturally nature decided to add its two cents. Her toe stubbed against a rock and she went crashing to the ground. Her head made contact with something sharp and she felt it inject into her skin. She groaned and cried and shakily got back to her feet.

The fires continued to burn and when Bonnie chanced looking over her shoulder, in slow motion she saw Katherine barreling down on her like a pit bull. Her eyes were full of malice and promise of a slow agonizing death for Bonnie, but Bonnie had made a deal with God this morning that she wasn't going to leave behind a good-looking corpse. She was off again.

"I'm tired of chasing you!" Katherine yelled into the air. She came to a sliding stop on the forest ground, not spotting the witch. The frustrated vampire gripped her long locks and pulled. No one and she did mean NO ONE had ever eluded her like this.

Tentatively Katherine stepped forward, sampling the air as she walked. A twig snapped to her right and she headed in that direction where she saw Bonnie leaning against a tree.

"Finally you've come to your senses."

Bonnie didn't utter a single word which only served to infuriate Katherine more. She remembered her fight with the Salvatore's and had to admit she enjoyed the commentary because Damon had been colorful, Stefan had been brooding but at least they kept her entertained. Bonnie was being a mute pain in the ass and she couldn't wait to pop her head off like a cork. But her death would only be more poignant if it could happen in front of a live, studio audience.

She flashed over to Bonnie, noticed she looked extremely lethargic. Smiling bitterly, Katherine bit into her wrist and shoved it into Bonnie's mouth who squirmed. She held her in a vice-like grip refusing to give an inch. Where was that fight now? She thought smugly.

Katherine grinned when she sensed she was being surrounded and she looked deep into the woods and easily picked out Stefan, and the two Damon's. Two humans were out there as well and yes of course her vampire child.

Katherine clamped the witch's hands behind her back as she held her tightly around the throat.

"Let her go, Katherine," Stefan demanded in that negotiating voice of his.

Shielding herself behind Bonnie she forced the girl forward. "I think I'm the only one in a position to give orders here, Stefan," Katherine hissed.

"You harm her and I will rip your intestines out and shove them down your throat," dark-eyes promised.

"So violent," Katherine's eyes widened dramatically. "Please," she dismissed him.

"Oh my God, Bonnie," Elena came to a stop, mouth open.

Caroline took one look at the picture and immediately vamped out. That must have been a signal because blue-eyes and Stefan did the same.

What to do, Katherine wondered. "I was fully planning to be merciful with this one," she shook Bonnie, "but I change my mind. She's had my blood."

Elena's eyes widened. "No, Katherine, please."

Blue-eyed Damon's chest began to rise and fall rapidly because he knew Katherine was vindictive enough to go through with this.

A chorus of "NO!" rang out when Katherine did the unfathomable and twisted Bonnie's neck.

Bonnie dropped to the ground and Katherine was off again.

Katherine would give them two dilemmas: chase after her or help Bonnie. She was probably half way to freedom when her rib exploded and she was thrown sideways.

When she landed and reached for her side and felt the burn of wood, she grimaced. Someone shot her with a wooden bullet.

Alaric, who was some distance away looked into the scope on his high powered rifled preparing to fire another shot.

This time he aimed for her leg.

Katherine let out a piercing scream and then before she could recover her head was bashed into a tree.

Elena fell to the ground next to Bonnie pushing her hair out of her face, seeing that dead vacant look in her jade eyes. Tears spilled from her eyes, mucus from her nose. She could hear the vampires snarling as they all chased after Katherine.

"Oh, my God, Bonnie," she lamented over her best friend wishing she had the strength to go after Katherine herself and rip the bitch apart, but Bonnie needed her.

Damon said a litany of curse words in Italian when he spun Katherine around, wild with fury. Blue-eyes and Stefan reached him with the newborn bringing up the rear. His teeth drew back revealing frighteningly long canine teeth which he promptly dug into Katherine neck and ripped out a huge chunk of skin, muscle, and fat.

"Urghh!" spilled from Katherine mouth along with blood and her arms were thrust apart, a Salvatore brother holding each one as if they were ready to nail her on a cross and then, a fist was thrust into her chest as cold fingers wrapped around her heart.

"Give the devil my regards when you see him, you whore," dark-eyes said and pulled that vulnerable muscle out of Katherine's chest.

Her surprised eyes lost all color before her lids shut-forever.

He stepped away and allowed the others to dismember her. Woodenly Damon returned to where Bonnie lay on the ground. His black-eyes were unblinking as he fell to his knees, hands shaking as he pulled Bonnie's lifeless body towards him, propping her up in his lap. He cupped the back of her head and rocked her gently as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I'll take care of you," he vowed. "Just come back to me."

Damon stood to his feet and carried Bonnie bridal style to the house. Behind him a procession followed and once they reached the boardinghouse there was a flurry of activity.

Damon, with the blue-eyes operated on another sentient level because if he stopped and allowed his brain to process what just happened before his very eyes, he'd lose his shit.

"Put her in my room," he ordered and then headed down to the basement to get packets of blood. He swallowed the bile that flirted with the back of his tongue as he tried to get himself together. Bonnie would go through with the transition. She _had _to. That is, if Katherine had been telling the truth about feeding Bonnie her blood.

He closed his eyes at the same time he slammed the deep freezer shut. She wasn't dead, he constantly told himself. She would come back. As a vampire-yes, but she would be alive-sort of.

Damon gently laid Bonnie out on the bed and arranged her neck the best way he could. He tried to be as delicate with her as possible even while knowing in the end it wouldn't really matter. In this dimension becoming a vampire wasn't all that different from how he turned. He knew a person would have to die with vampire blood in their system and then finish the transformation by drinking from a willing or sometime's not so willing donor. But there was another way a human could become a vampire and that was constantly swapping blood with a vampire and having that vampire constantly feed from them.

Just thinking of what Katherine did to his angel made him want to kill her all over again. Damon got distracted by the dried blood coating his hand, the hand he had just plunged into Katherine's chest. He balled it into a tight fist and sneered.

Blue-eyed Damon entered his room and slapped the blood bags on the night table. He briefly flicked his eyes at his counterpart and the two of them nodded. They could put their differences aside because Bonnie would need both of them.

Elena and Caroline flanked Bonnie, each one holding her hand, silent tears rolling down their cheeks.

"Is she going to go through with it?" Caroline addressed the elephant in the room. Everyone was privy to Bonnie's views on vampirism and knew it would be next to impossible to convince her to transition. But they couldn't lose her and she couldn't be so selfish as to leave them so young, and so early in her unfinished life. They would have another fight on their hands.

"She has to," Elena said vehemently. "She can't leave us. We won't _let _her."

Stefan slipped a hand on Elena's shoulder before his eyes found his brother's only to find they were plastered to Bonnie's still frame.

This was going to be the most painful twenty-fours of their lives.

Vaguely Stefan heard the front door open and close. What now?

Chapter end.

**A/N: There's a lot I want to say about this story in general at this point, so I'm going to make this brief. My job as a writer is to put out product and let you guys make decisions for yourselves on what's happening and why. I change my mind about this story all the time but that's just the beauty of imagination. Some might be frustrated with the lack of TV Bamon vs. Book Damon and Bonnie or feel she's becoming Elena. That's certainly not the intent of this story to turn Bonnie into the new Elena. She knows who it is she wants, but TV Damon can't stay away from her, and what he says and does impacts Bonnie because lets be real she's a hot blooded female, not a robot. I implore you to enjoy the ride. I've acknowledged I can't make everyone happy with this fic and it would be frustrating on my part to try. All I want to do is tell a story. Sorry for this mini-rant but I had to get that out. And if you're wondering why Bonnie didn't use more Power to defeat Katherine, there's an explanation for that as well. But lets focus on the facts: Katherine is dead, Bonnie may or may not turn into a vampire, and Jules is sniffing around. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading! Love you!**


	26. Drunk on Love

**A/N: Ain't going to lie I fought with this chapter, kept getting writer's block and didn't know what I wanted to happen because I'm too focused on future chapters. But here is the latest and thank you for your patience.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

She was going to be the most bad-ass thing walking this planet. He would make sure of it. He would cultivate it; mold it until she was perfect. More perfect than she already was. Oh, sure she had flaws, who didn't? And maybe those flaws would take a backseat to her overall greatness. But then something else began to nag at him. Should one person really contain so much power? Would the witch side of Bonnie transition to and merge with her vampire side, and if so, would that mean total destruction for the planet since the vampire side augmented what's already inside of a person?

Damon with those cyan eyes shuddered. He could deal with a bitchy Bonnie, had done so in the past, but a bitchy Bonnie with an insatiable appetite for blood and justice, would he be strong enough to tame her? Did he want to tame her?

Damon could really mourn her mortality. He would probably miss hearing her heart beat, listening to it speed up when she was pissed or aroused. But everything else he liked her about would be more elemental, more abundant.

The jury was still out if that was a good or bad thing.

Already in Caroline's mind she was planning the rest of her and Bonnie's futures. They would truly have a lifelong friendship, and though Elena wouldn't be able to tag along, it gave the blond vampire some comfort to know she wouldn't be walking the earth alone for the rest of her life. Now all that was left to do was show Bonnie the pros of becoming a vampire. Sure she'll probably rebel in the beginning because Bonnie was prideful and stubborn, oh boy just thinking of that alone would make the next few hours a marathon of endurance for Bonnie's constant denials.

Part of Elena wanted Bonnie to transition but there was another part of her—small but there—that didn't want her to go through with it. Call it being selfish and she probably was being selfish but Elena didn't want her friend to bow and become something she knew Bonnie would have never chosen for herself. As much as she was tried of losing people she cared about, Elena didn't want to see Bonnie hate herself until she finally succumbed to old age. But she couldn't let Bonnie go either. Elena really had no idea what to do or think.

Elena's eyes left Bonnie momentarily to look at Damon with the obsidian eyes. She couldn't imagine what he might be thinking. Probably planning a life of him and Bonnie living as nomads, traveling from place to place, city to city causing mayhem everywhere they went. Sure it might seem like a charmed life to some, and maybe even slightly romantic, but in Elena's mind it was a tragedy. Pure and simple.

Constantly Damon tried to reach out with his mind to Bonnie. No matter how many times he called her in all the languages he knew, he couldn't reach her. He heard absolutely nothing. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing—he was going to take it as a bad thing. Maybe Katherine had lied about giving Bonnie blood as her way to raise their hopes only to crush them. Not much time had passed since they all stood in the woods and watched helplessly as Katherine snapped Bonnie's precious neck. He growled as the image played out in 3-D before his eyes. As soon as she was awake, and drank human blood, he'd convince Bonnie to runaway with him. She didn't need her life here in Mystic Falls. The world could become their playground.

Stefan vaguely heard the front door open. He kept his bluish-gray eyes locked on his brother wondering how Damon would convince Bonnie to finish the transition. By his watch she would probably wake up within the next fifteen to twenty minutes—maybe.

Not a single sound could be heard that was until the bedroom door creaked open. Stefan shifted and his eyes narrowed on the man who stood there looking cool and indifferent, a hand stuck in the pocket of his starched trousers.

"What happened?" the newcomer asked.

Everyone turned their attention to Elijah who hovered in the doorway. Elijah's dark brown eyes looked at every single person in the room, gauging their response, waiting for the inevitable explosion that was sure to follow.

Blue-eyed Damon rolled his eyes and focused his attention back on Bonnie.

Dark-eyes sneered at him but otherwise remained mute. He figured either the blond or the brunette would fill him in on what happened, on what his carelessness allowed to transpire. Where was a white oak stake when he needed one?

Caroline waved a wild hand in Bonnie's direction. "What does it _look _like happened? You let Katherine get away and the bitch forced fed Bonnie her blood and snapped her neck. And we're left to basically force feed her human blood so she can complete the transition and she'll hate us forever because of it. Does that answer your stupid ass question?"

Elijah didn't flinch; he didn't even seem remorseful about the turn of events. "I take it Katerina is dead?"

Caroline snorted and looked away.

Elena answered blandly. "She's dead."

Stefan could give the man props for giving off nothing in terms of his emotions or the fact his niece was just a moment away from waking up to realize she was one step away from becoming the thing she hated.

Elijah took a few more steps into the room. "I need to deal with the body," his eyes stared pointedly at Bonnie so there'd be no mistake in who he was talking about.

"What do you mean 'deal' with the body?" Elena snapped. "This is Bonnie!"

Now that really pissed dark-eyes off. Before he could even question the intelligence of his actions, he rushed over and jacked Elijah by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him forward until they were nose-to-nose.

"Give me one good reason not to rip you to pieces?"

With a simple shove, Elijah could force Damon through a wall, but he didn't go that route, instead taking the high road. The road of a gentleman. He would allow him this one infarction, but he would not be lenient in the future.

"I can give you several reasons not to follow through with your plan," Elijah replied smoothly. "But I'm on a strict time table and you're holding me up."

"You're not taking Bonnie anywhere," Stefan intervened. "You might call yourself her uncle but _we're _her family."

At this Elijah's patience was wearing thin. "Move," he carefully enunciated the word.

Dark-eyes shook his head in the negative.

"Damon, let him go."

The vampire in question stiffened.

All eyes flew to the bed only to realize that Bonnie's eyes were still closed before they backtracked to the door of the bedroom.

A booted heel took one step to maneuver around Elijah and Damon who were still in a gridlock with each other. Caroline and Elena shot up from the bed, eyes blinking rapidly, mouth's open in disbelief.

Blue-eyed Damon was simply a frozen sculpture as he kept his eyes on the lithe body that just casually strolled into his bedroom like nothing was going on.

Stefan's eyes zipped all over the place as his mouth opened and closed several times trying to find the words to describe or explain what he was seeing.

Slowly dark-eyed Damon released his hold on Elijah and took a step away from the old vampire. His brow furrowed in deep confusion before a look of fury overtook his face.

"Are you a ghost?" was the first thing Caroline blurted.

Bonnie's green eyes sparkled with humor. "No, I'm not a ghost. It's really me."

Everyone began talking at once.

... "What the actual fu-,?"…

… "Someone please explain to me what's going on before my head pops off"…

… "Do you have any idea of the emotional crap you just put us through and your ass has the _nerve _to be alive?"…

… "Wait? What?"…

… "I'm going to murder you, Bonnie!"…

That last proclamation caught Bonnie's attention. She stared at Elena who approached her and roughly pulled Bonnie into a bone crushing hug. Bonnie wrapped her arms around her friend and held her just as tightly and felt her nose tingle when she felt Elena trembling uncontrollably.

When the two girls pulled away Bonnie was thrust into another pair of arms. Caroline nearly snapped her spine in half. Stefan, surprisingly kissed her full on the mouth before hugging her. Bonnie had to shake her head to clear it because it was totally unexpected. Alaric looked like he wanted to keel over with a bottle of whiskey, and her boyfriend…

Bonnie stood before him searching his midnight eyes. Wordlessly he pulled her forward and fused his lips with hers becoming familiar with her taste and the little sounds of pleasure that emitted from her mouth that he happily gobbled up. That still didn't mean he didn't want to wring her neck—of course he did—but he would take this reprieve and run with it.

Bonnie cupped his face. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you what was going on."

Damon kissed the palm of her hand. "I know you have a damn good explanation for putting me through hell for the last ten minutes," he scrubbed hand roughly over his face. He hesitated and then stepped aside so she could have a reunion with the vampire with the blue-eyes.

In Damon's mind time slowed to a stop and it was just him and Bonnie in the room. He merely held out his hand and closed his fist around Bonnie's tiny appendage.

"Glad you're not dead," Damon said calmly, a little too calmly because Bonnie fully expected him to be the main one to hit the roof.

"I'm glad I'm not dead either," she concurred.

Bonnie was fully prepared to slip her hand out of his when Damon tugged her until her body crashed into his. Damon wrapped one arm across her shoulders and kissed her temple. He dipped his head to whisper in her ear.

"You do this shit to me again and I _will _finish what I started in the woods six months ago."

His harshly spoken words made Bonnie shiver before she subtracted herself from his embrace. Bonnie headed over to the bed, staring down at the body that had her face.

"Okay," Caroline said, "if you're _you _then what the hell is that?" she pointed at the body on the bed.

Bonnie bit a corner of her lip and stared apologetically at blue-eyed Damon. "A cadaver."

"Gross," Caroline shrieked and headed to the bathroom to scrub her hands raw. Elena followed closely behind.

"So wait," Stefan chortled, "the whole time the cadaver was in the woods with Katherine? Was that also responsible for the destruction to the house?"

"Oh, no _I _wiped the floor with Katherine's ass," both Damon's chuckled in appreciation. "But I had to do a switcher-roo in the woods," Bonnie waved a hand over the entire length of the body to reveal the true identity of the person.

Blue-eyed Damon was familiar with dead bodies and could tell the person who was Bonnie's stand-in, had been dead no more than a few days.

"Necromancy would have been involved to get that corpse to behave like a reanimated object," dark-eyes deduced.

"Lucy!" Elijah called and the statuesque witch entered the room, carrying a crisp white swaddling cloth.

"Necromancy and a glamour spell," Lucy tacked on as she walked to the other side of the bed. The others stood by and watched as she and Bonnie wrapped up the body.

Two other people, more than likely hired hands of Elijah's walked into the room to remove the body. With it gone, Bonnie stripped Damon's bed.

Stefan turned to Elijah. "You were in on this the whole time?"

The original vampire nodded his head. "Certain insurances needed to be put in place in order to trick Katerina into thinking she had won."

Bonnie interrupted. "I figured Katherine would either try to kill me or turn me into a vampire, so there was no other option than to make her think she had succeeded. And in order for things to work, I needed you all to think the same just in the event Katherine got away."

"And if your plan had failed?" dark-eyes said on a low growl.

"Then Bonnie would have gone into seclusion at my compound until we were able to apprehend Katherine," Elijah supplied.

"Look," Bonnie made eye contact with everyone in the room. "I know the situation and circumstances surrounding what happened wasn't ideal but it was the best plan we could come up with on such short notice. I couldn't tell a soul what was going on because we had to make things as believable as possible. I hated keeping this from you but it needed to be done."

Caroline and Elena reentered the bedroom after repeatedly washing their hands and arms.

"This settles everything," Elijah concluded. "Katherine is dead, many thanks, and my niece remains the most powerful witch on the eastern seaboard."

"I wouldn't say all that," Bonnie blushed—feeling humble.

Elijah looked at the Salvatore siblings. "Where are Katerina's remains?"

"Sprinkled like confetti on the west end of the property," Damon answered with a wild grin on his face.

The older vampire curtly nodded his head and then everyone began shifting out of Damon's bedroom.

Downstairs, Elijah opened the front door. Bonnie joined him. He cupped her cheek before kissing her forehead.

"I won't take so long in the future to check up on you," he promised. "Is the moonstone safe?"

Bonnie nodded. She wouldn't give up the details of its location not even to him.

"Good. I'll have my men collect what's left of Katherine."

"Don't bother," Stefan told him. "We'll burn what's left. Sorry but I just don't trust you with Katherine, not even with her severed head."

At that Elijah could do nothing but chuckle and nod in agreement. "So be it. Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you all. Bonnie…until next time."

Lucy approached Bonnie next. The two women awkwardly hugged one another. They were family, at least the way Lucy explained being a second or third cousin to her. Bonnie still had so many questions she wanted to ask her older cousin but knew right now wasn't the right time.

"I'll be around in the future, probably," Lucy hedged. "If anything else comes up, you know how to reach me."

"Thank you, Lucy," Bonnie flashed a smile. She didn't move from her spot until the taillights of the luxury vehicle Elijah climbed into left followed by Lucy's American model machine.

Closing the door of the boardinghouse, Bonnie faced the firing squad.

The lower portion of the house was a mess. "I'm sorry, you guys," she apologized for what felt like the millionth time today. "I should help you clean this up."

Damon waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Don't worry about it."

"No, I should. It'll only take me a second," Bonnie closed her eyes and started channeling her energy. Everyone watched in astonishment as the broken glass began to seal itself back together. Overturned furniture was righted, every and anything that was broken became whole again until there wasn't a shard left on the floor.

Moments later Bonnie opened her eyes and inspected her own handiwork. Pleased with the outcome she finally took a seat. It felt like she hadn't sat down in hours. This action prompted everyone else to do the same.

Damon sat down beside her, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. Bonnie placed her head on his shoulder. As happy as he was that she was unharmed and was fine, there was still that tiny part of him that wished she was going through the transition right now to ensure they would be together for all eternity.

_How soon can we be alone? _He asked.

_Very soon. _Bonnie replied.

She knew how things would go from this moment forward. Stefan and Elena would want to dissect and analyzed everything that happened. Bonnie could easily weasel her way out of this by pretending to be exhausted but she had way too much energy for that.

But her eyes fluttered closed and Damon suppressed his knowing grin. "I think the night has finally caught up with Bonnie or either she's playing possum. In any case, I should take her home and properly discipline her for playing us."

"Hey," Bonnie opened her eyes. "The only person who got played was Katherine, and she's dead. Yea! We won and that was the whole point of tonight. But you're right, the night has caught up with me."

Blue-eyed Damon narrowed his eye as he looked over Bonnie. She didn't appear to be tired at all.

Caroline didn't want to let Bonnie out of her sight. "I think I'm entitled to a sleepover tonight," she put in her two cents. "You don't fake your death in front of your two best friends and think we're just going to let you getaway with that."

Inwardly, Bonnie sighed. It appeared everyone wanted to put her on lockdown. She rose to her feet. "We have years to have many sleepovers, but I seriously need to go home and crash. If I go home with you, I know you, Care you'll keep me up all night."

The blond sighed in defeat knowing Bonnie was right. Whenever they had sleepovers, Caroline wasn't sure what it was but she became a chatterbox and couldn't stop talking.

"All right," Caroline pouted and drew Bonnie into another hug. "I'll let you off the hook this time. But you're all mine this weekend."

"Deal," Bonnie smile and then hugged Elena good night, and waved at Stefan and Damon who winked at her.

Before she walked through the door Bonnie purposely opened her mind to listen to Damon's thoughts.

_Be glad you have a boyfriend because otherwise you'd be in my bed tonight. Where you belong._

Bonnie shut the door to his thoughts. Why did she think he would be thinking about blood bags or something along those lines?

* * *

><p><strong>Bennett Residence<strong>

Nothing really scared Damon. It was kind of difficult to be terrified of anything when you walked the planet for over five hundred years, and actually took the fight to the things that go bump in the night rather than cowering away. There had never been a cowardly bone in his immortal body, not even when he was human, but tonight—the thought of losing Bonnie for any length of time—terrified him.

She sat on the bed not that far from him as he took his time lighting candles. He really was stalling because a mood didn't need to be set. Anytime he was alone with her he cherished the moment, counted his blessings because all of this could be a dream which might end abruptly at any moment. The words he spoke to Caroline when he took her hunting came back to him. The beauty of human life wasn't because they had life to begin with, but that anything could take them out at any given time. Life was fleeting. He learned that lesson when he thought he witnessed Katherine snapping Bonnie's neck.

It was a harsh wake up call. Bonnie was a powerful witch but she was still human. And even he was guilty of overlooking that one startling fact.

Bonnie shucked her boots off, followed by her knee-high socks and pulled her top over her head. She could tell that Damon was preoccupied by other thoughts. If she wanted to, she could easily tap into his mind and see for herself what he was thinking, but they had a rule, no prying unless an invitation was offered.

Damon blew out the match and started unbuttoning his shirt. He wondered idly why he was taking his time when he knew he could have had the both of them naked and writhing on the bed in seconds. He needed this moment to be drawn out for lots of reasons, but the biggest one being he just wanted to enjoy it. He wanted to see the myriad of emotions gloss over Bonnie's face. He wanted to hear her heart flutter in her chest when he touched her. He wanted to feel her fingernails claw his skin as he pleased her in ways she was told were forbidden for a girl her age to experience and take pleasure in.

His shirt joined hers on the floor and Damon's hand dropped to his belt.

Bonnie kept her eyes locked on his which were half-lidded with desire and something else. Something feral was in that gaze of Damon's that under much different circumstances probably would have had her putting the brakes on tonight. She wasn't the type of person to use passion to cover up insecurities. Bonnie didn't need to have sex or make that physical connection with someone to feel safe. She could take care of herself.

Tonight she decided wasn't about her. It would be about Damon.

His pants dropped to the floor and Damon kicked them away. Bonnie stood to her feet to work her jeans off her short, toned, caramel legs. Damon tilted her chin up with his index finger and searched her face for something. He flashed his cinematic smile just prior to sealing his mouth over hers.

Damon picked her up under her knees causing her legs to wrap around his waist. They fell backwards on the bed, bouncing against it. Damon stopped kissing Bonnie, the call of her blood flowing through her carotid artery too strong for even a seasoned and disciplined vampire such as himself to ignore. His cold fingers brushed her thick hair aside as he peppered her neck with teasing kisses that had Bonnie clutching him between her thighs.

"Please, Bonnie," came his simple yet loaded request. Bonnie didn't like him drinking her blood and he could understand her aversion to it, however, he was irritated by it. He had proven to her over and over again that he knew when to stop and that he could make it as pleasurable as eating her out, but she still shied away whenever he lingered around her neck for too long.

Deep inside Bonnie wanted him to drink, but call it her intuition she knew if she opened up this Pandora's Box it would be next to impossible to shut it again. But she wanted to show Damon she trusted him. She trusted him with her life and she trusted him with something else.

Infinitesimally she nodded her ascent. Damon's fangs burst from his gums, which had been throbbing, maddeningly so. His fingers twisted in her hair, not painfully, but enough to where he tilted her head at the right angle.

Bonnie pierced her eyes closed at the same time she felt the sharp sting of fangs breaking through her skin. Damon moaned low and guttural in his throat as her white-hot blood flooded his mouth and gushed down his esophagus. Sweet Lord above her blood was amazing. Rocket fuel is what he could compare the headiness of her blood to others he had tasted in the past. Everything within Damon came alive; his heart which beat very, very lowly was now pounding demandingly behind his ribcage. Her sweet, hot blood coursed through his capillaries and venules, filling him completely until he was fully, completely erect and painfully hard.

Bonnie wiggled on the bed and against his chest. Damon switched their positions to where he was sitting and Bonnie was straddling him. He disconnected for a moment before burying his fangs in her again, sucking, pulling, and dragging her succulent blood into his body.

He wanted her to bite him and return the favor and he also wanted to be buried to the hilt in Bonnie. Unfortunately she still wore her lace panties which the seat of them were soaked and wetting his leg. Bonnie ran her nails through his hair, and down his neck. When her eyes opened neither one of them could see that her eyes changed colors like a mood ring. They turned from green, to deep violet, to sky blue, before darkening to black. Bonnie opened her jaw just a little wider and pressed down on Damon's neck. He didn't jump but jerked a bit and felt Bonnie taking his blood.

It only vaguely occurred to him she didn't have fangs to do this, and her human teeth weren't supposed to be sharp enough to penetrate vampire skin. But somehow, someway, Bonnie was drinking from him like a vampire, and together they fed.

Bonnie was tumbling. Falling, falling, falling until her feet landed on hard ground. She could see nothing save a sliver of light that shone overhead like a spotlight focused on a single actor. She took a curious step, wondered where she was, but then paused when she saw a little boy, sitting on the floor chained to a humongous rock.

"Hello?" she said tentatively and softly but the acoustics of the place made her voice reverberate as if she had screamed.

The little boy quickly lifted his head and rose to his feet, the chains clanging with his movements. Bonnie's eyes searched his face. She didn't recognize him but there was something eerily familiar about him.

"Hi," she said and offered him a comforting smile.

The boy looked nervous as he clung to the rock as if he were either protecting it or trying to get it to protect him. As Bonnie looked at it distractedly for a second she noticed there were cracks in the rock, but they weren't large or deep enough for her to see what was inside.

"How did you get here?" the boy asked.

Bonnie's malachite eyes fell back to the boy. "I'm not sure. What's your name, sweetheart?"

The boy scratched at the skin on his wrist that was surrounded by nothing but iron. "Damon."

Startled wouldn't even come close to describing how Bonnie felt. "You're name is Damon?"

The boy slowly nodded his head.

"Who did this to you?" Bonnie demanded feeling her own injustice for the boy rise.

"He'll get mad if I tell you."

Bonnie approached the boy but he gasped and pressed his little body deeper against the rock. Bonnie pulled up short but to accommodate him she fell to her haunches, putting her at eye-level. When Damon chanced looking in her eyes beneath long, beautiful lashes she gasped again because she stared into those fathomless orbs nearly everyday.

So this was "child-Damon"? What was he doing here? And why was he chained to this rock? Was he being punished for something? And if so, who had handed down the punishment?

"I'm not here to hurt you, Damon. My name is Bonnie."

"I know who you are," Damon admitted. "He thinks about you a lot."

Confusion marred Bonnie's face. "I'm sorry, sweetie but I'm confused. Who are you talking about?"

Damon ignored her question as a faraway look overtook his face. "There was another girl who used to come and visit me. She had hair like what I think the sun would look like, and she had electric eyes. She held me when…when…I died I supposed. But I'm back. But I'm still here."

Bonnie shook her head to clear out some of the confusion. "What was the girl's name?"

"Elena."

Oh, Bonnie thought. So I must be deep in Damon's mind. How much of his blood did I drink to get here?

Bonnie stretched out a hand towards Damon. "I'm going to find a way to get you out."

Damon began to furiously shake his head. "I can't leave!" he cried hysterically. "He doesn't want me to."

"But you can't stay here," Bonnie fired back. "You're just a child."

"You should go before he comes."

Bonnie rose to her feet feeling outraged and impotent. She focused on the chains using everything in her arsenal to break them, but her magic didn't work here.

Damon stared at her strangely. "Please, go."

"I can't leave you here, Damon."

"I can't leave," he reiterated. "It's my job to keep his secrets locked away. If I leave, who will do it?"

Bonnie sighed heavily. What kind of a person would sentence a child—even a figurative child to a life of being chained to a rock full of secrets?

Against her will Bonnie felt herself being pulled away from Damon. She wanted stay and talk to him, get to know him, but the call back to reality was stronger.

On her side of the spectrum, Bonnie disengaged her teeth from Damon's neck. Reluctantly she opened her eyes and her sight was overwhelmed with eyes the color of coal on a face too handsome to be real.

Bonnie wiped a sliver of blood from the corner of his mouth. She felt heavier and lighter in equal measure, and she didn't fully understand what just happened. She could chuck it up as having an outer body experience, or maybe it was a projected image Damon wanted her to see. In any case, Bonnie felt her heart swell and burst as she stared deep into his eyes. She had never felt closer to another living thing in her entire life.

"I love you…Damon," spilled from her lips like sap coursing down a tree.

His eyes darkened if that were possible and Damon nipped her lip. "You mean it? You love me?"

Hearing the uncertainty in his voice made her smile. "Yes," Bonnie ran her fingers through his hair and held him just a little tighter. "I love you and I don't want you to leave."

That cinematic, charismatic smile was back on his face pulling her under, drowning her. "Then I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>Caroline could really curse her luck sometimes. At first she thought it was rad being an only child until she realized that she would be the sole one being punished if something mysteriously got missing or was broken in the Forbes' household. That's why she adopted Elena and Bonnie as her sisters and without fail held a sleepover at her house every single weekend. From the moment they met back in first grade they bonded quickly and solidified their friendship over their joint love of music and Keanu Reeves.<p>

Now they were in their late teens still thick as thieves and willing to do anything for each other. That's why Caroline grumbled and cursed because Bonnie had asked her to help Tyler. Now here she was ruining her new Steven Madden boots, traipsing through the mud to bring Tyler a fresh change of clothes, food and water.

"Tyler," she called so he wouldn't go all psycho-killer on her just in the event the lingering effects of hunt, search, and destroy were still buzzing through his thoughts.

She heard him moving around in the cold, decrepit cellar or whatever it was supposed to be. Caroline bit her lip as she walked down the steps. The appalling stench of wild animal slapped her in the face making Caroline want to bolt in the other direction, but she cut off her sense of smell and soldiered on.

Once she was down in the old slave quarters she searched for Tyler and caught movement in the far right corner. The egotistical jock was clinging to the wall like a child afraid of the dark and Caroline felt something within herself melting towards the newly turned werewolf.

"I brought you a change of clothes. Food and water," Caroline sat down the items and stepped away. She was fully prepared to leave, but remained rooted to her spot when Tyler slithered out of the shadows.

His clothes from the night before were tattered and shredded. He looked like an extra from Michael Jackson's Thriller video. His black, cropped hair stuck out around his head and his obsidian eyes looked far more animated than what Caroline had been expecting. She gulped nervously and wondered if Tyler was all back or if there was still some part of him that remained wolf.

"Thanks," he said hoarsely and reached for the clothes. He grabbed the bottle of water and drank it all in one swallow and then ate the turkey sandwich Caroline prepared in two bites.

Caroline swung her arms back and forth not really sure what appropriate conversation would be. She had to abandon him when Elena called her frantic and hysterical that something was going on with Bonnie. Surely Bonnie would understand that her life and well-being was a little more important to Caroline than sticking around to see Tyler turn into a he-monster.

Tyler for his part felt embarrassed and pissed. He hated being vulnerable and having to rely on someone's pity to help him out. Caroline had shown up on his doorstep saying she wanted to help him resist transforming into a werewolf after "showing" him she had a supernatural secret of her own. That didn't mean he wanted her anywhere near him, nor did it mean he trusted her. Tyler was sure he never said one nice thing about Caroline his entire life, but there she was seemingly out of the blue willing to risk her life to help him.

He was grateful by her presence as well as irritated by it. "You can leave," he deadpanned and stripped what was left of his shirt off.

Caroline's eyes widened in appreciation. Tyler might be a douche but the boy had body for days. He quickly threw on the fresh, clean t-shirt and then flicked his eyes at Caroline as he lowered his ruined cargo pants.

She remained rooted to her spot. One of the perks of being a vampire meant she wasn't bashful about certain things like nudity. If Caroline was just typical _human _Caroline she probably would have thrown a fit that Tyler would presume to get undressed in front of her like she wanted to see him naked. But this new and improved Caroline didn't shy away from the male physique, and actually had a renewed love for it.

Tyler ruefully shook his head as he thrust his legs into the jeans Caroline confiscated from his room. He zipped the fly and buttoned them all with maintaining eye contact with her.

"Enjoyed the peepshow?" he asked and collected his clothes and trash and stuffed everything into the duffle bag he brought with him.

Caroline snorted and folded her arms over her ample chest. "I've seen better."

"I'll bet."

The two faced each other again. "How do you feel?" Caroline broke down and asked.

Tyler shrugged and shouldered the bag. "I'm glad it's over. It was the most excruciating thing I've ever had to go through," he shook his head. "I'm glad to be alive."

"You're strong, Tyler," Caroline confessed. "You have a strong heart and something tells me that's what you'll need in order to make it through this."

The werewolf pup nodded his head and then waved his hand for Caroline to proceed him out of the underground dwelling.

Once they were above ground, the awkwardness continued to grow between them. "Well," Caroline said cheerily, "I'm glad I could be of service."

"Are you planning on sticking around every full moon for the rest of your life to make sure I don't eat anyone?"

Caroline's face blanched at the thought of being sentence to doing this for life. "I don't think so. Look, I know we've never gotten along and have absolutely no reason to trust one another, but you're someone I've know my entire life, and well, you needed someone with you whether you want to admit that or not. I'm just glad I could be of assistance. So…I'll see you later, Ty."

He inclined his head and watched Caroline walk through the trees. "Caroline!"

She spun around to face him, her blond hair swishing against her neck.

"Tell Bonnie I said she's slick."

Caroline beamed and winked at Tyler. Was this the beginning of a F-ed up relationship?

* * *

><p>Mystic Grill was unusually packed tonight. Damon hoped it would provide him with the cover he needed. He knew the she-wolf was around, asking questions about him, probing any and everyone for information on his whereabouts. So far he had been able to elude her, but Damon was sure his luck was running out.<p>

He sat next to Alaric as the two of them tossed back shots and occasionally crowd surfed. Damon looked over his shoulder and grimaced as he watched Stefan try to help Elena improve her darts game. They were so wholesome and domestic it made his stomach gaseous.

Damon turned back around. He checked his pocket to make sure he still had the wolfsbane the only weapon he had against werewolves at the moment.

"Do you think she'll show?" Alaric asked over the cacophony of the room.

"Probably. And when she does," he took the plant out of his pocket to show it to Rick, "I won't hesitate to offer her something to eat."

The history teacher held the neck of his beer bottle between two fingers and stared at Damon. "You really do enjoy living on the edge don't you? That chick-,"

"Jules," Damon supplied him with a name. He was able to learn that from Carol Lockwood who had contacted Damon when Jules showed up asking questions about Mason.

"She doesn't seem the type to be satisfied with slapping you around for a bit. Seriously, Damon aren't you tired of the significant others of the people you kill coming after you?" Alaric had lowered his voice when a few deputies strolled past.

Damon snorted and picked up another shot glass. "I blame you for this lot I've seem to draw."

Rick stared at him aghast. "How are you blaming _me _for this?"

"Wasn't that your motive in coming here? To take out the vampire that killed your wife?"

That gave Rick pause and he hunched a shoulder. "I don't think we're drunk enough for this conversation."

Damon chortled and then stiffened. He felt some crushing pressure beat against his back, something of which he had never felt before. He swiveled on the stool looking at the entrance and his eyes widened when he saw Bonnie and her dark-eyed devil of a boyfriend come strolling into the establishment.

Whatever surrounded them was strong and beaming like a sonar wave as it fanned out to all corners of the restaurant. Damon covertly looked around and noticed he wasn't the only person to feel the change in the atmosphere. People inclined their heads, craned their necks, trying to sniff out what was coming, what was approaching. Damon couldn't keep his eyes off the both of them—which was odd—but typically it was always the female that drew and held his attention.

Bonnie and Damon in this moment personified the term "power" couple because that's all he felt wafting off them combined. Bonnie's skin was luminescent as if she had kissed an angel and Damon from Fell's Church, looked uber-smug and ridiculously comfortable in his skin.

"Gotdamn," Rick whispered.

Damon sharply looked at his drinking companion. He didn't appreciate the way his eyes were drinking in Bonnie.

"Do I need to report you to the school board for having inappropriate thoughts about a student?" Damon barked.

That seemed to knock some sense into Alaric's head as he diverted his eyes with some difficulty.

Damon's electric blue eyes tracked Bonnie as she made her way over to Elena. The two girls embraced and the minute they pulled away, Bonnie blindly linked her fingers with Damon's.

"You got incoming," Rick told Damon.

The vampire shifted his attention and saw Jules barreling down on him. Damon remained in his seat. This should be amusing.

"We're going to step outside for a minute," Elena told Stefan. She then wrapped her arm around Bonnie and tugged her out of the restaurant and didn't stop walking until they reached the grassy knoll where a few couples were spread out on blankets, star gazing.

"What?" Bonnie asked shyly.

Elena pushed her shoulder. "Don't what me. What's going on with _you_? Seriously you're broadcasting your happy waves and I'm finding it difficult to remain on my feet. I'm guessing you had a _very_ good night with Damon."

Bonnie tried to keep the smile off her face but it was next to impossible and she gave up trying. "I did. Elena…I don't know why I was fighting him for so long. Fighting the way I was feeling, but something's happened and I finally told him that I love him."

Elena squealed in delight and threw her arms around Bonnie. "You are just on a roll this week. Beating up Katherine, conquering your fear of love," she drew out the word to which Bonnie rolled her eyes. "What's next?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know but whatever it is…I can't wait."

Back inside The Grill, Matt was doing his best to keep the customers happy. Tonight he was doing double duty being a waiter and bus boy. All of his friends seemed to be in attendance and for once he wished he could join them in being young and having no more responsibility than taking out the trash and washing his car, but Matt was all he had and he did what he had to, to support himself.

He saw Stefan and Damon—the cousin from Italy—near the dart boards engaged in a fierce battle that might end up with punches being thrown.

Near the bar he spotted Mr. Saltzman as he tried to blend into the wall while Damon tried to mack on a woman that was new to town.

Caroline was there being her usual social butterfly self yet she shared a look with Tyler who just walked past her on his way to the pool tables that had Matt pulling up short. Those two never looked at one another for any reason.

Bonnie and Elena just walked back into the place, laughing, blushing, and giggling like the girls they were. Matt sighed and cleared off his latest table before disappearing in the back again.

"Why don't we take this to the dance floor," Damon eyed Jules making sure his orbs smoldered at the right temperature. Jules didn't look amused or impressed but did take Damon's outstretched hand.

He led them to the packed floor, swung around, and pulled Jules as close to him as he could stand. There was something slightly revolting being this close to her. She was his enemy and he was working overtime to keep the sneer off his face.

Jules for her part looked just as disgusted to have to hold court with him. But she needed answers, and Damon had been playing Houdini with her long enough. He knew something about Mason, or perhaps was responsible for Mason disappearing off the face of the planet. All she had been able to gather from Carol Lockwood was that Mason sent her a text about returning to Florida. Apparently that hadn't happened as she had been waiting for Mason to return home.

So where was he? And more importantly, who was it that called and told Jules that Mason was dead and to ask to speak with some guy named Damon Salvatore? No matter how long it took, she'd get to the bottom of it.

Damon held her tight around the waist. They did a semi-sensual two step.

"Why did you lie about being Damon Salvatore?" Jules asked point-blank.

He hunched a shoulder and dragged his celestial blues over her body. Jules sighed impatiently. "I have warrants," he smiled. "I had to make sure you weren't 5-0."

Jules snorted derisively. "Cut the playboy act because I'm not interested in sucking your dick."

Damon's dark eyebrows flew into his hairline.

Jules tightened her hold on Damon's hand causing him to wince a tiny bit. She drew him closer so she could whisper in his ear. "I smell what you are, vampire. And guess what, there's a full moon tonight, and the night after that. If you don't produce Mason…well I'm sure you can figure out what I'll do next."

Damon spun Jules out and nearly pulled her arm out of its socket when he tugged her back to him. All humor fled his face and voice. "Threatening me will be a _very_ big mistake on your part, little girl. You want to know what happened to Mason? I'll be sure to grant you a backstage pass to find out and ask him yourself."

When he spun Jules out again and she stopped her momentum, Damon was gone.

* * *

><p>The sleek black Mercedes came to a stop on the tarmac. The back passenger door swung open and a polished dress shoe stepped out followed by the other. Elijah looked around the airstrip while buttoning up his blazer. Waiting next to his private jet was a business part of sorts.<p>

"Jonas," Elijah greeted the distinguished middle-aged African American man.

"Elijah," Jonas replied just as succinctly, without a hint of emotion or sentiment.

The ancient vampire sized up his counterpart. "I've been assured the moonstone is safe. Have you made any progress on locating my family?"

Jonas lowered his eyes behind his frameless glasses. "I've been working non-stop. Your brother must have a witch working on his side to keep the location of your family well guarded. A simple locator spell has been rendered useless, but I will keep trying. I give you my word."

Elijah sighed—tiredly. "I know you will. When does Luka start school?"

"Monday," Jonas replied. "And he knows what he has to do. Keep an eye on Bonnie and make sure she doesn't go snooping."

"Good. I can't afford to have Niklaus looking to rehash old wounds. Knowing him he's probably already making his way here."

"And we'll be ready if that happens," Jonas said with certainty.

Elijah nodded his head in approval and clapped Jonas on the shoulder prior to boarding his plane.

Jonas walked back to his parked Range Rover and climbed behind the wheel. He shifted his eyes to his son.

"He doesn't suspect anything, does he?" Luka asked.

Jonas held up a finger to his lips to silence his son and then tapped his ear. Luka got the message that Elijah could probably hear them even over the roar of the plane's engines. He didn't speak again until the plane gunned its way down the tarmac.

"What he doesn't know will probably kill him," Jonas said with lethal cockiness. He threw his truck into drive and headed towards his new home, Mystic Falls.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Love you guys!**


	27. Night of the Wolf

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. My sister had a baby so updates for this will probably not be as frequent as before as I will be helping her. Just to clear up something, my battle with story had nothing to do with possibly feeling self-conscious, not knowing what category to list this story in, or being confused about who should be endgame, I was just irritated. But that's in the past now. Here is the latest, and thanks to EVERYONE for your continued support. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Being me is not the easiest thing in the world. I put my pants on the same way everyone else does. I just happen to be a little more special than my peers. Does that make me better than anyone else—not by a long shot. Do I take situations in my life seriously? Well, I kind of don't have a choice about that. Some days I feel like the blind lady of justice only my eyes are wide open and I see everything. I even see things before they happen.

I know what's coming next. There's a darkness that would like nothing more than to consume the world. Being a servant of something that has been in existence since the inception of the world, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to battling this thing. Please note the sarcasm. I do have a sense of humor.

A girl my age should only really be focused on three things: family, school, and her social circle. The lines in my life have been blurred for an inordinate amount of time, and it's taking me longer to sort everything out so that means things are constantly being rearranged in the matter of importance.

For example, I always like to start by examining my friendships. I have exactly two best friends. You've met them, gotten to know them and I hope you love them as much as I do. If not, well I can't exactly change your opinion about them. They have their strengths and weaknesses, their flaws, and insecurities, but they are _good _girls whose lives have been derailed for either being supernatural or being forced into the supernatural arena.

But they are my glue, what I use to keep me centered in this crazy, messed up world I call home. And without them I would feel as if a part of me would be missing.

My family is another matter altogether. I have my father—when he's in town that is—but I can't say that he and I have ever been remotely close. He doesn't know what I see when I look at him. I see a man who wishes that so many things in his life could be different. Am I trying to say that he wishes I weren't his daughter, that he wasn't born to my grandmother? That is a strong possibility. But he sees me as his moral obligation, as his cross to bear. Doesn't exactly make a girl feel good about herself, that's for sure, but I've learned to tolerate him just as much as he's learned to tolerate me.

Next up is my social circle. I should really rephrase that and say my personal life. *Le sigh* Before, it had been this...notice the silence? I sure as hell did. But I must commend myself for not making a big deal about not really having a boyfriend, of not having that pillar of muscles and bravado to run to, to complain to when things in my life got sticky and out of control.

Now, that isn't the case. There is someone in my life, someone I'm learning more about each and every day, and he is…unconventional. Yep, that's the best way to classify him at this point. I won't go through an entire litany of reasons for why I've decided to be with him. Why I selected him as the one I want to spend every waking moment with. If you could see him through my eyes you'd understand, and perhaps not even then because I barely understand it myself. But he is here, in my life, and when I'm with him the law of physics and gravity no longer apply. When we're alone, and it's just the two of us, we fly.

The Bonnie Diaries

"I think we should start a new tradition."

The voice that spoke those words made Bonnie shoot up from the floor as she hastily pushed her hair out of the way. She had been on the hunt for the missing pair to her favorite ankle boot. Standing just under the threshold of her bedroom was her father Thomas Bennett. He was dressed like Bill Cosby, wearing a wildly patterned sweater, khakis, and sensible brown loafers. Thomas had a young face but it was the gray hairs attacking his temples that gave away his age. His physique was still trim enough to garner looks from women twenty-eight years old and older, but his eyes, those hazel eyes of his were enough to make Bonnie feel like she had done something wrong.

She stared at her father strangely. In all honestly Bonnie had forgotten that he was home. Usually he kept to himself, only commenting when Bonnie brought up school or something that happened on the news. Thomas never went out of his way to start a conversation with her, unless it was to ask her to run an errand, which thankfully hadn't been all that often.

Nevertheless she stared at her dad with the same hesitant expectancy of a young child wondering if they were about to be praised or yelled at for something.

"What?" Bonnie asked when the silence stretched.

"I'm cutting back on my traveling starting next month and I was thinking we could do Sunday brunch."

Confusion marred Bonnie's face. "That's…great." She frowned because the words sounded so clinical and formal to her ears. "Not to sound rude or ungrateful but why do you want to start a new tradition?"

Thomas sighed as he took off his glasses and cleaned them. The last time he was in her room he had destroyed it because Bonnie's grades had taken a dramatic nosedive and he wanted to find out the reason behind it. Thomas hadn't been proud of his behavior and as such, put even more space between himself and his child. He could only pray it wasn't too late to mend the chasm between them.

"Bonnie, I know I come off as being aloof and disinterested in your life, and there's no excuse for that, but you're growing up, and you'll be leaving for college soon. I can't go back and fix what happened between us in the past, but I can do better by you."

Thomas pushed away from the wall and entered her room. He sat down on her bed and tapped the spot next to him. Obediently Bonnie sat down.

"There have been so many mysterious deaths happening in this small town. We, your grandmother and I came here thinking it would be a safe place to bring you up, but…" Thomas shrugged. "That's proving not to be the case. If something were to happen to you I'd never be able to forgive myself." He turned to face his daughter, to look into the face that reminded him so much of his ex-wife. Thomas could honestly say there was a part of him that resented the young woman sitting beside him. She resembled the only woman he loved, but she left one night and never came back.

Logically he knew that wasn't Bonnie's fault. She was a young child and had no understanding that she had been abandoned by her own mother. Thomas did the best he could, but he really had no clue how to raise a young woman. His mother had been a big help, but Sheila wasn't exactly the influence he wanted around Bonnie either. She filled Bonnie's head with her witchy ju ju making his young child believe she was descendent from witches, that she herself was a witch. History taught him that people who sprouted that crap were labeled heretics and were promptly and swiftly burned. Thomas was thankful they didn't live in those ages, but he didn't believe in that nonsense and he didn't want his only child to either.

Yet he'd have to be blind not to see that she had changed within the last year. When he was around her, he felt off, as if he were standing in front of royalty and yes at one point he considered Bonnie his princess, his little queen, but that had been a product of fatherly devotion. This was different because his daughter had become some regale being, and Thomas was at a total loss to when the change happened.

But something dark and dangerous had settled around Mystic Falls, and instinct was telling him his only child was either directly or indirectly involved. So he could call this his last ditch effort to remind Bonnie that her life was important to him, that it did matter. And he loved her enough to let her make her own way in life without dictating her every step.

Bonnie gulped and reached for her father's hand. "Dad, I'm going to be fine. I know how to take care of myself."

"I get that, Bonnie, but _I'm _your father, your guardian, it's my job to take care of you."

"You raised me to be independent. Kind of too late to take that back," she said self-deprecatingly.

Thomas smirked and Bonnie realized with startlingly clarity where she got her smirk from. "Make an old man feel useful and promise to come home at a decent hour. I don't want you out roaming the streets at night. Especially not with people's dogs going berserk and attacking their owners."

An elegant eyebrow hitched in the air. Bonnie recalled hearing about animal attacks on the news recently. Something was driving people's loveable pooches bonkers. Yet Bonnie knew what it was. They were reacting to a supernatural phenomenon where everything was a threat to them. More than likely it had everything to do with werewolves and vampires being in the vicinity.

"All right," Bonnie quickly agreed to her father's request.

Thomas tightened his hold on Bonnie's hand before rising to his feet. "Have a good day, Bonnie. We'll talk some more later."

"Okay."

Thomas left her room and the minute he did, Bonnie felt a spark of anticipatory excitement. She headed over to her window, checked over her shoulder to make sure she was alone, before throwing the curtains apart.

There sitting in a tree as if he were reclining in a Lay-Z-Boy was dark-eyed Damon Salvatore. A pair of Ray-Ban's covered his eyes while his midnight hair covered his forehead. He was of course dressed in head-to-toe black making his skin look as pale as the moon. But he flashed a dangerous smile before it disappeared. Here and gone is what Bonnie thought.

Bonnie opened the window and hung out of it at a dangerous angle. Damon didn't even move a muscle as if he might try to catch her if she tipped over too much. Bonnie looked at him, trying her best to make out his eyes behind the shades and could see nothing, but she already knew Damon had his gaze locked on her.

"I'm guessing you're not going to catch me if I somehow lost my grip?" she asked.

Damon shrugged a leather-clad shoulder.

Bonnie let go of the ledge and tumbled out of the window without screaming or making a single sound. The wind rushed past her and then instead of the ground breaking her fall she landed in a pair of arms. Damon cradled her bridal style, sunglasses still perched on his face, that dazzling smile back just prior to vanishing.

"You have an obsession with testing my reflexes lately," his voice was calm and smooth like a flowing river. "You're powerful but I'm sure you'll still break something after falling twenty feet."

"Maybe, but you should be happy that I trust you so much to catch me."

"No what_ you_ should be happy about is that I pay attention to you in the first place."

Bonnie giggled because he sounded so arrogant. She slipped his shades off and placed them over her eyes, beaming at him.

"Sexy," he grinned and ravished her mouth.

Bonnie pulled away and wiggled that she wanted to get down. Damon sat her on her feet.

"How long have you been waiting?" she wondered.

"Not long. Your timing has improved on sensing another supernatural nearby."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck as Damon backed up her against the house. "My dad wants to start a new tradition between us. I don't know whether I should be happy or suspect about that."

She was talking; the sound of her voice was like an echo in a cave. Damon could hear what she was saying but not necessarily make out the words. Instead of trying to comprehend what she was saying, which he caught the gist of it anyways, his gaze lingered on the blue veins hidden underneath the skin of her slender neck. Damon drew Bonnie a little closer and inhaled sun, earth, air, fire, _Bonnie_ on her skin. A canine lengthened.

Bonnie had to distract herself from his nearness. This typically happened. "I think it will be a good way for me and my dad to reconnect because let's be real we're basically roommates not father and daughter."

"Uh-hun," Damon replied absently prior to running his fang along the vein, barely penetrating skin. Innocent little blood drops rained from the laceration and Damon eagerly gobbled up every drop. He licked her like a cat grooming itself.

Bonnie hissed. "Damon, you're not listening to me."

_I hear every word that comes out of your mouth. Just because I'm not responding doesn't mean I'm not listening. _

He pulled back and kissed the edge of her jaw as his way of saying I'm paying attention.

_Okay so what was the last thing I said?_

_You said that you think having brunch with your father would be a good way to reconnect. Did I hit the nail on the head or strike out?_

Bonnie projected an image of herself pouting which made Damon chuckle.

But then he projected an image of her naked on a bed of blood-red and dark purple rose petals waiting for him, green eyes glowing like a lantern. It might have been clichéd but it was far better than the alternative, him and Bonnie standing on a pile of corpses.

The blood continued to flow and he lapped it up before sealing the wound with the healing properties contained in his saliva. It closed the cut.

When they kissed this time an involuntary wave of energy flowed through them that it shattered the windows of her neighbor's car and set off numerous alarms.

Bonnie hastily pulled away looking sheepish. "Oops."

"That was totally your fault," Damon felt it necessary to quickly assign blame.

"Yeah right," Bonnie screeched. "That was all you."

"Let me see the receipts," he challenged and then soon found himself being distracted by her moistened lips and her sweet, innocent face.

Bonnie stopped him from making a move by placing a finger up to his lips.

Just then her neighbor came barreling out of his house, hands glued to the sides of his head, face molten. "What the hell happened to my car?"

Unfortunately a group of kids on bicycles happened to be peddling by and one was carrying a baseball bat. The man reached for his belt, took it off, and started chasing the kids waving it around like a whip.

Bonnie and Damon burst out into raucous laughter before sobering. "I should probably fix that for him," Bonnie suggested. Closing her eyes and repeating the spell she performed to repair the Salvatore boardinghouse, all the glass returned to normal.

Damon took Bonnie by the hand, tossed her over his shoulder and got lost.

* * *

><p>Hiding. In a bowling alley. How very dignified, Damon huffed as he waited his turn to hit another strike. He didn't want to consider what he was doing as hiding, but merely laying low. Since his dance of death with Jules and the veiled threat she laid out before him, Damon knew he couldn't exactly press his luck with her. She was one of the few creatures on earth that could seriously hurt him, and as much as he prided himself on living on the edge, Damon wasn't stupid. He fully understood that self-preservation was everything.<p>

Did it make him feel good that he had to basically look over his shoulder as he walked through town? No! Did he feel like his back was up against a wall and his options of getting out were limited? No diggity, no doubt.

Over and over in his mind he began to strategize ways and ideas to avoid Jules or gain the upper hand to take her out first. But he had to study his enemy. So Damon did a little preliminary research on wolves in general.

They were territorial, traveled and lived in packs. He didn't know who came up with the expression lone wolf, but wolves only went rogue when they were thrown out of the group. And those were mostly males and females who challenged the alpha and lost. So he figured, Jules would go back or call in reinforcements. Since she said she could smell what he was, the same could be said for the other Damon, Stefan, and even Caroline. In terms of brute strength Jules was outnumbered. However, she still had a slight advantage and that was the full moon, which tonight was the last night of the full moon cycle. If he could make it through tonight without anything catastrophic happening, it would give him another month or so to plan.

As it was, Damon was suckered or bribed or something into accompanying Thing 1 and Thing 2 to AMF Lanes. So far he and Stefan were tied at 290 whereas pitiful Elena only had 110 points.

He sat and watched dejectedly as Stefan tried to coach Elena, but Damon was sure she was doing this on purpose because she liked when Stefan doted her with attention. And he fell for it every single time. "Stefan I need help tying my shoe." "Stefan, how do you work the remote?" "Stefan, Stefan, Stefan."

Damon wanted to put a gun to his head, but that wouldn't do a damn thing. As he sat around and aged, Damon wondered what was it about Elena that had him convinced that he was in love with her. Sure she was an exact replica of Katherine and he could see in hindsight that he transferred his feelings of love for Katherine and dumped them on Elena, but really what was truly remarkable about her?

She didn't argue with him, forgave him too easily when he fouled up which used to happen every other day. She used to whine and complain in his ear, but she lacked a sort of umph that usually held his attention for longer than a New York minute.

Damon never had to wonder if he tapped danced along that fine line of life and death whenever he was around Elena. He never had to worry if she'd lash out and set his brains or clothing on fire. Never had to worry about being stared down with haunting albeit judgmental eyes. And she certainly didn't make him curious as to what was in her head.

He sighed. Elena posed no threat to him. She was a simple human girl, an oddity of nature.

Thinking of nature made him think of one person in particular.

Damon pulled out his cell phone and called Bonnie.

It went straight to voice mail. He pulled the phone away from his ear and frowned at the thing so severely it was a miracle it didn't crumble to pieces. He called again thinking his reception might be off and the call probably didn't go through. Lo and behold it happened again. Third times a charm and still there had been no answer. He fully expected her voice mail to cop an attitude and say "Didn't you hear me the first time you damn dummy, she ain't available."

He grunted out of spite.

Stefan approached and sat down on the hard plastic chair next to Damon. "What's the hells matter with you?"

"My life is one big Kanye West song," Damon lamented and pocketed his cell. "Her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order."

Stefan chuckled lowly. "First of all Bonnie," and he wasn't surprised he knew exactly who Damon had been referring to, "doesn't have a brother, and you've never met her mother, but her grandmother, I'll say that's an accurate description."

"Stop trying to steal my joy." Pause. "You're girlfriend sucks at this sport."

Mum was the word and Stefan kept his mouth shut because he wholeheartedly agreed, but he did enjoy watching Elena bend over. When he looked at his brother through the corner of his eye he fully expected to see Damon enjoying the view too, but instead, Damon was admiring his nails.

"Not trying to get in your business or anything-,"

"And anytime someone says that, that's exactly what they're trying to do," Damon interrupted.

"But what are you calling Bonnie for?"

That wild, maniacal smile was on Damon's face. "It's personal and private thank you very much."

Elena stomped her foot when she rolled another gutter ball. Damon swiftly rose to his feet since it was his turn.

"Time for you to get a new coach," he said to her and picked up his bowling ball. It was black, of course, with gray flames.

The high school student folded her arms and stared at him. "Are you offering?"

"Nope. Sit back and watch as big daddy rolls another strike," Damon aligned himself in the proper position and rolled the ball down the alley where it took out all ten pins effortlessly. "Ah, this never gets old," and then for some strange reason, Damon felt his mood darken. "But you want to know what does?" he straightened to his full height. "Trying to keep tabs on certain people in this town." Damon narrowed his eyes on Elena who began to fidget nervously. It had been a while since he looked at her so intensely and in the past Elena had almost perfected being impervious to that stare.

Stefan slowly rose to his feet because he wasn't sure what his impulsive brother might do. He knew Damon. He knew he had a tendency to lash out when things didn't go according to plan. And despite the fact they were in full view of the public, it didn't mean he wouldn't try _something. _

"Where is she?"

It was a simple question, but still Elena played dumb and shrugged her shoulders.

"Elena, Elena, Elena," Damon laughed and then abruptly cut it off. "Where is Bonnie hiding today? I haven't seen her in days."

"Well, last I checked she's not your girlfriend so I really don't know what you're worried about her for."

"She's my friend," he reiterated. " And who said I was worried? That's the thing, _human _you waste so much of your time trying to tact human emotions on to vampires. News flash, honey, we are not human and don't 'worry' about shit unless of course our lives are on the line. Now answer the question."

"Damon, I don't know. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you. So just drop it," Elena held his challenging glare before shuffling off to Stefan.

Damon watched with a curled lip as Stefan coddled the doppelganger before she began to head in the direction of the bathroom.

The younger Salvatore narrowed his bluish-gray orbs at his brother. "I don't appreciate the way you were talking to _or _looking at Elena. Damon, I get that you're on edge because of the whole Jules thing and you can't talk to Bonnie when you want to, but that doesn't…"

"I see your mouth moving but I don't hear anything," Damon rolled his eyes and then strutted over to get his leather jacket. He was done pretending to be human. It was time he went out to be a vampire again. First stop though, Bonnie's place.

Damon reached her humble abode in record time and was a little satisfied that he was able to catch her at home, as evidence by the fact her car was parked in the driveway. Damon gave himself a cursory once over before laying on the doorbell.

He whistled a nameless tune and waited for someone to answer the door. He stopped when he heard approaching foot steps and then the dead bolt was unlocking and the door opened.

The smile that had been on his face dropped like a bomb. Ugh, it was _Mister _Bennett. Damon didn't see this as a set back. For a while he wanted to meet the man responsible for giving Bonnie half her genetic code. As his iridescent eyes looked the man over he could see some of Bonnie in the man's stone face. They shared the same wry mouth, judgmental eyes, and coloring, but that was about it.

"Good afternoon," Damon dug deep to remember his old manners. "I'm looking for Bonnie. Is she home? If so, may I converse with her?"

Thomas Bennett looked Damon up and down with a slight curl to his lip. He knew his daughter was beautiful and that it would only be a matter of time before some fool boy came knocking on his door. But it was plain to see this wasn't a boy, but a grown man, so that brooked the question of:

"What do you want with my daughter?"

Inwardly Damon sighed. Were _all _the Bennett's hard asses?

Nevertheless Damon turned up the charm gracing Thomas with a hundred mega watt smile. He wasn't so sure if he could compel Bonnie's dad or not, but he would try if the man continued to cock block.

"Bonnie and I go way back," he held out a hand. "I'm Damon Salvatore. Bonnie goes to school with my little brother Stefan."

Was that supposed to mean something is what was clearly reflected on Thomas' face. But being hospitable, Thomas reached for Damon's outstretched hand and gave the young man two hard pumps before releasing.

"Nice to meet you. If my daughter goes to school with your _little_ brother, that doesn't exactly explain what _you _want with her."

Damon's patience was waning. He locked eyes with Thomas who did stare back a bit nervously but without a hint of fear. Damon tried to penetrate the man's defenses but either he took a daily regiment of vervain or he was a witch himself and couldn't be compelled, he couldn't get through. In any case, Damon felt a headache coming on and stopped.

"Look, sir, I just need to speak with your daughter for a minute. That's all," he nearly growled.

Thomas took a step back and then hollered, "Bonnie!"

The both of them waited for a full two minutes before it became obvious that Bonnie wasn't home. Thomas scratched the back of his neck. He could only assume Bonnie left the house with one of her little girlfriends without saying anything to him. She did that from time to time. Force of habit because he was so rarely home.

"Sorry, she must have stepped out. I'll let her know you stopped by when she makes it home. And your name was Damon?"

A tight smile flew on Damon's timeless face. "Yes. Thanks." For being a piss pour father that doesn't know his child's whereabouts he wanted to add but didn't.

The door was promptly shut in his face and Damon grumbled all the way to his car.

* * *

><p>It felt good to walk around town with his head held high, no longer having to hide in plain sight staring at his shoes to avoid judgmental and suspicious glares. The forensic test results came back and exonerated Tyler Lockwood of any wrong doing in the death of Sue Carson. Yet, Tyler still knew he was responsible for the girl's death, how and why still remained a question.<p>

He put all of that out of his mind as he entered Mystic Grill looking for some chick named Jules. She called him and said that she was looking for Mason. Tyler wasn't sure what she was expecting of him because he hadn't seen Mason since the day of the masquerade ball where he basically dropped off the face of the earth.

Spotting Jules wasn't hard. When you lived in a small town it was easy to separate the newbies from the townies.

"Jules?" Tyler questioned hesitantly.

The blonde haired, blue eyed woman stared up at him and offered a placatory smile. Tyler sat down in the booth across from her.

"Thanks for meeting me."

Tyler bobbed his head. "You said you wanted to talk to me about Mason. I'm not sure what you're expecting me to tell you because I haven't seen or heard from him in weeks."

"I figured this much. I'm going to cut right to the chase. I think Mason is dead."

Tyler's dark eyebrows nearly lifted off his forehead as he sat back against the padded booth. "Why do you think that?"

"It might have something to do with the fact this place is crawling with vampires," she whispered harshly.

Okay, hold up Tyler thought. He only knew of one vampire, Caroline Forbes and she wouldn't have killed his uncle and then smiled in his face as if nothing was remiss.

"What do you mean this place is crawling with vampires?"

Now it was Jules' turn to sit back against the padded both. She smelled the wolf on Tyler the minute he entered the restaurant. She knew he was new but she didn't think he was _brand _new.

"You can't smell them?" she asked.

Tyler looked clearly baffled and uncomfortable. "I don't make it a habit going around sniffing people," he snorted. "So you're thinking a group of vampires killed Mason? Why would they do that? Because he's a werewolf?"

"That's exactly why_ he_ and not _they _would do it."

Now he was becoming even more confused, and uncomfortable. Tyler had wondered, although briefly if there might be more vampires in town. Caroline never told him who made her into a vampire, but she didn't give off the impression that she knew the answer. But then again, what if the vampire who made her was the one who possibly killed Mason, if Mason was dead to begin with? And if that were the case, did that mean Caroline was protecting her "sire" or whatever the person was called knowing he or she or it was responsible for Mason's disappearance?

Too many thoughts and questions were buzzing through his head, giving Tyler a headache. Yet he looked at Jules askance. Something, probably that instinct of his was telling him Jules knew exactly what happened to Mason and who was responsible.

"Look, I know you're young and you don't understand everything. Tyler I can help you, but you have to help me first. Mason is dead. I know he is just like I know the sky is blue."

"Where's your proof, hun? Where's his body? Mason has been known to just take off. He could be in Hawaii for all you know."

Jules shook her head and slid back to the edge of the seat. "Mason never makes a move without letting me or the pack know first."

Tyler's eyes narrowed. "Pack?"

"Yes, there are more of us out there, Tyler. Many more. And we watch out for each other, have each other's back. Mason wouldn't take off without telling one of us where he was going. And this was the last place he said he was headed and no one has heard from him since," she sighed. "I got a phone call from some woman claiming that Mason was dead. Why would she make that claim if it wasn't true?"

Tyler had no idea. "What are you expecting me to do?" that growing feeling of dread began to percolate in his system causing his mouth to go dry. Tyler would not insert himself in the middle of any war, but there was this other side to him that wanted to avenge whatever happened to his uncle. Was that animal nature or him—period?

"I need you to keep your eyes and ears on Damon Salvatore, his brother Stefan, too. They're vampires."

Wait what? Stefan and Damon were vampires? No that can't be possible, but…but…

People didn't start mysteriously dying from "animal attacks" until _they_ arrived in town.

"Okay, I don't know what's going on," Tyler's nostrils flared, "but if what you're saying is true then that means they could know about me."

"I think it's safe to assume they do know what you are."

"But they haven't threatened me," Tyler argued. He might not like Stefan or his brother, but Stefan had done nothing to hurt him and Damon was a dick but he pretty much left him alone.

Now Jules was beginning to feel impatient. Who was his loyalty to? His uncle or a bunch of parasites?

"It doesn't matter if they've never threatened you or not, Tyler. Don't you understand? Vampires are our enemy and they killed one of our own. We can't let them getaway with that."

Tyler slowly began to inch his way out of the booth. He was a junior in high school, one of the top athletes in southern Virginia, who just happened to be a werewolf. He was no vigilante. If Damon or Stefan or both of them were involved in Mason's disappearance, which all of this was turning out to be hearsay, then Jules should take this matter to Sheriff Forbes and let the _real _authorities handle it. He already had one murder under his belt; he wasn't about to go for another.

Jules saw Tyler trying to ease his way out and grabbed his wrist. She expected more from him but what she was getting was a toddler's reaction to a grown up situation. If he wanted to survive in this world he had better learn to be cutthroat and take no prisoners.

"Tyler…"

He pried her fingers off his wrist which took some doing. Dang, that chick was strong. "I get that Mason was my uncle but it wasn't like I was particularly close to the guy. If you thought I would jump on the revenge train so easily," he hunched his shoulders, "sorry to disappoint you. I think you should take this up with the sheriff. File an official missing person's report. I can't off two members of one of the founding families and think no will notice."

Jules definitely wanted to argue the point, but she allowed Tyler to bow out. For now. He was young in his supernatural walk, didn't understand the rules and the guidelines. Werewolves didn't follow the protocol that had been set in place to rule _man_kind. Theirs was a dog eat dog world where it was all about the kill and protecting the man standing next to you. It was clear to see that Tyler would need a ton of tuition but she simply didn't have the time. Tonight was the last night of the full moon and her reinforcements would be arriving right before night fall. Tyler might not be on board now, but he would be once the vampire came looking for him.

* * *

><p>Love was good. Love filled you with endless warmth, made you feel as strong as Atlas where you could balance the entire world on your shoulders and never grow tired or faint. Love coupled with honesty and trust tripled the emotions that rippled under Bonnie's skin.<p>

Her back was pressed against the hardwood floor of Damon's bedroom. Her skin was soaked, so was his because they got caught in a torrential pour down that came out of left field. Before this moment they had been deep in the woods, deep in each other's minds as Bonnie tested the strength of her telekinesis, floating the both of them in the air, almost past the top of the tallest trees. Damon had been unable to keep his hands and mouth off of her for longer than a second as if he constantly needed to remind himself how her skin tasted on his tongue, how her lithe body hit in his hands.

Right now he was lapping at the raindrops that covered her stomach as he continued his descent.

Bonnie arched her neck and back accordingly. Her eyes slammed shut and she bit her lower lip to keep from screaming.

There wasn't anything about Bonnie that wasn't delectable, delicious, or yummy. Damon loved blood, there was no doubt about that. Right now he could say her essence and blood were tied in first place for what he preferred more.

He flashed his deep, deep brown eyes up to her. A sinister grin split his face for only a nanosecond and disappeared. He went back to enjoy his meal and clean his plate.

Damon made sure to hold her with just enough pressure, not too tight to shatter her bones, but not light enough for Bonnie to wiggle away.

_Look at me, princess. _

That was an almost impossible request to fulfill right now. But Bonnie obliged him.

Uh-oh, it was happening. Her body was heating up, she felt as if she lost control over all her limbs and they were being liquefied into jelly, into something malleable. Her breath hitched until it refused to come out and then it happened.

Bonnie flew apart. The windows rattled, an invisible wind blew in the room, a fire spontaneously erupted in the fireplace and then they were floating a good two feet off the ground.

Damon laughed cockily.

A happy sigh escaped Bonnie and then she lost her hold on levitating and they crashed to the floor. "Ouch," she complained.

Damon barely felt a thing but he crawled back up her body, kissing along the way, and settled next to Bonnie, drawing her closer to his chest. She was silent for a while, trying to get her bearing under control.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in destiny?"

Damon propped himself up on his elbow and drew lazy circles on Bonnie's stomach. "To some degree. When I was human I thought you controlled your fate, that life was what you make of it, but it wasn't until I became this handsome devil before you that I knew I had been destined to be a vampire."

Bonnie frowned.

"Why do you ask?"

"When I was nine I wrote out in a journal that I shared with Caroline and Elena what I wanted in a future mate. I wrote that he would have the initials DS."

It took a lot to surprise Damon. "Oh, really?" he grinned. "So _you're _the reason why I'm here. You spoke me into your existence at the tender age of nine…unless," his face darkened and he lost all joviality. "You weren't speaking of me at all."

Bonnie sighed deeply. "And you know with absolute certainty that there was no other path in life for you other than to be a vampire?"

He nodded.

"And that's how I know you're it for me."

"Are you just saying that to placate me because I may have competition? I know you love me. I see it in your eyes now. You weren't sure before because you feared I'd leave one day. That possibility is still there, and if it's true, then that means we need to love each other with everything in us." Damon loomed over Bonnie and kissed her lips. "And if my departure is imminent, and what you wrote is gospel, then no dimension should be able to keep us apart."

Bonnie cupped his cheek and felt herself feeling full again, but this was a different type of fullness. It grew hot and tight in her neck, and she angled her neck in silent invitation.

Again Damon was surprised because Bonnie never offered up a vein. He kissed her graceful neck. His fangs lengthened and he buried them, slicing through her like butter, and sucked her blood until he felt full like a tick.

When he disengaged his fangs he stared at her with a new sense of awe. "You're too good to me. You're good period."

"Not everything about me is good," she blushed and showed Damon what she had been thinking about as he drank her blood.

He chuckled darkly. "We can actually do that, you know."

Bonnie nodded eagerly.

However, there was something Damon was curious about. "But first, I want to know the future, Bonnie. What do you see?"

And she knew Damon wasn't asking her to merely make something up from the top of her head and hoped it came true. He wanted her to _look_ which was something she hadn't done in a while.

"I need a candle."

Damon was up and on his feet and quickly got a candle. Bonnie rose to sit on the floor lotus style. Damon placed the candle in front of her and Bonnie blew on the wick until it ignited. She studied the flame for a while and then slowly her eyes began to close.

At first she saw nothing but darkness, but then she was flying as if through space or a tunnel. The sensation she could liken it to riding on a rollercoaster without a harness or seat belt. And there she saw herself, lying on the snow covered ground. She frowned because she wasn't sure what this all meant. Bonnie loved snow but not enough to lie on it unless she was making snow angels, which she wasn't. She was just lying there.

Then she was flying again, traveling faster this time, and then she was underground in a cave somewhere. There was writing and pictures on the walls and when she looked behind her she saw a coffin.

Bonnie was off again, unable to ask a single question because that's not how this worked. She was a spectator only.

Now she was deep into the future and she was back in the woods, only this time she was staring up a full moon. And then something caught her attention, she spun around, but that was it. She saw nothing but darkness.

Her eyes opened.

Damon had kept careful watch of her face the entire time. "What did you see?"

"None of it really makes any kind of sense, but I'd say pieces of my future. In one vision I was lying on the ground, there was snow, in the next I'm standing in a cave with a coffin, I don't know who was inside so please don't ask. And in the final vision I was back in the woods but only I was staring at the full moon and then something caught my attention but I couldn't see who or what it was."

Well, that certainly hadn't been what Damon had hoped she'd see. "Well…that was disappointing." But she made no mention of seeing the other Damon, unless of course she was withholding that information.

Bonnie chuckled and then got to her feet. "Sorry, I only get what I get." Bonnie walked over to the window and pushed the curtain aside. "Tonight is the last full moon."

"Yeah, I think it would be wise if we remained indoors." Damon joined her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I have lots of ideas to keep us preoccupied until tomorrow morning. Let me share them with you."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Bonnie was standing behind the kitchen island eating cookies when her phone started buzzing angrily on the counter top. She sighed when she saw who was calling and debated whether or not to send the call to voice mail. She answered it knowing if she didn't Damon would only show his ass until he got what he wanted.<p>

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I need to see you."

"For?"

Damon sighed impatiently. "Why do I always have to read you the Miranda rights to get you to do something? This is important, Judgey. I'm not trying to get in your pants. At least not tonight. Can you meet me at my house in ten minutes?"

Bonnie worried her bottom lip. "Damon, I'm busy right now."

"Please, Bonnie."

"No," she told him adamantly.

"Bonnie, seriously my life could be on the line _right _now. Jules, Mason's bugaboo and fellow werewolf has been sniffing around looking for the perfect opportunity to get back at me. You know what a single bite from her will do to me. Now, you might not like me all that much, but do you really want Stefan to have to bury his only brother? Please, I wouldn't be bothering you if this weren't vitality important."

She felt herself caving because it wasn't like Damon to ever beg for anything, and she did feel partly responsible for what happened to Mason. "All right, fine. And you better be telling the truth about all of this."

"I am. Ditch lover boy." He hung up to which Bonnie stuck her tongue out on her phone.

She left the kitchen and went up to Damon's room. He was sleeping and Bonnie smiled, proud of her handiwork in knocking him out like an infant after their slight marathon. Bonnie leaned over him and kissed his cheek and whispered, "Dormio," before dressing to head over to the boardinghouse.

* * *

><p>Bonnie reached the Salvatore household in twenty minutes instead of ten. The rains from earlier flooded a few streets causing Bonnie to have to take several short cuts. But she was there and rolled through the front door.<p>

The lighting was low and if she wanted to be technical about it, slightly romantic. There were fires going in the fireplaces, and several candles were lit. This house always looked ready to entertain guests of some sort. Bonnie sat down her purse and wondered when Damon would make his presence known.

He was standing behind her. Bonnie could feel it and she also knew he was standing behind her completely and shamelessly naked.

Damon feasted his eyes on Bonnie with his hands planted on his hips, skin slick with water. He had just hopped out of the shower when he heard her enter the premises.

"Hello, Bonnie."

"I suggest you cover up before I turn around to acknowledge you."

Damon grinned. "Sure you don't want to get a sneak peek? I'm _very _happy to see you."

Bonnie sighed heavily, feeling irritated. Why was he always trying to play a game with her? "Damon, come on. I don't have a whole lot of time to play around. Go find some pants before I do it for you."

"You promise?"

"Remember you're covered in water. I use water to start fires. Nuff said."

Damon held up his hands and backed away. "On that note, I'll be right back."

Bonnie sighed heavily when she felt that she was alone in the living room again. She looked over her shoulder, shaking her head back and forth and half laughed, half snorted. Being alone in the Salvatore boardinghouse made Bonnie feel impossibly tiny. The place was huge, large enough to be called a mansion and filled with enough art and medieval pieces to be considered a museum. She always wanted to take a tour of the house, but she never wanted to appear to be too interested in getting to know more than what she needed to know about the Salvatore's.

Damon was back fully dressed in a long sleeve body hugging black shirt and jeans. His hair was still wet which he combed it back from his face. For a minute Bonnie just stared at him and at how ridiculously blue his eyes were.

She cleared her throat. "So, Jules has been giving you problems and you're asking a seventeen year old witch to protect you?"

Damon pursed his lips. "No, that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you can do something to send her away. For good. I'm turning over a new leaf. I vow to only kill in self-defense."

Bonnie snorted. Damon was sure he was being innovative but it simply fell short of the mark. She placed her grimoire down on a table and opened it up. Damon came to stand beside her. The scent of his body wash slithered up her nose and Bonnie had to clear her throat again. The shower made his otherwise frigid skin warm and she could feel his body heat.

She took a small step to her left to put more space between them.

Damon looked at her from the crown of her head, pausing at her breasts of course because some cleavage was showing in her v-neck shirt; his gaze then continued all the way to her feet. And that electric buzz that Damon considered a vortex of power still wafted from Bonnie like a beacon, and he couldn't help but be more drawn to her than he ever recalled being in the past. Yet the most frightening thing was, drinking her blood wasn't the motivation behind wanting to be close to her in any capacity.

"Well," Bonnie began breaking the inadvertent spell she was weaving, "there's lots of spells to repel someone from you, to bind them from hurting you, but I would need some hair or her blood. Blood would be best, but of course getting that would be tricky on your end."

Damon considered this. "And if I were to get it you would be able to bind Jules from coming after me? Would that prevent her from coming after Stefan, too?"

Bonnie craned her neck to stare up at him. That would be the first time Damon showed genuine concern for the safety of his little brother. Maybe Damon _was _serious about turning over a new leaf.

"Ah yeah," she stammered. "I'd need blood and hair from you and Stefan in order to complete the spell, to make it stick."

Their gazes locked as the silence of the house grew to astronomical proportions. Damon leaned just a bit closer to Bonnie as if he were going to whisper something in her ear although he had his eyes glued to her lips.

Whatever he was planning to do was interrupted by the howling of wolves, several wolves and they sounded far closer than comfort. The budding moment was over like a needle scratching over a vinyl record.

Damon immediately went on the offensive. "How many?" he asked Bonnie.

She closed her eyes and searched with her mind and other senses. "Seven," she answered definitively.

"Let me guess, they're not here to audition for _White Fang 3._"

Bonnie actually laughed despite the crazy situation they were about to face. Damon looked at Bonnie for guidance. If he were to be honest she was the more powerful one between them. Being backed by the power of a 100 witches there was little she wouldn't be able to do. But you'd have to kill Damon to get him to admit that.

"How do you want to do this?"

Bonnie smiled. "The hard way of course."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Well it seems as one problem comes to a close, another one rises. And if you're wondering when Klaus will make an appearance, I'll say he'll show up…eventually. But let's see how this all plays out first. Jules and company siege the boardinghouse. Oh, and what Bonnie whispered in Book Damon's ear was "sleep". Thanks for reading. Love you guys!**


	28. Night of the Wolf Pt 2

**A/N: Thank you to those who wished me congratulations on becoming an auntie…again. I officially have ten nieces and nephews so…I'm taking this as another little person to spoil. Here is the latest. Enjoy! **

Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Vampire Diaries.

"Matt, can you take these out to the Dumpster?"

The tired high school student wanted to rest his feet and aching bones, but he turned to Dave, the sous chef and took the two large black trash bags, automatically.

"Sure, man."

"Thanks," Dave said and clapped Matt hard on the shoulder almost knocking him over.

Matt moved woodenly towards the employees' only exit to the back of the kitchen, his eyes barely staying open long enough. It was a good thing he only lived five minutes away from The Grill and getting on the highway wasn't required to get home because otherwise it wouldn't be a good night for other drivers.

Matt turned the knob and opened the door with his back, dragging the bags on the floor. He was outside and the crisp air was enough to slightly wake him up. The lighting back here, of course, was dismal but Matt was familiar enough with the area that he didn't freak out. Still it didn't mean he liked being back here. Mystic Falls wasn't a town overrun with the homeless and down trodden where anyone was liable to turn a back alley into a sprawling mansion. Still, that sense of not being alone licked the back of his neck.

Hurriedly, Matt dumped the bags and turned to go back inside when he heard it.

It was a low, menacing growl. Reluctantly he turned around to see how big the dog was. At least he hoped it was a dog.

"Easy, boy," Matt held out his hand and took cautionary steps backwards. He wasn't that far from the door and if he made a run for it, he should be okay. But one of his teachers told him dogs could smell fear and it usually made them go into attack mode.

The dog, which was a run-of-the-mill Labrador snarled at Matt—viciously.

For every step Matt took it appeared the dog moved in, herding him. And that's when Matt heard a growl coming from behind him.

Tentatively he looked over his shoulder and there it was, a bulldog. Matt gulped nervously and then counted in his head to three.

Once he hit the number he ran to the door sparking the dogs to give chase.

Matt scrambled inside and was able to shut the door, close and lock it. He heard the animals scratching against it as if they were trying to claw their way through metal. Their barks were feral and hostile as if the very thought of humans sickened them beyond belief.

"Dave!" Matt bellowed.

The sous chef came sauntering from some other part of the restaurant looking a bit perturbed, but once he heard what sounded like to him a lion trying to eat the door, his brown eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What the hell…?"

"I don't think it's safe to go outside. Not with those dogs. Are there any customers still in the dining room? We can't have them going outside."

Dave shook his head. "I don't know. I'll tell Chris. He'll probably tell us to call animal control," he shouted above the growls and snarls that sounded through the door.

Just as Dave was about to go and do as he said, the growls stopped and it was immediately silent. Matt and Dave locked eyes.

"Don't open the door," Dave hissed.

Matt snapped, "Do I look retarded?" He rushed out of the kitchen going back into the main dining room. He looked through the windows to see if he could spot either one of the dogs out in the parking lot. So far the coast appeared to be clear but it brooked the question of where did the dogs go?

Matt looked around the restaurant and saw three families still inside, wrangling up their kids, about to head out. Should he warn them to be careful or just chuck it up to a pair of hungry dogs just looking for an accessible meal? He figured he could at least tell the night manager, Chris, and let him handle the logistics of making sure the customers made it to their cars without anything detrimental happening to them.

"Hey, Chris," Matt strolled over to the manager who was busy doing the night's audit. "There were two dogs out back…not friendly at all. Maybe we should escort the last few customers to their cars just in case they're lurking around."

Chris took his nose out of the books and stared at his young employee with a slight frown on his face. "If you want to do it, that's on you, Donovan. As you can see, I'm busy."

Matt shook his head. "Yeah, I can see that. But if someone gets attacked on this property, that makes _you _liable. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Chris tapped his pencil against the countertop, peeved. The little dummy had a point. But what did he expect him to do if the dogs were out there? Bang them over the head with a frying pan?

Nevertheless, Chris heaved his girth off the bar stool and approached his customers. Some days he could really hate being in charge.

* * *

><p>Bonnie rushed over to the large floor-to-ceiling window to peer out. Damon was right behind her, in fact pressing the anterior portion of his body into her posterior. Bonnie rolled her eyes and thrust her butt out to get him to back up but instead he only pressed harder into her.<p>

"Don't hog the window," Damon chastised with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Damon, back up, please," she said as nicely as she could. Bonnie went back to staring out the window the minute Damon put a modicum of space between them. She couldn't pierce the night with her simple, human eyes but she knew the dark shadows that were converging on the house were a pack of werewolves. "Can you see them?"

"Yep, and they are the fugliest things I've ever seen."

"Leave it to a vampire to think about looks right now. We have to keep them from getting in the house."

"Yeah, we do because my insurance adjuster is beginning to believe I'm purposely destroying the house to collect checks."

Bonnie tempered herself. She would look at Damon's dry humor as his way of dealing with his nerves—if he had any to begin with. He knew he was in a world of danger because all it would take was one, innocent little bite and he'd kick the bucket. Dealing with one werewolf would be tricky on its own, but seven—they'd need a miracle. Bonnie began to think.

She headed towards the patio doors. She would not stay in the house to be ambushed figuring the wolves would crash through the windows and attempt to turn her and Damon into ribbons. She would take the fight to them. Just as she went right, Damon went left. Was he leaving?

Bonnie stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him incredulously. "Where are you going?"

"To get my camera," he rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back. Don't leave this house without me."

Her palms were itching. She was ready to do this not fully wanting to think about where this impending fight might take her. At the last second Bonnie thought to call Stefan and tell him not to come home, but she knew if she told him to stay away it would only hasten his need to be here. Dealing with Damon who was a loose cannon would take all of her concentration. Bonnie couldn't afford to stretch herself too thin.

In two shakes of a lamb's tail Damon was back and armed with a…

"Where in the world did you get a flame thrower from?"

Damon looked down at said instrument. "Oh, you didn't know these were on sale at Home Depot?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Bonnie shook her head and allowed a tiny smile to crease her lips. Armed with her magic and Damon's flame thrower, they went outside and stood in the middle of the yard, waiting.

"Judgey?" Damon called.

Bonnie looked over at Damon waiting for what he had to say.

"If this ends badly…for either one of us…" Damon turned the magnificence of his powder blue eyes on Bonnie. "I want you to know that getting to know you, the _real _you has been one of the best parts of me coming back here."

Bonnie tried so hard not to melt at his confession, but her heart wasn't made of stone. Damon had changed, not a total 180 from the bastard she first met. He was bastardly but he had shown her as of late that he cared about her, saw her as one of his friends, someone he wanted to protect, and of course do other things with. And she wasn't the sort of female that would take heartfelt words and crush them in order to get her point across that she didn't share his feelings, that he didn't touch her in those deep places that were being unearthed as each day passed.

She would accept his words as the truth, of seeing behind the veil, behind the curtain Damon hid his last remaining human emotions.

"I don't hate you as much as I used to, Damon. In fact, I daresay I even like you."

The shadows were drawing closer, not leaving them much time.

"You've surprised me in good and bad ways, but I don't regret having you in my life, Damon. I'm glad we're friends."

Those were probably the nicest words either one of them had spoken to each other within the last year. Damon wasn't big on smiling. He smirked when he was trying to be sneakily charming, but smiling just for the hell of smiling was virtually unheard of for him. But he offered one to Bonnie that was contagious and she smiled back.

Then the howling resumed knocking them out of their Hallmark moment. The air around Bonnie changed and it made Damon sharpen up on everything that made him a vampire. His sight improved, his hearing, and strength broadened. Shoot, he should have sipped a blood bag to give him that much more power, but it was far too late now.

The seven dogs emerged from the shadows. They ranged in color from russet, tawny, grayish-white, to midnight black. All their eyes glowed like flames as their snouts dripped with saliva. These weren't the computer generated mammoth sized furballs that plagued the movie screens. These were wolves you'd see in nature except they could move as fast as a vampire and could tear a human apart easily.

Damon didn't waste time questioning if anything human remained in werewolves. He could really careless and wouldn't waste his breath trying to bargain with an animal that wanted to rip into his jugular.

Yet he figured the one in the middle was Jules. Taunting her might not be best so Damon refrained from whistling at her.

Bonnie balled her hands into fists, her body taut like a guitar string. "Come on," she whispered impatiently.

The wolves stopped suddenly. There was about thirty feet of space separating them.

"Now what?" Damon asked.

One wolf on the far end took off, pounding its paws against the ground, headed right for Damon who quickly pressed the trigger on the flame thrower.

The animal howled against the brightness of the flame against its eyes and had to check before it ran into a wall of fire. It growled ferociously.

Two more wolves broke formation, but Bonnie had anticipated the move. She shouted something in Latin and thrust out her hand. The ground before the animals burst as if a landmine went off. The wolves went sailing through the air before landing on their bellies. The blow wasn't sufficient enough to knock them out, unfortunately, as they were quick to get back on their feet.

The remaining wolves had held back looking for weaknesses.

Bonnie lifted both hands to the heavens, still chanting in Latin. A ring of fire surrounded her and Damon.

However one brave wolf jumped over the wall. Bonnie, again thrust out her hand and the wolf yelped and promptly keeled over.

Thankful for the reprieve, Damon reached behind his back to retrieve a large hunting knife which he promptly threw it towards an oncoming wolf. Damon hit the animal right in the heart.

This caused a pause in the action as the wolves briefly congregated around their fallen mate. Then as one they all turned their attention back to the couple in the ring of fire.

"Werewolves, one word—bitches!" Damon mocked and took out another knife.

The wolves snarled and then they did something neither Bonnie nor Damon expected. They began to retreat, walking backwards towards the woods.

Damon stared at them in confusion, disbelieving they would give up so easily.

Divide and conquer Bonnie remembered. That's what wolves did. They wanted her and Damon to part because together they were too strong.

Damon fully made it up in his mind to go after them. With two wolves dead that left five to deal with and he wanted _no _survivors.

"Damon, wait," Bonnie cautioned him knowing Damon was about to give chase into the woods. "They want us to separate. "

The vampire sighed heavily. "This ends tonight, Bonnie. I refuse to deal with this crap every full moon cycle."

"I understand all of that, but we have to be smart. The woods is their turf. If we go after them we'll need a solid plan."

"The plan is to kill whatever walks on four feet. Are you coming or not?"

Bonnie sighed and then nodded.

Damon presented his back to Bonnie. "Hop on."

She did and like a bullet out of a chamber they shot into the woods.

* * *

><p>All the lights were shut off and Matt, armed with his car keys quickly shuffled to his ride. He conspicuously looked around and did his best to listen for any off sounds. Chris had walked the customers out in one large group, to which Matt was glad nothing tragic happened in the fifteen minutes it took to get everyone out of the restaurant.<p>

Now that he was alone it seemed the darkness was converging on him making him even more paranoid than he was right now.

Matt never locked his truck doors because who would waste their time trying to steal a beat up Ford? He climbed into the cabin, but his hands were trembling slightly and he dropped the keys.

"Damn it," he cursed and felt around on the floor and then froze.

The snarls were back only this time they sounded far closer than comfort. Matt slowly rose his head to peer over the steering wheel and his eyes enlarged.

Six dogs had surrounded his vehicle, each and every single one of them looked like some creature from hell or maybe it was his imagination running away from him.

The Labrador from earlier jumped on the hood of his car and began barking, it's spittle flying and covering the windshield. Matt held in his curses as he snatched his keys from the ground, stuffed the appropriate one in the ignition and gunned the engine.

He stomped his foot on the gas, and surprising the Labrador didn't budge. It was like it had suckers on its paws or something. Matt was sure he made a sight, driving wildly down the street with a dog stuck on his truck.

Matt swerved right trying to shake the animal off but it was determined to literally eat its way through the glass which separated them.

He was vastly approaching a red light and stomped on the break. The dog went careening off the hood and landed with a hard thud on the pavement. Breathing hard, Matt debated on whether to drive off or stop to see if he had successfully killed the dog.

Self-preservation was key and once the light turned green, back tires squealing through the night, Matt took off.

Across town…

It was game night at the Gilbert household. Alaric, Jenna, Jeremy, Elena, and Stefan were in the middle of playing a fierce game of Pictionary when Stefan's super hearing caught the sounds of dogs barking, and not just any ordinary barking, but vicious barking.

"Excuse me," Stefan said and rose from the couch and headed towards the front door. Stefan stepped outside and listened. It was one big symphony of snarls as if all the dogs were taking down a collective enemy.

Elena joined him, brow furrowed. "Stefan? What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "All I hear are dogs barking all over the city. Something is going on."

"What?" Elena asked and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as she heard several dogs in the neighborhood going bonkers.

Stefan shook his head, at a lost. "I don't know."

In another part of the city Caroline Forbes just finished dinner with her mom who was home early on a very rare occasion. The newly turned vampire stilled as she dumped her empty plate in the kitchen sink.

"Mom, do you hear that?"

Liz Forbes paused in clearing the table and listened to what her daughter was hearing. All she could really pick up were the sounds of the neighbor's dog barking incessantly, but other than that there was nothing which stood out to her that she should be listening to.

"What am I supposed to be listening for?"

Caroline didn't answer. She walked out to the backyard and was bombarded with the howls, barks, and yelps of hundreds of dogs. What in the world was going on?

* * *

><p>These animals were quick. Damon had three of them literally chomping at his ankles as he ran as fast as he could through the forest. He felt like he had been battling these things all night because dawn was vastly approaching. The sky was becoming lighter.<p>

Earlier he had to abandon Bonnie in a tree. One of them managed to jump on her back and bit into her shoulder. She bled profusely and using so much magic was making her lethargic and sloppy. So it was a good thing wolves couldn't climb trees. For the moment, she was safe.

The tally right now was four dead wolves, leaving the three that were chasing after him. There was a ravine not far from his present location and if he could make it without one of them launching on his back, they would all go careening off the edge and plummet to their death to the sharp rocks waiting below while he jumped to the other side.

He could really shoot himself for not thinking of this earlier.

The ravine was just ahead and Damon used up the last of his reserves, running full steam ahead. He had to time his jump just right so that the wolves would be too busy staring up in awe at his Superman act than attempt to jump the sixty foot ravine.

He grunted as he launched himself into the air, but then something sharp ripped into his ankle, nearly messing up his leap. Damon landed on the other side—barely—crashing into a tree with enough force to almost knock him unconscious, but he got to his feet, felt fire run up his leg which he pointedly ignored and hobbled to the edge. He saw two of the wolves sprawled out against the rocks and slowly they were turning back into their human form.

As his eyes went across the ravine he saw one remaining wolf glaring back at him as it optically flipped him off before disappearing.

Sighing, Damon dropped to his ass. His leg was on fire but he refused to look at it. He'd be all right as soon as he got some blood in his system. His first order of business was to get back to Bonnie. He'd let the vultures take care of the dead bodies that lied at the bottom of the ravine.

Getting back on the other side of the ravine took two tries, but Damon finally made it over, and then he was standing at the bottom of the tree where Bonnie was no longer there.

Where was she?

"Damon."

The vampire in question spun around and faced the young witch. Mud and dirt was splattered on strategic places on her clothes, but it was the blood stain on her shirt which caught and held his attention. Damon walked over to Bonnie and lightly prodded her shoulder to find…it was completely healed.

Bonnie stared up at him sheepishly. "I might not know everything, but I know how to heal my body. I still might need to get a tetanus shot and be tested for rabies," she trailed her eyes over him. "Are you okay?"

Damon quickly nodded and smirked. "I'm virtually spotless. As white as a little lamb."

Bonnie frowned at him. "Okay. What happened after you stuck me in a tree?"

Damon began the trek back to the house. Dawn was virtually upon them. The sky was an interesting shade of dark blue and purple.

"I led the remaining three wolves," he winced and tried not to put too much weight on his right leg and give away his condition, "to the ravine where two of them dropped to their death."

"And the third?" Bonnie asked and surreptitiously looked around. It could still be around despite it was very early dawn.

Damon shrugged. "It took off when it failed to follow its comrades over the edge."

It would be pointless to ask which wolf it was. Jules had been amongst the casualties. Damon had kicked her with enough force that it shattered her ribcage causing one of her ribs to pierce her heart, killing her instantly.

"I took care of the bodies," Bonnie told him grimly. She wouldn't divulge details of what she did and Damon was smart enough to figure it out.

He nodded his head and held the patio door open for Bonnie.

"You should head up and take a shower," he suggested.

Bonnie looked at Damon sharply. He hobbled his way over to the bar to pour himself a drink, but then stopped.

"Damon, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just tired."

Bonnie approached him and then, took the whiskey canter out of his hand and sat it back down. Then very lightly she placed her hand on his arm and directed him to the sofa where Damon collapsed on it. Bonnie knew where the Salvatore's kept their blood so she headed down to the basement and got a bag.

She still recoiled from handling the package but sucked it up and then cut across the living room. She eyed Damon for a moment as he rested on the couch; his head reclined against the back of the sofa, eyes closed.

Bonnie picked up a crystal tumbler and filled it with blood, and then she punctured her index finger with a letter opener and dropped a few droplets of her blood into the mix. Perhaps her blood would revitalize Damon who always bounced around with an endless supply of energy.

She sat down next to Damon, keeping a respectable distance between them. Bonnie tapped him on the knee with the glass.

Listlessly his eyes opened and he looked at Bonnie before his eyes dropped to the glass in her hands. His throat immediately burned with an unquenchable thirst he hadn't felt since he first transitioned. His stomach cramped violently and he tried his best not to snatch the drink from Bonnie and gobble it down like someone breaking a lifelong fast.

"Thank you," he said.

He was done in three swallows and wanted a refill. But then…something about the blood tasted different, as if Bonnie added a special spice to it.

Damon smacked his lips together and rolled around the aftertaste in his mouth trying to figure out why this blood tasted different, stronger, more filling.

"What did you add to this?"

Bonnie scratched behind her ear. "A few drops of my blood."

His cerulean eyes flew to hers. Bonnie saw as plain as day that Damon was going to lean over and kiss her which catapulted her off the couch.

"I should get home."

Damon stood to his feet. The pain in his leg wasn't as bad as before. He could actually put some weight on it and not want to gnaw it off to relieve the fire that danced in his veins. Perhaps he snagged it on something. At least that's what Damon would tell himself because living in denial always worked out better for him than facing the truth.

"Well, the least I can do is offer you my bathroom to get cleaned up. Do you really want to have to explain your appearance to your dad or…boyfriend," Damon grimaced.

Bonnie stared down at herself. No, she didn't want to have to lie to either one of them on why she looked like she had been on her way to Mordor to destroy the ring of power.

She decided to take Damon up on his offer and headed upstairs to his bathroom.

In his room, Bonnie stood like a statue as Damon moved around getting a robe, a towel and other essentials for her. He turned the shower on for her and allowed it to heat up. When he came back into his bedroom and noticed Bonnie hadn't moved a muscle, he wanted to tell her it was okay to snoop because that's what he did, but he could see she felt awkward and wasn't trying to make a big deal about being alone with him in his room.

"The water should be warm. If you need anything, yell."

Bonnie nodded and waited for Damon to vacate the room. Once she alone, with the flick of her powers she locked the door, as if a lock could keep him out, but it made her feel a little more secure.

Her green eyes looked around his sprawling room. It should be featured in _Better Homes & Gardens_ or something to that effect.

The only thing she could say she didn't like about Damon's boudoir is that it had an open floor plan which meant the bathroom didn't come with walls or a door. She stomped her way inside, stripped and tried her best not to look over her shoulder to see if a vampire dressed in black was leering at her.

Downstairs, Damon went into the library to tidy up. He had to do something to keep his mind off the activity taking place in his bathroom, and it was by the skin of teeth that he didn't ambush Bonnie and join her. Really, other than setting him on fire what could she do to him, and well he had an argument lined up to justify their showering together, it would help conserve water.

The pain in his leg, however, was persistent and he sighed heavily, knowing he couldn't put off the inevitable for a minute longer.

Damon sat down and hiked his leg on the table and rolled back the ripped hem of his jeans. Dried blood was the first thing he saw and then, there it was the bite to end all bites.

"Shit," he cursed softly and then watched as the wound began to heal. Damon's eyes bugged and he waited to see what would happen next—if anything. He certainly didn't feel as if he were about to kick the bucket and it wasn't like he could ask another vampire for tips. There wasn't a vampire manual of _What to Expect when You're Expecting to Die from a Werewolf Bite_.

Hmm, maybe that was another myth, that a werewolf bite could kill a vampire. His leg still ached, but the teeth impressions were gone leaving behind only his dried blood.

Back in his room…

Damon's showerhead was one of those that trickled down right on top of you instead of spray you in the face. The warm water felt amazing and it helped loosen the tight muscles in Bonnie's body.

She lathered herself good with some kind of shower gel that smelled like gardenias. At first Bonnie kept her mind totally blank. She didn't want to think over the night or the thing she had to do, but unfortunately her conscience decided not to leave her alone.

It had been much more difficult to deal with werewolves for Bonnie. They were still human, had warm skin could actually procreate. The realization that she took a "life" had Bonnie slightly freaking out. When she stared down at her hands, they were covered in blood. Was the blood she spilled tonight purely innocent? Of that she couldn't say with a hundred percent certainty. She had never met the other wolves that joined Jules on her blind quest for justice for Mason. And his death was another that she could tack on her list of acts she regretted. Although she might not have been around during that fatal moment when Damon decided that Mason had lived long enough, Bonnie had left Mason in Damon's care knowing he would kill him. So at the end of the day did that mean she had no problems being an accessory to murder? Did it mean she didn't mind getting her hands dirty if it came down to her life and someone else?

Hastily, Bonnie scrubbed her hands yet the stain of blood still remained. She felt something seize her soul, changing it, whispering corruption to it.

Who was this girl she just became overnight?

The thrill of the chase sang to her like a siren but made her soul yell like a banshee.

The constant reassurance that she did what she had to didn't make her feel any better. Yet what was the alternative? Bonnie was in league with killers. And wouldn't she at some point have to take life?

Ugh, this made her feel peculiar.

Since the blood wouldn't come off her hands, Bonnie resorted to washing and rewashing her body until her skin literally squeaked due to scrubbing away her body's natural oils. Next she focused on her hair, scratching and scrubbing her scalp until it was probably fiery red.

The water was growing cold and her fingers were wrinkled, Bonnie figured she was clean enough and stepped out of the shower.

Damon knocked on the door the minute she was dry and donned in the robe. Bonnie unlocked the door with her powers. She wrapped her arms around her middle trying her best not to tremble despite the fact her skin was warm.

Damon sensed her tension, the fear, and something else probably guilt because it smacked him in the face like a pungent odor the minute he entered his room. In his hands he was able to find some of Elena's clothes in Stefan's room and brought them for Bonnie to change into. She'd have to go without underwear but whatever. They were clothes.

He took one long, calculating look at Bonnie and could tell she was doing her level best not to breakdown, especially in front of him.

Damon tossed the clothes on the bed and approached Bonnie. She wouldn't look him in the eye, but that didn't stop Damon from tilting her chin up with his finger.

"What's wrong?"

Bonnie shook her head and pulled her chin away. She sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed her hands together because they refused to stop shaking. Damon joined her and then reached for her hands, rubbing them between his own.

"You feel guilty don't you?" he guessed. "Bonnie you didn't do anything wrong."

"Please…don't say that. Logically I know they were wolves and they were going to kill us but they were still people too, and I made a promise to my Grams."

"And if Sheila had been in your shoes what do you think she would have done?"

Bonnie stopped and thought for a minute. Grams didn't take mess from anyone and she knew deep in her heart that her grandmother would have done what was necessary to keep innocent people from being hurt.

Yet no matter what pretty paper Bonnie tried to wrap it up in, she still killed.

Damon brought their clasped hands up higher and kissed Bonnie's knuckles. With the pain in his leg fully gone, and this chapter closed he could get back on his other mission.

Bonnie's warm skin called to all of his senses and he was trying so _hard _not to get hard. Seduction wasn't what she needed right now, but a friend, a real friend. And honestly Damon wasn't as versed in that area as he should be. But he remembered Bonnie had been there for him when really all he wanted was to be left alone.

He would return the favor.

Damon slung an arm over her shoulder and drew her closer. Bonnie was a little stiff next to him but she didn't attempt to pull away.

"Grams would have done what was necessary…I get that. But…I'm not my grandmother."

"If you were that would make this moment _pretty _awkward."

Bonnie snorted. "When Grams told me she was a witch and I was one too I thought it would be fun. That I'd be like…and I'd hate to say this but I thought I'd be like Sabrina."

Damon stared down at her with an eyebrow raised in the air to which Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"I thought I would be able to cast spells to help me cheat on tests or make people act like fools, you know dumb stuff. I didn't think it would entail all of this. Battling vampires and werewolves and whatever else goes bump in the night.

"I told Stefan that I felt things would come down to me having to choose who lived and who died, and honestly Damon I don't want that weight on my shoulders. And it shouldn't be my decision to make."

"But if you don't make the decision who will?" he questioned.

Bonnie was unsure. "I don't know."

"I get you're human but you're also supernatural. And dealing with the supernatural you kind of have to put the human side of you on the back burner because otherwise this lifestyle will eat you alive. Your guard will be down at the worst possible time and it just might cost you your life. And if you die, what good would that do for anyone?"

Bonnie could understand where Damon was coming from, but she wasn't looking to justify her actions. Or maybe she was.

"Bon...I wouldn't worry too much about tonight. The only time someone in your shoes should worry is if you start to _like _killing. Then that would be the time to question your morals and ethics."

Bonnie would take heed to his words, but still, she already knew that tonight would stick with her for a long time.

Damon was silent for a while. "Why did you really hate vampires, Bonnie?"

It was a question Bonnie had repeatedly asked herself and one she couldn't provide a definitive answer to.

"I think you of all people should know why vampires left a salty taste in my mouth."

He winced. "Right. It wasn't _you _I was trying to kill…"

"Still it was no excuse for what you did," she admonished Damon. "But I had a balance of dealing with good and bad vampires. Stefan was a balm I applied to a wound. I don't look at things in matters of black and white anymore because if I did, I wouldn't be best friends with Caroline, and I wouldn't be in a relationship with a vampire." Bonnie sighed and then shifted out of Damon's arms so she could turn on the bed to face him.

Damon adjusted his position as well.

"Did you mean what you said to me the night we all had dinner at Elena's? That my life meant nothing to you?"

Oh god, Damon literally felt his stomach bottoming out before it traveled upwards and got lodged in his throat where it promptly filled with bile. He had forgotten he said that to her.

"Bonnie," he began softly, "okay I'm not going to bullshit you because that's one of the things I like about our dynamic. We can be brutally honest with each another." Pause. "I did mean it."

She didn't flinch at his words but her eyes tightened.

Hastily he said, "But that was only because my head was stuck up Elena's ass and I just wanted to do whatever was necessary to protect her…show her that she had other options, _better _options."

Bonnie considered his words. "Can I ask you another question?"

Damon nodded.

"What was it about Elena that appealed to you? Was it because she's Katherine's double? Something else?"

The vampire in question sighed audibly and stared up at the wood beam ceiling. "Yeah, Elena shared Katherine's looks and that was about it. She was…the first person who attempted to be my friend, and she showed me that she did give a damn about me. Of course you know that was weird for me because I don't make friends."

"But…you've been around for a while. Doesn't it get lonely? Not having anyone in your life you could turn to, be real with?"

Damon got up from the bed. This conversation was making him slightly uncomfortable because it was asking him to dig deeper than the superficial. He wasn't sure he was ready to be that open and raw with Bonnie. Not while she was involved with someone else. Someone else who was benefitting from her open heart and most importantly her love.

He turned to face her, his hard veneer in tact that he covered up with a cinematic smile. "I'm not human, Bonnie. Humans are social creatures where they need relationships in order to function. I don't. Humans are nothing more than sustenance to me so why waste my time befriending them? Do you go around getting attached to a cow before you turn it into hamburger meat?"

Bonnie got off the bed. "No I'm not talking about you having friendships with humans but with other vampires."

"Vampires suck," Damon balked.

She chuckled.

"No, seriously, we do," Damon went on. "We're always suspicious of each other and we're too obsessed with power that we can't effectively create a union and work together. And I've never needed anyone else except for myself." His eyes turned serious then as he gazed at her. "But now…I do feel like I've been missing out."

Bonnie noticed that the air had changed and she backed up from Damon, now more than ever ready to put on some clothes.

Damon began stalking her again until the back of her legs hit the bed. "Stop running from me," he warned.

"I have to."

"No you don't."

Bonnie shook her head to refute his claim. "If I don't I'll only hurt you, Damon."

He stopped advancing and really looked into her luminous green eyes. Damon loomed closer and then smiled because her heart was hammering a mile a minute. Just like the wolves backing away, Damon did as well, and continued walking until he reached the door where he paused before exiting the room.

"Hey, Bonnie…"

She sucked in a massive breath of air before looking at him.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Damon left the bedroom to give her something to think about.

* * *

><p>Bonnie tore through the door of Damon's house and took the stairs two at time until she reached the second floor where she promptly threw the door open.<p>

There he was, still passed out in the same position she left him in hours ago. Bonnie nibbled a corner of her mouth and slipped off her shoes before climbing into bed with Damon.

She got as close to him as possible, kissed his cheek, and whispered, "Awake."

Dark eyes popped open. "What time is it?"

Bonnie offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Its morning, and time for you to get up."

Damon pulled her closer and kissed her lips until Bonnie needed air. "I feel like I've been asleep for days," and then he stretched like a cat against the bed. He examined her closely and realized she was wearing clothes that smelled like her friend Elena. "What have you been up to?"

"Getting into trouble."

In more ways than one, Bonnie thought sullenly but otherwise, placed her head on Damon's chest, and watched the sun continue to rise over the horizon.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

He tossed and turned in his sleep unable to get comfortable. Damon kicked the covers off and then his eyes fluttered open. For a minute he just stared up at the ceiling, his mind replaying having Bonnie in his room, naked and dressed in nothing more than a robe. If he inhaled deeply enough he could still scent her in the air.

Yet his reverie was interrupted by a stab of pain like someone knifed him. Damon choked on his own saliva as he bolted to a sitting position and stared down at his right leg.

"The hell…?" he looked at the nasty wound that seemed to have grown in size now covering half of his lower leg. Dark purple and black veins stretched across his pale skin in angry squiggles. And his skin actually moved, pulsed around the area where the wolf had bitten him.

His world tilted and all Damon could think about was blood, blood, blood, fountains of overflowing blood.

Life for everyone in town, himself included was about to suck.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I really wanted to show Bonnie's struggle with taking life or being part of someone's death in a roundabout sort of way because on the show its often overlooked that the people who die are just that PEOPLE and that every death seems to be justifiable. It's not, at least not to the human soul. And because of this struggle she and Damon were able to have a serious talk and were able to address their old issues. On the show Damon is one-dimensional but making him too deep or doing too much self-introspection would be a little OOC, but I think he's probably, after Stefan of course the deepest character or has the ability to be so if the writer's knew how to write that way for him. Most pretty boys have serious issues, lets see them. Don't worry I have no plans in devolving him or turning him into Stefan in order to fit in. So siree. I've talked long enough. Thanks for reading! Love you!**


	29. Keep Your Eyes Open

**A/N: Here is the latest. Enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Someone once told me that only rock stars leave behind good looking corpses. Well, I'm going to have to disagree on that. I'm one, if not _the _most beautiful specimen walking the earth and…(laughs bitterly) I'm dying. I'm a dead man dying. This makes absolutely no fudging sense but it's the gotdamn truth. That's right ladies and gents, famed Damon Salvatore, vampire extraordinaire, playboy, and the sometimes humanitarian—at least when it suits me—is about to make a grand exit. Thank you, thank you, you've all been so kind.

I should stop playing around and get serious. This is, after all, a serious matter. Why so serious as the Joker would say. When I was human I thought dying for love was like making the ultimate sacrifice, but then another sort of death happened and here I still stand, although barely, but I'm here nonetheless and it seems my Final Destination moment has finally caught up with me. Darn. I was so looking forward to beating Death at its game but I'm just a little pawn in a huge game called life and apparently all of my chips are down.

Most people when they know they're about to die want to settle old scores, handout apologies and give away forgiveness. I'm not doing that. That wouldn't be my style and that's not who I am. Besides if I started giving away my most prized possession everyone would automatically assume I'm about to off myself.

I certainly can't give that tidbit away. Not yet at least.

I've done so much dirt and shit in my prolonged life I wouldn't even know where to start in saying my final goodbyes. I guess the obvious choice would be Stefan but then he would try to talk me out of what I'm going to do next and then he'd probably sacrifice himself in order to save me. The idiot. He knows my history better than anyone yet he believes there's something in me still worth saving. Alaric when he first came here had the right idea. I needed to be stopped, killed because otherwise I'd just keep destroying everything I touched. I still haven't exactly figured out how I flipped him to Team Damon side, but (shrugs) it's better than him wanting my head on a silver platter.

Next on the list would be the Gilberts. I'll just go ahead and lump those losers together, kill several birds with one massive stone. Elena, it was nice chasing your skirt around town despite the fact I never got the chance to put my hand up it. Jeremy, pfft.

Vampire Barbie it's been real. Not!

Bonnie.

I quite literally ripped into her life, treated her like she was expendable, but she never once backed down from me. She is the only woman I know who was able to put me in my place. Well, after her Grams put the whammy on my brain, Bonnie became the second woman I knew not to piss off, yet I did anyways. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment obviously, but Bonnie became my reluctant partner, friend, and well we could have become so much more but now it will never happen and that makes my already sore body ache even more.

Her face is the last face I want to see before I close my eyes for good. I know if I told her she'd be here, or she'd do everything in her power to help me, but I've made my peace, I suppose. It's time to close the curtain, but there is one final thing I'd like to say to her and maybe, maybe she might kiss me.

A dead man can have a wish list, right?

Damon Salvatore

* * *

><p>Bonnie was dragging her feet. For some strange reason she was feeling more tired than usual. She realized this shouldn't have been the case because she went to bed at a reasonable time, didn't do any strenuous activity. But sometime during the night she woke up, and hadn't been able to get back to sleep until it was time to get up.<p>

Yawning she entered homeroom and took a seat at her assigned desk. Bonnie dumped her satchel next to her feet and fiddled with her cell while waiting for the morning announcements.

Like a zap of energy to her butt Bonnie looked up towards the door at the same time a new kid strolled through the door. Hmm. Not bad looking Bonnie thought distractedly as she kept her green eyes on the caramel hued guy with the low haircut who was dressed in head to toe Tommy Hilfiger.

The new student handed a note to Mr. Preston who quickly read over the information before lifting his eyes to face the rest of the class. Everyone had been giving the guy either probing or surreptitious glances, yet Bonnie knew right off the bat that they were kindred.

"Hey, everyone we have a new student. This is Luka Martin, a transfer from Connecticut. Let's make him feel welcome."

Luka waved and then proceeded down one aisle over from where Bonnie was seated. The vibration she felt coming off him increased and Bonnie snapped her eyes away when Luka boldly made eye contact with her.

He was a witch and she wanted to know what he was doing here and if he could tell they had something in common. To say she was tense for the next twenty minutes was an understatement.

* * *

><p><strong>An hour earlier…The Gilbert Residence<strong>

It was getting easier for Jenna to move around. Now that she was officially off the baby food diet, she took full advantage by eating her first boiled steak for dinner last night. Moving up and down the stairs still took some care, but she was getting her strength back. To prove she wasn't as delicate as everyone was trying to make her out to be, Jenna had gotten up early to cook breakfast.

She turned on the television and sliced an English muffin in half and slathered it with strawberry jam as she listened to the news.

"_There has been an outbreak of pet attacks that have left law enforcement baffled and hospital staff flustered. The attacks seemingly began around eight p.m. last night and continued until dawn. So far there have been three fatalities while many more suffered minor injuries from these attacks. The names of the deceased have yet to be released, and as more information becomes available we will keep you updated…"_

Jenna licked jam from her finger and shook her head. For the past year it seemed there had been nothing but a slew of animal attacks that usually only resulted in a single death. But now it appeared people were being attacked by their own family pets.

"And this is why I was against owning a dog," she said.

Elena bounced into the kitchen, kissed Jenna on the cheek before heading to the coffee machine to start a pot. "What were you saying about owning a dog?"

"Oh, just on the news people have been getting attacked by their pets. The attacks seemed to start around the same time last night."

Elena's eyes widened as she grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the TV, but of course nothing was playing save commercials.

"They did say pets specifically or animals in general?"

Jenna stared at her strangely. "Pets. Family owned pets. Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no," Elena attempted to smile and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. "It's just when you think this town couldn't get any weirder, it proves that it can."

Memories from last night flooded Elena and she remembered Stefan going outside because he heard dogs barking all over the city. He also speculated they could have been reacting to some malevolent supernatural presence but couldn't say with a hundred percent certainty.

Elena was glad the full moon cycle was over. Maybe now things could return to some sense of normalcy.

* * *

><p>Damon strolled through the living room, correction, limped into the living room heading over to the curio chest to extract his favorite bourbon. This morning he had done nothing but drive through town despite the pain in his leg, with no set destination in mind.<p>

He filled a glass, favoring the left side of his body to keep weight off his right leg. He took a sip and gulped it down and immediately felt the urge to puke. It came out in rivers, nothing but blood.

Disappointedly, Damon looked down at the lovely mess he just created and clenched his stomach as a roaring pain went through him making him feel as if he just swallowed hot coals. The pain was too much making Damon collapse to his knees. Rolling over on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, feeling the world spin around him, Damon just wanted to eat his own leg off so he wouldn't feel anymore pain.

Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen.

His eyes closed and he thought, this is it. He was going to die on the floor of his family home in a pool of vomited blood. Smashing.

When his eyes opened he was staring up at his brother's brooding forehead. This must be hell.

"Damon," Stefan sighed in relief. "What happened? You're sweating and burning up."

The vampire in question coughed, which racked his entire body. "Leg," was all he could manage to say as he battled against another wave of unconsciousness.

Stefan was confused and was about to ask another leading question when he figured out that whatever was responsible for Damon's condition would be revealed if he looked at his leg. He rolled up Damon's right pant leg and there was a vicious looking wound.

Stefan cursed loudly feeling several levels of pissivity. As carefully as he could Stefan lifted Damon on his shoulders and sped him up to his room. He dumped his brother's body on his massive bed, face grim, lips smashed into a hard lime. Leave it to Damon to get bitten by a werewolf. Stefan knew without asking that it was a werewolf bite because a bite from an ordinary dog wouldn't do the horrible damage he just witnessed.

"Tucking me…into…bed…how sweet," mocked Damon.

"Don't talk please," Stefan responded tersely. "You need to converse your strength. How long ago were you bitten?"

"I…thought…you didn't…want me…to…talk?"

Hands on hips, Stefan just glared at his older brother. Damon rolled his eyes, felt the room swirl around, as another strong wave of nausea slapped him upside the head.

"Yesterday."

Stefan closed his eyes and then reached for his cell phone. Neither one of them knew much about werewolf bites other than the fact they were deadly to vampires. Maybe there was something that could make Damon comfortable while Stefan searched out a way to save his life. In any case he had several calls to make and a very limited time to make them.

"I'm…thirsty," Damon heaved.

"I'll get you something to drink. Don't move."

Stefan flashed down to the basement to get a blood bag and cursed because he heard the front door slam open before shutting. He closed his eyes, slammed the deep freezer and went in search of Damon.

* * *

><p>Her body never got past its lethargic state so that meant a coffee recon at Mystic Grill after school stat. Bonnie walked through the doors and felt that odd wave of power again. Sitting in a booth not that far from the entrance was the new guy from her homeroom, and he wasn't alone. Seated across from him was a distinguished older man, probably his dad. Food sat untouched before them as they looked to be engrossed in a heavy conversation.<p>

Yet as Bonnie drew closer she noticed that the older guy stiffened slightly and his dark brown eyes landed on her.

Bonnie threw a pleasant smile on her face, determined to bypass their table, yet she had to walk past it in order to reach the main part of the dining room. Just great because she knew she was about to be ambushed.

Bonnie pretended to search for something in her bag, but then heard her name being called. She stopped and pivoted on her feet, smile still in place but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah?"

Luka slid out of the booth, hand extended. "Luka…we have homeroom together."

"Oh, right," Bonnie shook his hand and cast her eyes briefly on his father who was staring at her with an intensity that reminded her of a pair of vampires. "How was your first day?"

Luka drew his hand back and hunched his shoulders. "It was like any other first day at a new school. A little nerve wracking but nothing too embarrassing happened. So far everyone I've met have been cool."

Bonnie nodded her head.

"I'm being rude," Luka said sheepishly. "Let me introduce you to my dad."

Inwardly Bonnie groaned. Jonas stood from the booth, towering over Bonnie, pummeling her with his gaze.

"Jonas Martin. Nice to meet you, Bonnie…?"

"Bennett," she supplied her last name. She hoped Jonas would drop their introduction and let her go about her business, but to her horror he extended his hand in invitation for her to join them at their table. Bonnie sighed deeply. She knew Jonas and his son Luka were witches but that didn't mean she could automatically trust them. New people who popped up into town never had good intentions in mind.

Luka and Jonas retook their seats and waited for Bonnie to sit down. She did on the very edge of the booth, next to Luka.

"Bennett? Any relation to the Bennett's in Salem?" Jonas interrogated.

"A vague relation," Bonnie fibbed. "So what do you do? If you don't mind me asking."

Jonas slipped off his frameless glasses and cleaned them. "I teach anthropology and alternative religions at the university. The former professor…" he stopped suddenly and looked at Bonnie again. "Was Sheila Bennett your grandmother?"

A lump formed in Bonnie's throat. Again she nodded her head and refused to say more. Luka could tell she was tense.

"I'm sorry that she passed. I heard she was a remarkable woman."

"She was," Bonnie quickly agreed.

"And I heard she was a fellow practitioner of the craft."

Bonnie said nothing but other than hitch an elegantly arched eyebrow in the air. Luka took that as his cue to intervene because he knew the man was probing and nosy which made him one of the best researchers in America. And also one of the most dangerous ones. Knowledge was power and his father did nothing with his spare time other than read books that had fallen out of existence centuries ago, devouring every myth and legend until his mind was nothing but one big twisted ball of conspiracy.

"Dad, I think Bonnie was on her way to meet someone. We shouldn't hold her up."

It took a minute for Jonas to break his stare. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I didn't mean to keep you from your company."

A pale white hand came out of nowhere, took Bonnie by the hand, and pulled her out of the booth.

The father, son pair stiffened even more because they knew what the intruder was. Bonnie ignored their reaction to Damon, and turned in his arms to give him her undivided attention.

"Not to worry," Damon moved his coal black eyes from Bonnie's gorgeous face to Jonas and narrowed his orbs, "unlike others I know how to share…occasionally."

Bonnie slightly pushed against Damon to get him to back up. The last thing she needed was for anyone to cause a scene over nothing.

Bonnie chanced a look over her shoulder and saw that Jonas's face was not friendly at all. Yep, it was time to move this along and quick. She turned around until her back faced Damon's front who wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her against him.

"Luka it was nice to meet you. You as well, Mr. Martin. I'll talk to you later."

With that she and Damon walked hand-in-hand all the while feeling two pairs of eyes burning a hole in her head.

Once she was a safe distance away, Bonnie upturned her mouth for a kiss to which Damon happily obliged. And because he knew they had a special viewing audience, he took his time savoring her mouth, deepening the kiss to make those in the vicinity uncomfortable and mumble things incoherently under their breath.

Bonnie knew she should end the kiss because one, she was a private person and didn't really engage in public displays of affection, and two, because she was traveling inside Damon's mind again.

Only this time she bypassed the boy who was chained to that humungous rock. There was no time for her to speak, to ask how he was doing being left alone with nothing other than his chained wrists and a sliver of light as his only companions.

Now she was in the Salvatore boardinghouse. Damon, the one with the light eyes was standing in front of the stain glass windows and as Bonnie looked closely she saw that his skin was reddening and he was burning.

Bonnie violently ripped her lips away from Damon, panting heavily wondering if what she saw was a vision of the future or something that could be happening right now.

Damon stared down at her, brows furrowed. "Bonnie?"

She ignored him and reached for her cell phone and called Stefan. The minute he answered she said, "What is your brother doing right now?"

"Bonnie, it's not good. Can you come to the boardinghouse as _soon _as possible? I'll explain more when you get here."

The call ended and Bonnie felt something shift inside of her. She didn't like Stefan's tone and that vision made her break out into goose bumps. Something was fatally wrong with Damon.

However the one she was currently with wanted answers to several questions. He didn't like the way the Martins looked at him—as if they knew what he was which they probably did considering they were witches, he could smell it on them—but more importantly he wanted to know what trouble the other Damon had caused which naturally left it up to his girlfriend to fix.

It seemed the boy was involved in some kind of mini-drama every week! And he for one was damn sick and tired of it.

"I have to head to the boardinghouse," Bonnie stared up at him with those apologetic malachite eyes of hers.

Damon shook his head. "No, _we _have to go to the boardinghouse. It's you and me, you promised me that."

She wasn't in the mood to argue. Bonnie nodded her ascent and the two of them left of course with suspicious and narrowed eyes glowering at them.

Jonas pinned his son with a reprimanding look which instantly made Luka avert his eyes. He knew he was going to get an earful once they made it back to their apartment.

"Remember what your job is, Luka. I won't accept failure."

Luka slid his elbows on the table and found the courage to look his father in the eye without withering. "I get that, dad, trust me when I say I do, but she's involved with a freaking vampire. Elijah forgot to mention that part."

"Screw Elijah's oversight. He's not our boss. Bonnie is remarkably strong but she's clearly misguided because she's on the wrong side. And you need to make her realize that and soon."

* * *

><p>Stefan opened the door and welcomed Bonnie and Damon into the house.<p>

"What's going on?" was the first thing out of Bonnie's mouth. She noticed that the red velvet drapes that were usually left closed this time of day were open.

"Damon was bitten by a werewolf."

Bonnie gasped loudly. "What? When? I mean…oh my God. Last night. It had to have happened last night. Why didn't he tell me? Where is he?"

Stefan decided to answer her questions in the order in which she asked them. "He probably didn't tell you for the same reason he didn't tell me, because he didn't want us to save him. He's in the basement. I had to lock him up after he attempted to get a sun tan."

As a result of Damon's attempted suicide, Stefan practically had to glue Damon's day walking ring on his finger to thwart any future attempts.

Bonnie followed Stefan into the basement abandoning the other Damon to his devices. Well, it would appear that Damon with his cerulean eye self was getting his comeuppance yet the victory of his impending death didn't exactly make dark-eyes feel, well, victorious. He had a rude thought of perhaps Damon getting bitten on purpose so that people could coddle him in his last moments, but he had to discard that notion because Damon might be stupid but he was no idiot. He loved himself too much to actually put his life in real danger.

He listened as Stefan cautioned Bonnie because she wanted to enter the cellar.

"Open the door, Stefan."

"No, he's volatile right now. He nearly ripped my arm out when I wrestled him away from the window. And I think he's been hallucinating. He started accusing me of stealing Katherine thinking we were back in 1864 when were last human."

Bonnie gulped nervously and pushed past her own fear of how Damon might react once he saw her.

"I'll be fine, Stefan. I can protect myself, you know that."

Stefan did know, but what he wasn't so sure about was Damon's mental state. His emotions and reactions were a train with no conductor. One minute Damon could form coherent sentences and the next he would begin railing about some past offense.

Right now he was sprawled out on the dirt floor where a pool of vomited blood was mere inches away from his head. Stefan sighed and opened the door. He would not leave Bonnie unprotected.

Cautiously Bonnie entered the cellar and kneeled down. She touched Damon on the shoulder who groaned and slowly turned until he lied partially on his back.

The light from overhead stung his eyes and blurred his vision. He squinted trying to make out the face of his visitor but the picture kept going in and out of focus. When he made himself blink, his vision cleared and the person staring down at him, he wondered why she was here.

"Emily?"

Bonnie was a bit taken aback. She looked nothing like Emily and figured Damon was probably hallucinating. Did the hallucinations come before he turned violent or after? She forgot to ask Stefan about that part.

"No, Damon it's me, Bonnie," she held him by the shoulder, half supporting his weight.

Damon smiled a real genuine smile as he reached up and cupped Bonnie's cheek, feeling her warm skin. "You came."

She graced him with a shaky smile. Damon looked so broken yet so euphoric to see her of all people. His face was covered in a heavy film of sweat, even his body was covered because his black shirt was damp with it. Bonnie honestly didn't think vampires could sweat.

"Of course I came. Where else would I be? We should move you to your room and get you as comfortable as possible."

Stefan had a huge objection to this. "Bonnie, I don't think he should be…"

She turned her head to glare at Stefan so sharply that he cut off his words immediately.

"Help your brother to his room, Stefan. He's not a caged animal for goodness sake."

Clamping his mouth shut, Stefan did as ordered and quickly carried Damon to his room. Once there he stood back and watched as Bonnie arranged the pillows around Damon. If his brother weren't dying, which was a hard thought for Stefan to process, then he was sure that seeing Bonnie handle Damon with care would never transpire. But it warmed Stefan's heart that other people beside himself cared about his brother. It made the load much easier to bear.

"How do you feel?" Bonnie asked softly as she pressed the back of her hand against Damon's feverish forehead. He was burning yet freezing at the same time. The sensation reminded her of Icy Hot.

Damon peeled open his eyes. "Like I was motor-boated by a porcupine."

Bonnie chortled. "Why didn't you tell me last night that you were bitten?"

Damon attempted to shrug and couldn't. He couldn't get his body to do anything he wanted it to do. "Because the bite healed and I thought I was out of the woods, but then it came back with a vengeance. Go figure."

His eyes closed and he was out again. Bonnie stepped away from the bed and watched as Stefan approached.

She would give Stefan credit for not freaking out. Although he had just as much reason to want Damon dead because he tried to keep his promise of eternal misery to Stefan, at the end of the day they were brothers and would have each other's back.

"Is there anything you can do for him?"

"I don't know, Stefan. Other than keeping him comfortable…" Bonnie didn't finish her sentence. She contacted her boyfriend, via telepathy.

_Damon?_

_Yes, love?_

_Have you ever met a vampire that survived a werewolf bite?_

_Unfortunately, no. I knew a vampire who claimed he was eaten by a dragon but then again that was probably a lie. And of course that's not what's currently going on with the neophyte. But I may know a way to ease his passing._

_Damon, you're not going to kill him._

_I wasn't talking about killing him. I was thinking there are some herbs that can be used in a poultice to relieve his pain. Too bad there are no old fashioned apothecaries around. _

_Good, can you go get them? And…I hate to do this but maybe you could ask the Martins? They're witches._

_I don't think they'll want to help a vampire live._

_True, but…I have to try every source I can think of. _

_I'll try. I'll be back before you know it. Love you._

_I love you, too._

Stefan kept his eyes glued on Bonnie. It was like she blanked out for a second. Just when he was about to ask if she were all right, Damon began coughing.

"I didn't mean it…what I said…Stefan."

The vampire in question frowned as he approached Damon and lightly shook him on the shoulder. "Damon, you're dreaming."

"Hun?" his sky-blue eyes opened. What the hell man? He was sick of going to sleep and seeing one century and waking up in a different one. Can't someone just kill him already?

Stefan looked at Bonnie who appeared just as helpless as he felt. They had no idea what to do for Damon.

* * *

><p><strong>The Old Woods<strong>

Bonnie would be proud of him. He didn't break Jonas Martin's neck like the man had been silently begging him to do. He figured going to the witches— correction—warlocks would be a waste of time but at least he could say he tried to bargain with him. And it wasn't exactly his fault that he may have broken a few of the man's fingers but there was no need for Jonas to try to drop Damon like a bad habit. Didn't he know bad habits were hard, next to impossible to drop?

Damon had actually chuckled when he felt an explosion take place in his cranium. It was a fascinating sensation when he paused long enough to think about it, but then it only served to piss him off. No one got the best of him and lived to tell the tale, but he knew killing the warlock would put him in the doghouse with the missus, so he left with a warning. Try it again, I take your head. Enough said.

Sighing, Damon traipsed through the ancient woods of Mystic Falls looking for three specific herbs. He could smell them. He just needed to find them under all the other overgrown bush and vegetation. Occasionally he checked in with Bonnie to make sure he was making good time, and Bonnie told him to hurry, that Damon's condition was worsening rapidly.

"There you are," he said to the patch of purple and yellow flowers. Damon grabbed a handful and stuffed them in a bag he confiscated from some old lady.

He headed deeper and came on alert when he felt something shift in the atmosphere. Damon spun around, opening up his senses, probing the area with his mind to find where the possible threat could be coming from.

His quest abandoned Damon headed to a clearing in the woods and stood a moment. Suddenly a bright light blinded him. He knew that light.

A dimension was opening.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Stefan was downstairs with Alaric pouring through every book Alaric thought could be useful from his own library, to every single book in the Salvatore library. Elena had arrived once she found out about Damon's condition. She quickly peeped in on him, taking heed to Stefan's warning that Damon sometimes hallucinated and might confuse her with Katherine, and depending on his mood, Damon might either be happy or pissed off to see her.

But it had been jarring to Elena to catch Bonnie in bed next to Damon, supporting his weight because he complained of chills and Bonnie ran hotter than the typical human. She pushed past her own discomfort to let Damon know she was there to which she was graced with a lazy smile before his eyes closed again.

Now Bonnie stood, pacing the room, her cell pressed to her ear as she listened to Elijah telling her the only thing that could possibly save Damon was hybrid blood. And this was something he learned in passing throughout the centuries yet of course it was never actually tested.

Elijah was quick to dismiss her idea of what hybrid blood entailed. Bonnie thought he had been suggesting she lift the moonstone curse and go through the ritual of making a vampire/werewolf hybrid. No, that wasn't it at all. The blood would have to be a mix of werewolf, witch, human anomaly, and the blood of an original vampire in order to possibly cure Damon.

Bonnie had access to all of those different types of blood apart from one.

"If I weren't in England you know I'd lend my blood. I'm sorry, my dear."

Yeah, Bonnie was tired of sorry's.

Then a thought occurred to Bonnie. "What about your brother? Niklaus? If I could get a message to him…"

"I have no idea of my brother's whereabouts and even if I were in a position to point you in the right direction, there would be no guarantee he would help. And if he did by some miracle, he'd expect you to pay a price too high to pay. Leave Niklaus out of it. He is no friend to you."

Bonnie gripped her hair and pulled. This was hopeless. "Thanks, Elijah," she said despondently and quickly ended the call. She relayed that information to dark-eyes who said nothing for a while, only offered another sorry. And then she went downstairs to the library to tell Stefan of the possible dead end they just met.

Yet, still feeling hopeful, Stefan decided he would reach out to Tyler and ask him for a blood donation. He'd put Elena on the phone if Tyler wanted to be difficult.

Bonnie went back upstairs at the same time Damon turned over in bed. Bonnie retook her position next to him, getting as close to Damon as she could. He moved to accommodate her but not without wincing, grimacing, or coughing.

She didn't say anything to him for a while, just stroked his soaked hair off his forehead and pressed her cheek to his temple.

"How long was I out?"

"An hour and a half."

"That's longer than the last time," he panted like a newborn. "Bonnie, you don't have to stay with me."

"I do, Damon. Although I know you'd never admit it, but you'd do the same for me if I were…" she didn't finish her thought because somehow it would feel like hammering the last nail in his coffin.

Damon tried to chuckle but only sounded as if someone were choking him. "You can say it, Bon. I'm dying. Finished. This whole being immortal thing is really a technicality. You'd think nothing _could_ kill me."

"Can we move to another topic?"

"If I didn't know any better I would think that you'll actually miss me once I'm gone."

"Me miss your assholian ways, I think not," Bonnie denied.

Damon cracked a lopsided grin. "You'd miss having eye-sex with me, that's for sure. We were the best at it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied drolly.

Damon laughed and only managed to start up another coughing fit that had him spitting out blood. Bonnie wiped it away and settled him back against her chest.

Though Damon, when lucid constantly complained of thirst as soon as he was given a cup of blood and ravenously drowned it, it all came spewing back up. His sheets had already been changed twice.

Vaguely Bonnie wondered why it was taking dark-eyed Damon so long to return with the herbs he said could help ease blue-eyed Damon's pain. It was getting dark outside, and she wasn't sure how much time Mystic Falls Damon had left.

"Bonnie…?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for all those times I tried to kill you. I didn't mean it."

"You're not going to start saying goodbye to me just yet, Salvatore. You still have centuries ahead of you."

"You're just like your great-great grandmother…constantly living in denial." Damon shifted in bed until he was lying down and facing Bonnie. He reached over and traced her bottom lip with his index finger. "I never got to kiss you."

That would have been the part where Bonnie sassily told him he never would, but she saw no need to kick a man when he was literally down.

"We have kissed, Damon. Twice."

He shook his head. "No, the first time that was just for fun, the second, in the heat of the moment, but I never kissed you like…like I wanted to. And you haven't kissed me either."

All of this talk should have been making Bonnie uncomfortable but she felt unnaturally at ease with the topic of discussion. She'd think about what that meant later but right now her focus was making Damon's last moments as peaceful as possible unless of course some miracle happened and she got her hands on original vampire blood. Right now the Save Damon Operation was at a total standstill.

Bonnie swept her fingers over his damp cheek. "I'll only kiss you on one condition, Salvatore, and that's if you survive this."

He smiled. "For a minute I thought you were going to say when I was lying belly up in my coffin. Oh, and make sure Stefan gets me a top of the line casket, no pine box crap. I don't want to fall out of the thing."

Leave it up to Damon to make jokes at a time like this.

Bonnie pressed her index finger up against his lips to get him to shut up. He stared into her eyes. His dead phantom heart was beating frantically. Bonnie was going to kiss him and then he was going to die. Life was so unfreaking fair!

Yet he chose to look on the bright side of things. Bonnie was going to kiss him and that would be the last memory he'd take with him.

But there was something he had to tell her first. "Bonnie…I had a dream. We were married and we had kids. A boy and a girl and you were pregnant with our third."

She was clearly shocked by this as evidence by her lifted eyebrows and loose jaw.

"I really liked that dream," he murmured forlornly.

"Remember when you asked me if I would dream about you?" She waited for Damon to nod before continuing. "Well, I did."

"What did we do?"

"We kissed."

Damon laughed. "Ah, you want me."

The tears were stinging Bonnie's eyes now. She couldn't let Damon die. Somehow it just didn't seem right or fair.

She lifted his chin, stared intently in his eyes and then leaned forward, clearing the space between them. Damon sighed happily the minute he felt her mouth seal over his in a chaste kiss. He moved his mouth accordingly, taking in her breath, hearing her heart speed. He wanted to hold her, bring her even closer but his arms wouldn't cooperate, the motion would have drained him severely of energy and he would need everything in order to make this the best last kiss of his immortal life.

Bonnie deepened the kiss and flicked her tongue teasingly against the seal of Damon's mouth. He received the invitation and parted his dry lips just so and slipped his tongue out to touch and prod hers. A small moan escaped him which was followed with a grunt when Bonnie's teeth lightly bit his top lip.

Bonnie shifted until she almost straddled Damon. Despite him being near death he could still kiss the pants off a chick. She was trying so hard to keep things clean and was glad the rest of his body had difficulty working because Bonnie was sure she'd be on her back, spread eagle otherwise.

Damon swirled his tongue around, capturing and releasing her lips, trying in earnest to make this last as long as possible. He ignored the pounding of feet that were stampeding to his room. He needed to inhale as much of Bonnie as he could get before they were torn apart. The pain in his body seemed to evaporate the minute he began to feast on Bonnie's exquisite mouth.

He pulled away just a half a second before his door opened.

Bonnie, with her face still impossibly close to Damon, frowned and then burned with embarrassment because she knew they were no longer alone.

She quickly pulled away and looked at the semi-shocked faces of Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Alaric, and finally settling on her boyfriend although she knew he knew what she had been up to. His face was passive yet she could clearly see he was angry.

"The cavalry has come to pay their final respects," Damon boasted. "It seems everything has come full circle because I recall trying to kill every one of you at some point and now you've all assembled to watch me die."

Stefan was the first one to place what he witnessed on the back burner. "You're wrong, brother. We're here to save your life," he said.

Elena stepped forward and handed Bonnie a vial. Bonnie took the proffered item and stared at Elena quizzically. "It's my blood."

Caroline stepped forward handing Bonnie a similar vial. "I was able to convince Tyler to lend a helping hand."

And the final person to step forward was Damon. His eyes were…they weren't looking at Bonnie affectionately but they weren't cold either. She wouldn't say he appeared resigned and she got the distinct impression that something else was bothering him. Nevertheless he handed her a vial of blood.

"I don't think you meet the age requirement of being an original vampire," she said softly.

A dazzling smile flashed on his face prior to it disappearing. "I got it from someone much older than your uncle and that's all I can say."

Bonnie could waste time questioning Damon on where in the world he found a vampire older than Elijah who just happened to be strolling through town, but she wouldn't. All that was left was her blood and she could do the spell which Lucy had been kind enough to tell her how to bind lives through blood. It would be complicated but Bonnie, backed with the power of a hundred witches was sure she'd be successful.

"What else do you need?" Stefan asked.

"Just something to make an incision, candles, and then… I need to be alone with him."

Damon's eyes were closed and Bonnie felt that death was sauntering up the walk away about to knock.

"We gotta move this along," she said hurriedly.

Activity broke out and people left the room.

When Damon was able to open his eyes again it was to see Bonnie standing at the foot of his bed that appeared to be on fire or maybe she was burning candles. His vision was in the crapper. The pain was so intense that it was taking all he had left not to roar to high heaven. But when he focused his eyes on Bonnie, her hands were raised, and her eyes were glowing white. What in the world was she doing?

Her voice began to echo around the room as if she were yelling in a cave as Latin spewed from her mouth in one long continuous stream. There was a heaviness in the air that pressed down on his already pain saturated body and he thought he would start bleeding from every orifice of his body.

In minutes Bonnie stopped chanting, and poured something into a cup. She approached the bed, climbed up but Damon was fading, super fast now that he was seeing colors behind his eyes.

"Damon…"

Bonnie's sweet voice was slipping away and he could barely feel her shaking him.

"Goodby-," he wanted to say.

"NO!" was shouted into his ear and he was yanked as if by some invisible force. A heady, thick liquid was poured down his throat and his first reaction was to reject it, but his head was wrenched backwards leaving him no choice but to swallow. Whatever it was, it felt like he was swallowing lava.

Damon began to squirm. He didn't want that foreign substance in his body. Everything hurt. Everything was too loud, too bright. He just wanted everything to stop, leave him alone and let him die with the memory of Bonnie kissing him, of Bonnie's fragrance coating his lungs.

And just when the pain reached another crescendo, making him contort against the bed as if each individual muscle was being electrocuted, Damon surely thought he was being torn in half from the inside out. Tears slipped from the corner of his eyes, spittle from his mouth.

Then suddenly everything stopped.

When he opened his eyes his vision was perfect. When he inhaled, he smelled nothing but honey and cinnamon. When he sat up in bed, he did the motion so fluidly he felt as if he hardly moved. And when he spotted Bonnie standing next to him with tears in her eyes, he knew he was in heaven.

He reached up and cupped her cheek. Bonnie nuzzled into his touch. "Welcome back," she said.

"You know I couldn't leave yet." Pause. "Thank you."

Bonnie smiled and then, "Stefan!" she bellowed.

Stefan came bursting through the door, stumbled a little as he saw his brother sitting up in bed, cupping Bonnie's cheek but that didn't matter. What mattered was the fact Damon was alive.

Bonnie stepped away but Damon reached out, lightening fast, gripping her hand and keeping her by his side. Stefan moved and hugged Damon and then pulled Bonnie into a one-armed hug. She did the impossible by saving his brother, but then…this happy moment would only be fleeting.

"Bonnie…Damon wants to talk to you. He's downstairs."

"Okay," she said and then gripped Damon's hand one final time before slipping out of the room. She was stopped by Caroline and Elena who engulfed her in their arms, but their faces were split between happiness and sorrow.

Something was going on.

Bonnie went downstairs and saw Damon standing off to the side but he wasn't the only occupant in the room.

First her eyes were drawn to the large man with skin so bronze he looked like an Oscar statue. His blonde hair nearly matched his skin color and when he looked at Bonnie and offered a smile she felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. He was freaking gorgeous and topless and what a torso! Bonnie shook her head and her gaze landed next on a pixie redhead with large brown eyes.

Oh, God no, Bonnie thought. It couldn't be?

Bonnie's eyes flashed to Damon and she understood everything without him saying a word. He approached her, reached for her hands and brought them up to kiss. Although Bonnie couldn't see the girl she felt her stiffen at Damon's display of affection.

"Damon, what's going on? Who are they?"

Damon sighed heavily. "They're from my world, Bonnie."

The redheaded girl gasped but received a sharp look from the bare-chested blonde.

Bonnie was deeply confused. "I don't understand. What are they doing here?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"My presence here has made a mess of things in Fell's Church. They've been traveling from dimension to dimension looking for me. And finally they found me. From what I've been told, my brother's life is in danger. And I made a promise I would look out for him. I'm just like you, I keep my promises."

The ache in her heart was starting again. Round two so it seemed. "But what about your promise to me? You said that if I asked you to stay you would stay."

"I _know_, Bonnie. I don't want to leave," he said desperately. "Despite the fact my relationship with Stefan is less than ideal, he is my brother, and you've always drilled it into my head that he's all I have in the world." He cupped Bonnie's tear stained face, marking everything he loved about her into memory. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he didn't want to make this moment any harder than it presently was.

Bonnie gripped one of his wrists. "Please, don't go."

"I'm sorry, princess. If there was some way I could stay I would, but you and I both know this was _bound _to happen at some point."

Being stubborn, Bonnie shook her head. "Damon, you know you belong with me."

He would have believed her if she said that an hour ago. He hadn't witnessed Bonnie and Damon kissing, but he caught the gist of what they were doing when he entered the boardinghouse. She had feelings for her world Damon even if she weren't fully aware of them yet. He loved Bonnie and didn't want to give her up, but at the same time Damon felt duty bound to help his brother.

He didn't hate Stefan was much as he used to and carried on with the belief that if anyone reserved the right to kill him, Damon had earned it.

Damon turned to look at the pair over his shoulder. "Can you two give us a moment? I'll meet you at the rendezvous point."

The blond nodded as the redhead rose from the couch. She kept her big brown eyes on Bonnie and walked past her but then stopped and doubled back.

She pulled Bonnie into a hug. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said in a voice that sounded so child-like with just a hint of a southern accent.

Bonnie didn't hug the girl back because she was too shocked. She watched as the blond pulled the redhead away, yet he bowed gallantly before Bonnie. They walked out of the boardinghouse.

Bonnie turned back to Damon. "Was that your world Bonnie?"

Damon nodded.

"Who was the blond?"

"He goes by Sage, and he was the donator of the blood I gave you. Sage is…I forget how old he is. But he's ancient."

"I should tell him thank you," Bonnie murmured. Her body was beginning to feel numb.

"I'll relay the message." Damon pulled Bonnie into his arms and transferred her head to his chest. Her tears began to wet his shirt and he allowed one of his own to escape before he tightened up. Damon Salvatore wasn't a crybaby.

Damon pulled back slightly and elevated Bonnie's face. "You're going to be magnificent. A goddess amongst mortals. You already are, and I know you're in safe hands." Pause. "You'll always be my treasure, Bonnie. Never doubt my love for you because you own my heart."

He kissed her ignoring the taste of his enemy on her tongue. "Remember what I said to you. If we are meant to be, no dimension on earth will be able to keep us apart."

"Damon…please…you can't leave," she stared deep into those fathomless eyes.

His tongue got lodged in the back of his throat. He kissed Bonnie's forehead. "Close your eyes," he told her gently.

Bonnie didn't want to because she knew once she did he'd be gone.

But she did as he asked and closed her eyes. She felt his lips against hers so lightly she didn't think he was kissing her.

"I love you."

Was the last thing Bonnie heard and when she opened her eyes, her worst fear became real.

She was alone.

Chapter end.

**A/N: It was time for Book Damon to return. Originally he wasn't suppose to last this long, but he certainly helped change Bonnie's opinion, not only about herself, but about vampires in general. How will his leaving affect Bonnie and what will Damon do now that he essentially has Bonnie to himself? And the Martin's can you trust them or no? Thanks for reading. Love you. Oh and a special note. If you've noticed that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone its because I deleted it from the site. I've moved it along with Ambition to The Writer's Coffee Shop and Valent Chamber. **


	30. What Happens Next?

**A/N: STOP AND LOG OUT IF YOU PLAN TO LEAVE A REVIEW! I had to make a lot of alterations to this story and one of them was I took out the Author's Note that was featured as Chapter 27. As a result my others chapters were bumped up. This is the NEW Chapter 30. If you left a review for the old chapter 30, the site will not let you leave another review. It will say you're making a duplicate. The only way to review this chapter is by leaving an UNSIGNED REVIEW. One of my readers alerted me to this problem. I'm sorry for the confusion, guys. And I thank you in advance for your cooperation.  
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**Well I have to say that I was BLOWN away by the responses to the last chapter. Yes, it was intentionally written to pull at your heart strings. I cried while writing it. Oh, and I have to say to shouldhavebeenblonde, your review had me crying but for a different reason lol. Here is the aftermath. Thank you guys so much for the continued support and for loving this story so much! *special note* I had to make drastic changes to this entire story because I was sent a lovely little email saying that my stories were not rated properly, so therefore there will be no smut only "hinted" smut from here on out. *sad face*.  
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Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**One month later…**

The burn of alcohol had lost its taste and effect a week after he came back from nearly dying. Now Damon drunk out of habit not because he actually craved the burn, the dulling effect it failed to have on his senses. The crystal tumbler remained perched in his hand, untouched, almost forgotten as he stared out the window watching as white snowflakes fell from the sky to the ground.

The world around him hadn't changed much since the night he fought the wolves, got bitten, and subsequently almost lost his life because he hadn't been careful enough. He still walked around town with a sense of purpose although it typically shifted to meet his needs, to help him reach his goals. And Damon was a man who had a plan or was working to have a plan.

When he first came here the plan had been simple: save Katherine, maybe kill Stefan or make him as miserable as possible that he'd want to do the honor himself, and maybe steal Elena away.

None of the above happened. Damon didn't expect to actually fall out of love with Katherine. He didn't expect to lose his hunger and drive to win Elena over to his side, and he never expected his disdain for his brother to morph into actually giving a damn if he lived or died.

And the other thing Damon never expected upon returning to the only home he knew, he didn't expect to care so much about Bonnie.

When they first met he overlooked her until he wanted the crystal back because it was one of many things needed to get inside the tomb to free Katherine. She had been nothing more than Elena and Caroline's best friend, the preppy cheerleader who happened to be supernatural in her own right. She was valuable only in the area of using her magic to save his ass. And when he didn't need her services, Damon conveniently tucked her back in her cubby like an old ratty sweater. But that was no more.

Bonnie had every reason in the book not to like or trust him, but then their forced partnership forged a friendship that was now more precious to Damon than his next feeding. She made him feel things, things he never felt when he thought he was stupidly in love with Katherine, when he was infatuated with Elena.

Damon had gotten used to seeing Bonnie on a daily basis. But ever since the other Damon left, vanished into thin air to go back to his world, he was advised to maintain his distance.

If anyone knew anything about Damon it was that he didn't listen to advice or followed rules. The very same night Bonnie saved his life—with everyone's help of course—when he was strong enough he went downstairs only to find she had disappeared. Naturally he went to her home and she wasn't there. He headed over to the two-story Victorian. Again Bonnie was nowhere to be found.

Panicked he thought Damon might have changed his mind and took Bonnie with him. So blue-eyed Damon searched every single forest in Mystic Falls and came up with nothing. He relentlessly called her cell for days on end. Showed up at her house at odd times hoping to catch her. He and no one else he questioned had any idea where Bonnie had gone off to. Even her own father turned up to be a complete and total dead end. He even contemplated killing dear old Mr. Bennett assuming his death would make Bonnie pop out of hiding.

It was about a week later that Elena showed up at the boardinghouse, teary-eyed causing Damon's heart to stop in his chest. He thought she had shown up with devastating news about Bonnie being dead, but to his relief Elena reported that Bonnie was in England with Elijah.

The thought never crossed Damon's mind that Bonnie would jump continents just to escape her pain and heartbreak. It's what he would have done. Immediately he started packing a bag and dug in Elena's ass for clues on where in England Bonnie might be. He wasn't going to try to convince her to come back home. Apparently Mystic Falls wasn't where she wanted to be. Damon simply wanted to be there for her just the way she had been there for him.

Elena had been of no help, though. She merely shrugged and looked pitiful. "She wouldn't tell me where she's staying. I don't have Elijah's number, and I don't even know how to get in contact with him."

Leave it to a _human _to be so un-resourceful. There was one vampire Damon knew who could find any vampire on the face of the planet for the right price.

Damon hopped in his car and drove to Richmond where he paid an old friend a visit. Well, it wasn't so much friendly when the first thing he did was punch Slater in the face.

"What the hell, Damon?" the vampire grabbed his bleeding nose as Damon casually held up a wall, arms folded over his chest.

"That was for Vegas circa 1992 and you deserve more, but my time is precious. I need to find a vampire that goes by the name Elijah. He's old as crap."

Slater's eyes widened considerably as a worried look passed over his face. "Elijah? You mean Elijah Mikaelson?"

Damon's brow furrowed. He never expected the man to actually have a last name. "I don't know his last name," he spat tersely. "But sure let's go with that. I need to know where he lives in England."

"Why are you looking for Elijah?"

Damon growled warningly in the back of his throat. Slater knew the program. Damon was only going to tell him what he needed to know, everything else was subjective and none of his f*cking business.

Slater nervously sat down behind his computer system and began typing. Not much was known about Elijah only that he was one of the oldest vampires in the world, rumored to be an original vampire meaning he was one of the first of their kind. And Elijah was known to be extremely ruthless. Extremely unforgiving of past transgressions. Extremely powerful and extremely hard if not impossible to kill. No vampire in his or her right mind would purposely look for Elijah unless of course they had a death wish they wanted to fulfill.

"I can't get into direct contact with him, but I can reach out to someone who is an associate of an associate of his. Vampires like Elijah only surface when _they _want to."

"Blah, blah, blah," Damon droned. "Just tell me where he is."

"This is going to take some time, Damon." Slater looked up from the monitor, studying him.

"You have exactly one hour or I start slicing and dicing and trust me they will be things you will miss," Damon threatened and then made himself more than comfortable on Slater's couch, who gulped nervously.

When the hour was up, Slater had been successful in locating someone who knew Elijah's last known safe house.

"I'm not sure how reliable this information is, but a contact who resides in Liverpool said that Elijah has a house in Cambridge."

"Well, it's a place to start," Damon said and extracted his money clip and threw a few bills at Slater. "Thanks," and like the wind he was gone.

Damon had been on his way to the airport when his cell started vibrating in his pants. Retrieving it he sighed before answering.

"Stop stalking me, Caroline. I ended things with you a long time ago."

"Get over yourself, retard. I'm calling to let you know that Bonnie is coming home in two days. She emailed me this morning."

Upon hearing that Damon wanted to smile and curse. Bonnie just made him three hundred dollars poorer and now his "romantic" gesture of crossing an ocean to be with her was being stomped dead like a roach. So he went through all of that trouble for nothing. He was pissed, but at the same time happy that she would be returning home.

And just as Caroline told him, two days later Bonnie was home where she remained for days on end. Only coming out to go to school and that was it. She kept the bare minimum in communication open with her friends so they wouldn't worry and wouldn't pester her.

Stefan had cautioned Damon about keeping his distance only because he figured it would be too painful for Bonnie to be around him considering who he looked like.

Well, that wasn't apart of Damon's agenda at all. Sure he could curse his dashing good looks, but it wasn't _his _fault he looked the way he looked, and Bonnie had been very good about not confusing him with ole dark eyes. So staying away from her, giving her space was slowly driving Damon insane. He wanted to see her, talk to her, hear the sound of her voice, kiss her, make her feel better. And all of this had nothing to do with satisfying his own needs.

So Damon watched her. From a distance. Peeped through her window and watched as she tossed and turned and whimpered in bed at night. He could curse the fact she never extended him an invite.

That had been his routine for the last forty days and he needed it to end. _Now!_

Stefan joined him at the window. "Are you going to finish that?" he indicated the glass of untouched bourbon in Damon's hand.

The vampire in question stared down at the libation. He passed it over to Stefan, who took a generous sip.

They were silent for a while before Stefan spoke again. "Tonight is the bachelor auction at The Grill. I heard Carol Lockwood asked you to participate, yet you turned her down."

Damon turned his head, his powder blue eyes narrowing slightly. "She's been trying to ride my magic stick since I came here," he said flatly.

"Are you going to go anyways?"

Damon shrugged. He felt like staying in and anytime he felt like staying in something bad typically happened.

"Well, Elena volunteered to help and she said she was going to ask Bonnie, see if she could lend a helping hand. So who knows, she might be there."

"Hun," Damon grunted not wanting to give anything away. For the last month he felt nothing but eyes watching his every move, wondering when he would strike, corner Bonnie and shake her out of her melancholy and demand she snap out of it, and forget about the other Damon because she still had him.

As much as he may have wanted to do all of the above, Damon knew how important it was for Bonnie to come to _him. _If he forced her too soon things could backfire.

Stefan shook his head. "I haven't really seen or talked to Bonnie because as you know she's not exactly making herself accessible."

"This pining of hers needs to stop. It lost its appeal long ago."

Stefan chortled and finished off the rest of the drink before sitting the glass down on a nearby table. "So says the man who was obsessed with a single female for over a hundred and forty years."

"Bite me, Stefan."

"I'll pass. You'll only give me diarrhea," with that Stefan clapped his older brother on the shoulder and walked away, but stopped before leaving the room altogether. "Oh, Damon."

Damon shifted until he could face his brother.

"Don't hold back."

Alone, Damon returned his attention to the outside world. And it didn't take long for a smirk to bloom on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>One Month earlier…<strong>

**Opera National _de_ Paris**

Love is a powerful thing, a driving force, a divine gift. And love was literally making her sick and driving her insane.

Seated in a private box at the renowned Opera Bastille, Bonnie sat down her gold binoculars, and turned her attention to the quiet man next to her. This was her last night in Paris and she wanted to remember every moment of it. Feeling goose bumps cover her skin, she trailed a manicured hand up her arm. Bonnie allowed the music from the orchestra to flow over her tumultuous thoughts.

Her companion only shifted his eyes to take stock of her. Dark brown eyes traversed over her body, admiring how the midnight blue chiffon gown offset her caramel skin. Her long chocolate curls were upswept leaving her neck exposed to a vampire's favorite body part. However, it was the pensive look on Bonnie's face that swiftly caught Elijah's attention. It was plain to see she was being bombarded with anxiety and unpleasant thoughts about her impending return to Mystic Falls.

For the last two weeks she had been a guest at his house in Canterbury, England, having left behind her home, friends, and what she had hoped—a broken heart. Yet her brokenness trailed after her like exhaust from a car and Elijah did all he could to divert her attention. Nevertheless he was old and wise enough to know you couldn't shake a broken heart like you could other things.

But her gloss covered lips were nearly pursed into a straight line. Her back was stiff and rigid.

Wordlessly, Elijah extended a ringed hand to Bonnie who clasped it. She relaxed slightly.

"I've come to know you well enough to know something is wrong. Speak your mind," Elijah told her gently.

Bonnie was thrown slightly by his voice. She turned to regard her uncle. "I'm thinking I might want to postpone going home for a few more days. Paris is too beautiful."

Elijah chortled and tightened his pale white fingers around Bonnie's. Since being with her uncle, she learned that Elijah was wealthy—filthy rich wealthy. He wore nothing but custom made suits, drove the world's most expensive and fast cars, and lived in sprawling mansions and villas all around the globe.

And to top it all off, he was stunning. Sometimes she had to painfully remind herself that this man was her "uncle", but she could still admire him, if dispassionately. But Elijah stood at exactly six feet, with broad shoulders, carried a runner's build. She had been jarred a bit when she saw him after stepping foot off the plane that he had cut his debonair chocolate locks into a style that was more current. Somehow the cut made him seem more deadly, more lethal, more yummy.

This is your uncle, girl, stop it.

"Paris is a diversion," he said cutting into her thoughts. "However, I've told you avoiding home is just a clever form of hiding."

"Uncle Elijah…there's nothing in Virginia that I want."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do," he smiled until crow's feet appeared around his sage brown eyes. "You know what they say about avoidance, mademoiselle, it only leads to more avoidance."

By the skin of her teeth, Bonnie prevented her notorious eye roll. Elijah grinned.

"You know my reasons for not wanting to go back," she picked up where their original disagreement on the subject began. "So many bad things have happened in Mystic Falls this last year, not to mention that I can't…I can't face _him._"

"All of that I understand, Bonnie. I've never taken you for the kind to just throw caution to the wind and leave all that you love behind. You've been a fighter your entire life. I should tell you this."

Bonnie shifted a bit in the seat so she could see Elijah from a better angle.

"You nearly died in the hospital shortly after you were born."

Her green eyes widened. "Say what?"

Elijah nodded his head. "Your lungs weren't fully developed and you had to be placed on a respirator for the first three weeks of your life. Things were touch and go for a while, and your heart _did _stop once, but you were resuscitated. And then when you were one-month old you were taken off the respirator because you had full use of your lungs, were given a clean bill of health, and from my understanding you've been healthy ever since."

Bonnie was astonished. No one ever told her that and how was it that Elijah knew?

He read the question in her eyes. "I told you that I kept tabs on you. I've been a witness to every single Bennett female birth," Elijah brought her hand up to kiss. "And you are my favorite. I identified your fighting spirit from day one. You don't quit and you don't give in. It is not your nature.

"And that's how I know that you will get past what you're feeling right now. You may feel alone, but you are not alone because there are people in this world who care for you a great deal. And where one Salvatore has had to leave, yet another remains. Emily entrusted Damon with her line for a purpose, and I won't presume to know or understand what that purpose is, but I've always trusted her judgment."

Bonnie looked away for a minute, felt her eyes tearing but she managed to suppress the need to cry. She returned her attention to Elijah. "Would you believe me if I said that my future mate would have the initials DS?"

If he was shocked he didn't let it show. Vampires had perfected the art of the poker face.

"My question to you," he countered, "is do you want your future mate to be a vampire?"

Bonnie wasn't sure about that. "I don't know, Uncle Elijah."

"You're young still, Bonnie. There's no need to figure out the rest of your life just yet. And whatever decision you chose to make, I will fully support it."

Hearing she had support made her feel a little better.

After the opera, Elijah took her to dinner at Le Burgundy Paris before they boarded his private plane to head back to England. On the flight back she thought of how she had arrived in Europe in the first place...

Her heart was beating furiously in her ears once she opened her eyes in the Salvatore boardinghouse living room and saw that he was gone. He left. Vanished. Disappeared. Leaving behind the only sentiment that was fitting in a situation like that. _I love you. _Bonnie didn't know what to do. Should she faint? Scream? She was already crying. Should she go after him?

No answer came, and no response felt right. However there was one persistent need stabbing her. She couldn't remain in Mystic Falls. She had to get out. And once that decision was made, Bonnie unglued her feet from the floor, hopped in her car, and didn't stop driving until she realized she had reached Richmond.

Yet on the way she called out to Damon over and over again, hoping that they still might share their telepathetic link.

He never once responded, and she had no way of knowing if he could hear and was ignoring her, or if he couldn't hear period. It had been effective in taking away Bonnie's last source of comfort.

Her vision had been blurred from her tears the whole time she drove, amazed she didn't crash into any other driver on the road. But she did pull over at a rest stop and called Elijah. She could barely talk because her throat was dry and tight, but Elijah immediately invited her to join him in England and told her that there was a private air strip not far from where she was, and to go there. He would arrange for a flight to England.

It was a good thing for Bonnie she had her passport in the glove compartment of her car. It was funny because she woke up that morning, rifling through her drawers when she came across it, and then figured she better take it with her. She didn't have any clothes with her, just her cell phone and the few effects she kept in her purse. And before she realized what was happening, Bonnie was in the air on her way to England. She had turned her cell phone completely off, wanted no contact with anyone from her hometown. She just wanted to get missing in the world for a few days.

Her first couple of days in England Bonnie did nothing. Absolutely nothing. She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't talk, it was as if she had been cryogenically frozen. She felt hollowed out and that a large chunk of her was missing. When she cried, the earth raged. When her emotions shifted to anger, the windows rattled, and knickknacks danced across surfaces, and little fires erupted everywhere.

It was a miracle she didn't turn Elijah's sprawling estate into rubble.

Elijah didn't pry her first night with him. He had simply been there once the plane landed, opened up his arms and home, and only asked her questions pertaining to things she liked.

He had been glad she was there yet his heart broke for her because she was so obviously miserable that her love was gone with no promise to return. So he kept her busy with activities that would keep her mind off of everything that had gone down in Mystic Falls.

It helped only a tad bit and then fourteen days later, he was putting her back on his private jet to return to America. Bonnie had school and other responsibilities and she had never been the type to run from her problems. She tackled them, and moved on.

And she would have to do the same concerning Damon.

* * *

><p><strong>One month later…<strong>

Bonnie tried her best to fall back into her routine. It wasn't without some difficulty and she hated every minute of it. Trying to bury the pain, pretend it wasn't there when all the time it was her one constant companion. She didn't say much when she was forced to be around her friends. Bonnie's fear was that if she opened her mouth, she'd do nothing but scream. Yet she could tell their patience was running thin, and there was only so much silent treatment, and monosyllabic responses they were going to take from her.

So she began to head in the opposite direction by throwing herself into her school work, signing up for every volunteer opportunity known to mankind. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning working on projects until she passed out into a dreamless unconsciousness.

If Bonnie wasn't volunteering, then she was building sets for the Drama Club. If she wasn't busy with that, then she went to the nursing home to read to the elderly or helped them do arts and crafts. When being a humanitarian had run its course, Bonnie joined an intramural indoor soccer team that practiced three days out of the week, and had scheduled games every Saturday.

And she also did everything in her power to stay away from Damon with the crystalline eyes. Call her a coward but she couldn't face him, be in the same room as him and not think of the one who left her. Being around Damon brought up too many memories, too many parallels that the notion of facing him left her shaking and trembling because she was terribly sad and alone.

So as a result Bonnie put her body through the ringer praying the physical pain would lessen the emotional pain.

It didn't work.

Yet here was the conundrum. Despite all she tried to do to prove not only to herself that she was mending, but to her friends as well, they weren't happy with how she was going about things. Like she could really care. This was her life after all.

Bonnie knew it was inevitable, could see it coming that she was headed towards a colossal emotional breakdown that would have dire consequences. Bonnie felt herself fracturing, splitting into two separate entities: the Bonnie before Fell's Church Damon, and the Bonnie after.

Honestly, she didn't like either one. Before he showed up, Bonnie was background noise. No one paid attention to her. She had to be the mediator in the Caroline/Elena feud. She had to be the shoulder to cry on when Matt was trying to get over his lifelong crush for Elena. She had to be Caroline's motivational speaker. Everything she used to do, she did for others oftentimes neglecting her own needs and wants for her life and future.

Then Damon with those black on black eyes painted another picture of herself that Bonnie never would have imagined. She was a goddess in his eyes and he treated her with respect, but above all that he loved her unconditionally and was never shy in letting others know just how special she was to him.

And then fate in a cruel twist took it all away from her.

Bonnie didn't want to feel this way. She didn't mean to fall in love with her mortal enemy yet it happened and there was nothing she could do to change it. And Damon had been everything—aside from being dead—he had been everything Bonnie wanted in a boyfriend. He made her laugh, feel alive and free, and he never once tried to hold her back or dictate her life. He had been loving, and generous with his time, and attention, and he made her believe that he never shared this type of intimacy with anyone before.

That being said, how in the world was she going to get over him?

Love was a dangerous thing, Bonnie thought scornfully. She flung herself back into bed and wrapped her arms tightly across her chest. She wanted to numb the pain. She didn't want to feel anything. She didn't want to feel as if she had had triple bypass surgery without anesthesia. She didn't want to feel like she would burn the whole town down because of her anger. She didn't want to become bitter and treat every other guy she met with disdain and mistrust. She didn't want to be alone in her grief.

Bonnie flipped over and buried her face in her pillow. Maybe if she suffocated herself it might help numb the pain, and still that felt like a cop out. No, she just preferred to skip over these next few chapters and get to her happy ending.

Then another thought assaulted her. She had read over her family history. The Bennett's were not a lucky bunch. Not when it came to life expectancy and more importantly in the love department. Almost all the females in the family died before they reached sixty years, or if they were blessed to marry, their husbands died horrible deaths.

The few who managed to defy the odds and lived well into their golden years did so alone. No husband, no children, no one to continue on the legacy.

It was not a dynasty to be proud of. So Bonnie figured she was just following correctly in the path of her ancestors.

This outraged her of course—but she chucked it up to being her lot, her short stick, her cross to bear.

So here she was locked away in her bedroom, continuing to feel sorry for herself. Her eyes drifted closed and naturally the first thing she saw was his face with those eyes, that smile he liked to show and quickly take away. Bonnie could hear his cultured voice in her ear telling her that he was right there with her, yet she felt nothing save emptiness in the air and also in her heart.

* * *

><p>When Bonnie woke up, the sky was dark and her belly was growling. Her eyes ballooned when she checked the time on her clock. It was a little after seven. She had slept for the last four hours. Her bladder felt like it was two seconds from rupturing. So Bonnie hightailed it to the bathroom and relieved herself.<p>

She avoided staring at her reflection in the mirror as she washed and dried her hands. Her stomach growled again. She wasn't in the mood to cook so that meant take out from The Grill.

Reluctantly Bonnie forced herself to make eye contact with her reflection. Her mascara had smeared so she looked like a raccoon. Her hair was a knotted mess of curls that would take half an hour to untangle. Her lips were dry, and her eyes must have gone on a shopping spree because there were heavy bags under them.

Eyeing herself, Bonnie went about removing all signs of her early depression. Cucumbers helped the bags disappear as if they were vacuumed. The mascara smudges were washed away, and she reapplied her makeup, paying special attention to her eyes. She brushed her hair until it became perfectly coifed yet again. Pleased with the results, Bonnie changed clothes. She slipped into her favorite dark denim skinny jeans, paired it with a white Ed Hardy T-shirt and her mini leather jacket although the weather called for something heavier and more durable. She finished her look with her black snakeskin stiletto boots that she wore over her jeans, and a spritz of Chanel No.5.

Eleven minutes later she pulled into the packed parking lot at The Grill and wondered why everyone had congregated here on a Wednesday night.

Once she reached the front doors and saw a banner hanging over the entrance, Bonnie wanted to face palm herself. She had completely forgotten about Interim Mayor Carol Lockwood's sneaky attempt at husband hunting. Tonight was another bachelor auction this time the charity of choice in which the proceeds would go to was the Heart Disease Foundation.

Oh, joy.

If it weren't for the persistent throb of her empty belly, Bonnie would have hopped back in her car and gone home. She had been strategic in her visits to The Grill. Using her gift of clairvoyance, Bonnie never went when she predicted her friends would be there. She didn't want to see the sympathy in their eyes, or listen to their carefully crafted words as not to upset her or say the wrong thing. So she compartmentalized her time with him between certain hours of the day. It was easier that way.

Sighing deeply, Bonnie threw open the double doors of the restaurant and strolled inside like she had a score to settle.

Several heads turned as she wove through the tables. Most of the leers came from men who knew better than to ogle an obvious teenager.

"Bonnie!"

The girl in question stopped when she heard her name being shouted. Bonnie turned to her right and saw Elena and Caroline sitting behind a table handing out tickets and collecting donations. Throwing a counterfeit smile on her face, Bonnie dragged her feet over to her friends.

She hugged Caroline first and then Elena. "Hi guys."

"I'm so glad you're here," Caroline beamed. "I honestly didn't expect you to show up. These events aren't usually your thing and considering what happened…"

Caroline stopped talking when Elena jabbed her side with a pointy elbow.

Bonnie's eyes narrowed only infinitesimally. This was _exactly _why she went through such great lengths to avoid her friends. The censorship and constant reminder of her single status had yet to become old news.

"I completely forgot about the auction," Bonnie replied plaintively. "I just came to grab something to eat. I had no plans to stay."

Caroline's smile dimmed a bit before she recovered. "That's totally fine. But we could use some extra help. Only if you want to and have the time. If not, totally understandable. And I'm loving the outfit by the way," she winked.

Inwardly, Bonnie groaned because she knew Caroline was trying to butter her up. "What do you need help with?"

"Could you pass out these survey cards to all the men who are participating in the auction? We just need some basic facts from them so when it's their turn to go up on stage, the emcee will have something to say."

Again, Bonnie's eyes narrowed. Somehow she couldn't help but feel as if she were being set up. From Bonnie's understanding this bachelor auction was open for age groups starting from high school going all the way to infinity.

"I'll help you," Elena volunteered and split the cards evenly between herself and Bonnie. The two girls got lost in the crowd.

"Why do I get the distinct impression that Caroline is hoping _I _might meet someone?" Bonnie growled and thrust cards into hands left from right.

Elena swiped a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. "You know Caroline. She wholeheartedly believes flirting with a super hot guy is the quickest way to get over a prior flame."

Several guys tried to draw Bonnie into conversation which she promptly shut them down. Apparently mean mugging wasn't working in her favor and there was no way in the world she was going to start smiling. Once she was done, Bonnie finally put in her food order and then found an empty table to enjoy her steak fajitas.

Stuffed, the auction was set to start. Bonnie sipped on her drink and watched the show.

"Is this seat taken?"

Bonnie groaned again and turned to acknowledge the guy who was looming next to her. It was Luka Martin. Instead of answering, Bonnie merely shrugged and returned her attention to the auction.

Luka tried his best not to appear to be miffed by Bonnie's dismissal. From what he had been able to gather, Bonnie's relationship with the leech had ended. She should have been counting her lucky stars but apparently, she really did care about the parasite and was taking the breakup hard.

They sat silently beside each other but then, Luka reached for a salt shaker, unscrewed the cap and poured some out on table. Bonnie watched him from the corner of her eye as Luka rubbed the salt on table and then lifted his hand.

When he did some of the salt began to float. Luka quickly slammed his hand down.

Bonnie snorted rudely. "Nice trick."

He graced her with a crooked grin. "Can you do better?"

Bonnie shifted on the seat to face him. "I can crush your skull with a single thought, but I rather not go to jail tonight."

Luke looked startled, floored, and enraptured all at once. "How long have you known about me and my dad?"

"From the time you showed up in my homeroom. Are you and your dad here by coincidence or are you here for a specific reason?" her stare was direct and sharp.

Luka gulped a bit. Only one person had been able to intimidate him with a single look and that person was his dad. Either this was a natural gift of Bonnie's or a byproduct of keeping company with vampires.

There was something dangerous under Bonnie's skin. And Luka wasn't sure if Bonnie was fully aware of it or not. So he knew with her he'd have to tread very carefully.

"My dad is here because of his job," Luka hedged. "Oh, and should I send your friend my dad's hospital bill? He broke three of his fingers."

Bonnie blinked. She hadn't known that. But it wasn't like she and Damon had that much time to talk before he…

She switched her thoughts once she felt her tear ducts filling up. "If you find him before I do, tell him I said I'd like to have a word with him."

Luka folded his arms over the table. "Well since you know what I am, it's safe to assume you know what he is."

Bonnie didn't comment. But then she looked at Luka intently. "And if I were you I'd be very careful about the information you learn, and who you tell it to."

A chair scraped up to the table, and a body plopped down into it. "It would be _wise _for you to listen to her."

Luka's eyes widened as his entire body stiffened. Bonnie stiffened as well but for another reason altogether.

"And if you value your life you'll stay away."

Luka excused himself. Neither Bonnie nor Damon noticed he was gone.

Her heart began pounding in her chest. She wasn't ready to see him, to look at that face which haunted her dreams, stalked her nightmares, and tormented her during her lucid hours. But she found herself staring at Damon, focusing on his eyes because if she looked anywhere else, her mood would sink like the Titanic.

And those eyes were like hooks, completely capturing her full attention, knocking her off kilter like a wrecking ball. The last time she was this close to him, and got lost in those eyes that weren't really blue but some variation of silver and blue as if the two colors got together and had a baby and gave birth to Damon's eyes, she had been lying next to Damon on his bed. Those barriers she had built in England and fortified the minute she stepped foot on Mystic Falls soil were coming down brick by brick, and Bonnie was trying to use everything in her arsenal not to let the wall fall down.

She was losing shelter and fast and it wouldn't be long before she found herself homeless just from looking in Damon's eyes.

The air around them was thick and heavy.

Damon wanted to lean over and brush his lips against hers. His gaze dropped to her slightly parted mouth, covered in gloss making her appear as if she had bitten into a melon. Unconsciously he licked his own lips getting them ready for something that might not happen. At least not now. He heard nothing apart from Bonnie's pounding heart and the blood rushing through her veins going to every extremity in her body, stirring up her fight or flight mechanism.

He caught her hand to keep her seated at the table just a second before she decided to bolt. The minute he touched her warm skin it sent a signal that traveled up his arm, across his shoulder, right to his heart.

"You've kept yourself hidden from me long enough, Judgey."

The sound of his voice broke through the haze that was clouding her mind. Bonnie shook her head, blinked her eyes hoping that would be enough to break the spell. It did nothing.

Hopelessly she was falling into something she wasn't yet ready to experiment with or experience, yet Damon was pulling her under and he hadn't even done anything!

Which just went to show how dangerous he really was.

Bonnie stared at their joined hands. To anyone else it would have been jarring how white his hand was compared to her, but she had gotten used to the differences and had come to love the contrast.

Nevertheless she realized she was holding hands with a vampire in a public place just a month after being abandoned. She wanted to run. To put as much distance between herself and Damon, but she was stuck.

"I needed time, Damon."

He nodded his head in agreement. "I understand all that. But you just don't lay a kiss on a guy like that and then disappear," he grinned and began stroking her hand.

Her face flamed as she remembered that she hadn't exactly given Damon an innocent goodbye kiss. They made out for lack of a better phrase.

Bonnie's increase in blood volume was intoxicating and Damon felt his other appetite rising.

Without thinking he pulled her up from the table and the two of them were strutting through the restaurant, to the center of the room, and started dancing. It didn't matter if music was playing or not. He needed a reason to hold her close and she wasn't objecting.

Bonnie wrapped her arms, which felt like wet noodles around his shoulders while Damon held her around the waist. Not once had their gazes dropped. But vaguely Damon realized they were dressed similar in black leather jackets, dark jeans, white shirt. Yep, he was sold. They were made for each other.

"How was your visit in England?" Damon said to start a conversation.

"It was…therapeutic. I wish I were still there."

The implication stung but Damon ignored it. His eyes continued to smolder and Bonnie found it a miracle her clothes hadn't ignited.

But the temperature in the building seemed to rise as men began stripping out of their dinner jackets and women began to fan themselves.

"If they don't quit it this whole place is going to go up in flames," Caroline said and guzzled from a cold bottle of water as she kept her eyes locked on the dancing pair.

"I don't even think they know what they're doing," Elena retorted as sweat dotted her hairline.

Damon spun Bonnie out and watched as her long hair took flight and smacked against her cheek. He pulled her back until her body was crushed against his. The minute their bodies made contact, the lights flickered.

"Did you do that?" he asked.

"I think we're both doing that. Maybe we should stop."

He narrowed his eyes a bit and tightened his hold on her hip. "I'm not stopping anything until I get what I want," he breathed into her ear before kissing her temple.

Bonnie's nostrils flared. "You think it will be that easy?" she pulled away and stared up at him.

Damon ghosted his knuckles across her cheek and Bonnie's eyes closed of their own volition. Shit, this needed to stop. This affect he had on her. She was supposed to be mending a broken heart not, not, trying to score or whatever.

"Come home with me," Damon spoke softly.

Heat flashed through her. Bonnie shook her head. If she did, she might do something irreversible.

"Please?"

She nibbled her lip feeling indecisive.

"I just want to talk," he threw out and tried to look innocent.

Bonnie was no fool. "I think I should go home."

"So soon? The night's still young."

If she didn't leave now, Bonnie was sure she'd never leave. Damon was sucking up all her oxygen. It was best to get out now while the getting was still good.

"No, I should definitely go home. Alone."

Damon sighed deeply and then nodded his head. Stefan told him not to hold back but in certain instances he would have to because otherwise if he pushed too hard too soon Bonnie would sever all ties with him. And he certainly couldn't let that happen.

"I'll walk you out," he offered and with his hand on the small of her back, he walked Bonnie out into the cold winter air.

The snow had stopped falling a couple of hours ago, but the roads were nicely salted so she should be fine driving. Yet Damon would tail her just to make sure she did indeed make it home.

Her hands were shaking so badly that Bonnie could hardly unlock her car. She gave up and then turned around.

Damon was far closer than she expected him to be. His nearness made her dizzy and Damon capitalized on that by pinning her against the car. This was very similar to the time he cornered her at school in the parking lot trying to weasel Emily's crystal away.

Bonnie was still very much afraid of Damon but it was a different kind of fear.

He couldn't let her go without tasting some part of her flesh. He got the distinct impression that if he tried to kiss her lips, she'd pop him. So the neck was the next obvious choice.

She read the intent in his eyes. "Damon, please don't do this. Everything is still too raw."

He was not a very good listener. "I'm here for you, Bonnie in whatever capacity you need me to be. Don't forget that." He cleared the space that separated them and kissed her deeply on the neck.

Bonnie held herself completely rigid as his hair tickled her cheek just a moment prior to Damon drawing away. Bonnie felt drunk.

Damon pulled her away from the car, and opened her door. That was one area she couldn't fault Damon in. He always opened doors for her.

It took a moment before Bonnie remembered she was supposed to get in the car. She drove away feeling discombobulated and confused. What just happened?

The following day Bonnie had been plagued with nothing but guilt. She couldn't believe she was so ready to, to, well she wasn't sure what she had been ready to do. One part of her had wanted to kiss Damon and jump his bones. And the other part of her felt sick because if she really did love dark-eyed Damon being with someone else so soon wouldn't even be an option.

She had no idea what this all meant or she did and was choosing not to acknowledge it. So Bonnie decided to take a walk.

It was bitterly cold outside. It had snowed again overnight. School had been cancelled to which Bonnie took full advantage of by sleeping in and catching up on some chores. But then she was hit with a debilitating case of cabin fever and she wanted to get out of the house.

Perhaps her attraction to her world Damon stemmed from the fact there were parts of him that reminded her of Fell's Church Damon. It wouldn't be fair to Damon to transfer feelings. He deserved to be with someone who would put him first and love him purely.

Bonnie was sure she wasn't the right person.

So lost in her thoughts Bonnie hadn't realized how far deep she was in the woods. She got a bit turned around but then she saw it. The tree. Their tree. The tree Damon had taken her too after he blurted that he loved her and placed the decision of him remaining in Mystic Falls in her hands. To commemorate the event, Damon had carved their initials in the tree.

A tear fell, followed by another until finally waterfalls were gushing from her eyes. Bonnie fell to the snow covered ground and didn't even try to get back up…

Damon didn't know what the hell he was doing in the damn forest. He wasn't looking for food that was for sure. But he had gotten it into his head that he wanted to take a walk, in the dead of winter, not something he typically did.

The forest was silent but then he heard something. A tiny, disembodied sob. Interest piqued, he headed towards the sound and slowed his steps when he saw a bundle lying on the ground.

Damon approached and then fell to his haunches when he realized the body on the ground was Bonnie. Her eyes were open but she was staring at nothing in particular. He wasn't sure how long she had been out there, but from the fact her lips were turning blue, Damon threw himself into action, picked her up, and flew through the forest back to his house.

Chapter end.

**A/N: This chapter was a little difficult to write only because there were so many directions I could have taken Bonnie in. Because the show, time after time again, failed to show how Bonnie processed anything bad that happened to her, it really left me in the dark as to how she would act. She could have fallen into a deep depression or thrown herself into a flux of activity to keep her mind off the fact she's heartbroken so I decided she'd do both. I'm still not done exploring how Bonnie handles Damon being gone while she's fighting her attraction to MF Damon. Much more is to be revealed about what Book Damon was doing during the hours he was gone running errands to him leaving. So the emotional rollercoaster is far from over. **

**In lieu of the crack down that happened on I've changed the rating and edited out the smutty goodness of several of my stories. Indiscretion, Sanctuary Souls, Darkest before the Dawn, and Think Twice now have M ratings. I had to delete A Kiss Goodnight and will be posting it on another site. I'll let you know where when I find a good home for it. This sucks, but I'm trying my best to follow the rules. Sorry for the inconvenience guys! But nevertheless thank you for reading. Love you!  
><strong>


	31. Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart

**A/N: Hiya folks. Won't keep you from reading the update. There should be no problems with leaving a review for this chapter, and thanks for everyone for leaving me your thoughts! Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

The door was barely standing by the time Damon broke through it as he sped up to his room, cradling Bonnie in his arms. Thankful he already had a fire going in the hearth. But to a human the room would probably be still too cold.

Damon laid Bonnie across his great bed, retraced his steps to the bathroom to fill the tub with scolding hot water. The whole time he raced through the woods with her he hoped that Bonnie didn't lose consciousness. More than likely she was suffering with hypothermia and he needed to get her temperature up ASAP.

Face grim, he walked back into his bedroom and started stripping her. He removed her shoes and her coat first. A tick hammered incessantly in his jaw as his pale white hands reached for the button of her fly and the zipper. He ignored—although barely—that she was dressed in a modest albeit cute pair of bikini cut panties. Damon tugged her jeans down her toned, caramel legs and did his best not to cop a feel and see how they felt in his hands. This wasn't about sex, he reminded himself as an afterthought.

His hands shook only infinitesimally as Damon reached under Bonnie to prop her up so he could remove her shirt. When he did so her arms fell back to the bed like cooked noodles, and so did her long hair. He laid her back on the bed and wrapped her up like a burrito and went back into the bathroom to shut the water off in the tub.

Damon removed his boots and shirt. Bonnie was out of it and he couldn't just lay her in the bathtub because she would sink under water, so he figured to be on the safe side he'd have to get in with her.

"Okay," he murmured as he unwrapped and picked her up bridal style. Damon climbed in and then positioned her so that her back was to his front and then slowly he lowered their bodies to the steaming hot water.

The first contact of water against her skin, jolted Bonnie awake and she started crying and hyperventilating. She had been cold for so long that she could barely feel her fingers and toes. So the shock of hot water hitting her skin made her want to beat a hasty retreat.

Arms like steel bands tightened around her as she squirmed to break free. "Too hot," she croaked.

"Bon, I know, just relax."

She didn't understand what was going on or why she was being put in a tub when she still wore her underwear. Her hands clung to the ones that were holding her protectively as she was finally submerged almost all the way to her chin.

A stinging pain stabbed her in all her extremities as tears coursed down her cheeks, and dangled from her eyelashes clumping them together. Her body shook with tremors and Damon held her even tighter. He wasn't afraid of breaking anything because he knew Bonnie could handle it.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, a contemplative look on his face as he listened to Bonnie's sobs turn into murmurs as her body adjusted to the temperature in the water until it was no longer uncomfortable to her. She settled fully against him allowing him to hold her weight, and to him she really weighed nothing at all. With one arm slung across her tiny waist, the other under her breasts, they breathed together, as one, until her head lolled to the side.

She was out again.

Having no one to share witty banter with, Damon thought over his own failed love life. When he learned the truth that Katherine hadn't been stuck in a tomb rotting for close to two hundred years, the first thing other than blind rage and pain that went through him was numbness. It was a startling realization that for so many decades she was alive and kicking while he was off doing his thing, cultivating himself into a monster, into an irredeemable asshole all in the name of love, for her _ass _only to find out she didn't and never did give a shit about him.

Damon had accepted what she was when she revealed her secret. Hell, he helped her hunt and kill for goodness sake! He remembered lying in the middle of dirt roads, pretending to be injured so whenever a coach rolled to a stop to offer assistance, Katherine literally moved in for the kill. He remembered kissing her as her chin and mouth was covered in human blood after she prompted him to get a taste because that's all his life would be about once she turned him.

She never had to use compulsion on him because his life had been full of monotony, dullness, and emptiness that when she came along with her own set of rules, he gravitated towards Katherine like she was the sun. She had promised him so many times that they would be together, _forever, _and said she loved him while looking him straight in the eye, and he believed every word that came out of her lying mouth because without Katherine, Damon was nothing.

And she never let him forget that either.

Whenever they were alone, and she was irritated, Katherine would let her true colors along with her claws to come out. She belittled him. Called him a coward for walking away from the confederate army. Said Giuseppe should have shot him on sight the minute he showed up having gone AWOL because he disgraced the Salvatore family name. And of course she _loved _throwing her preference for Stefan in his face knowing that was the tick that usually set off his notorious temper.

Yet despite all of that he still wanted to be with her, and thought that once he became a vampire Katherine would marvel at the masterpiece she created and would forget all about his stupid brother.

That didn't happen.

In between all that time until he came back to Mystic Falls, Damon never fully allowed himself to give a shit about anyone or love completely. Katherine had taught him a valuable lesson. Love yourself more than you love anything else, because at least then no one would have the power to hurt you.

He went off rails for a while when he transferred how he used to feel about Katherine over to Elena. More like dumped his feelings on her like it was a toxic spill. Isobel had tried to out him—well she did out him—when she strolled her bitch ass into town acting like a cold, heartless wench. He wanted to protect Elena from the creation he purposely created not knowing until much later of course that she was Elena's birth mom. Talk about awkward.

Damon replayed that moment over in his head seeing himself standing next to Stefan while Elena and Isobel had words about the Jonathan Gilbert device.

"How did you know Damon would give it to me?" Elena asked.

Isobel answered matter-of-factly, "Because he's in love with you."

Stefan didn't flinch but he did clench his jaws tightly together. Damon looked like someone just yelled the word "BUSTED!" and had no snarky comment lined up. But he felt put on the spot and he hated it.

Damon didn't expect Stefan to puff out his chest like He-Man and throw down right there in town square over Elena's hand. Stefan knew the best reaction to have was no reaction. And Stefan was secure in his relationship knowing Elena would never betray him for Damon.

If questioned, Damon couldn't pinpoint how or why he would even waste his time falling in love with Elena. Maybe because she wanted to be his friend after he learned the truth about Katherine. And she kind of made him feel like a worth while person.

But it wouldn't be until months later, and a well-crafted speech from a seventeen year old witch that finally opened up Damon's panty melting eyes.

Bonnie had stood across from him, after slapping him stupid because he insulted her, and told him that he was always capable of being loved, that he was worth being loved. No one, and he did mean _no one _had ever said that to him. Not even Stefan in all this infinite lectures. It had been nothing but a procession of be a better man, be a nice person, be kind rewind. It was never: you're worth more than silver and gold, Damon. Bonnie didn't necessarily say the last part, but whatever.

At the time of her spiel, Bonnie wasn't offering to be the person to love him. And even if she was, Damon didn't want her love.

Now that was changing.

She took a deep breath, effectively moving his arms. He listened to her heart beat as it became stronger, pulsated.

When he heard that Bonnie predicted her future mate would have the initial DS everything in the game changed for him. Before, Damon might have been willing to ride out his little infatuation with Bonnie, letting it pass through his system like a bug, and go about his business, but that changed drastically and he never wanted another woman the way he wanted her in that moment. He believed his time for something meaningful had arrived and Damon would do everything in his power to make it come to pass.

And here was his destiny in his arms, soaking wet, and in her underwear.

He smiled but then cut it off.

"I think you're done," he said once the water became tepid. Damon stood with Bonnie locked securely in his arms and sat with her on his bed. He toweled her off, and then, covering her with the towel peeled her panties off, which took a gargantuan effort on his part not to look, followed by her bra.

Hmm. She needed clothes.

Nothing in his closet would fit so he went scampering off to Stefan's room rifling through his things looking for wayward clothes Elena might have left behind.

Score, he found a pair of jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. He dressed Bonnie methodically as she slumbered and once that was done, he stood and thought for a moment.

What to do now? The noble thing to do would be is to tuck her in bed, and make her something to eat. Bonnie may have been small but even he could tell she lost a few pounds she could ill afford to lose. There was no need for her to become skin and bones. Then there was the other side to him that said to capitalize on this moment in the only fashion Damon knew how.

So it was settled then. Road trip.

* * *

><p>Bonnie woke with a start. And the minute she did was the minute her head started pounding, and the room took off in a tailspin. Grabbing the side of her head and slowly coming to a sitting position, Bonnie peeled open one eye and noticed immediately that she wasn't in her bedroom.<p>

If her heart wasn't pounding before it certainly was now. Her other eye opened and she felt fear clog her throat as she scooted to the edge of the bed.

Wherever she was, there was nothing within her view that could tell her of her exact location. The room was massive and beautifully decorated, and no one needed to tell her she was in a hotel room. Oh, God what happened?

As her feet hit the floor that's when she became aware of the fact she could hear the hiss of a shower. Someone was using the bathroom and she had no idea who it might have been. Had Caroline and Elena convinced her to take an impromptu road trip to get out of town for a few days?

Bonnie gulped when that thought was proven wrong when she saw a pair of men's Durango boots sitting at the foot of the bed.

Did she do something stupid like pick up some random guy? Bonnie looked down and sighed a bit in relief because she was fully dressed, but then these weren't her clothes. The jeans were too long and had been rolled up, and the shirt was a size too big.

Panic swept through Bonnie as she moved through the room in search of her cell phone. She didn't even know if she had her purse!

There was a duffel bag sitting on an art deco chair, and she quickly rifled through it while keeping her eyes on the closed bathroom door. Her hands pushed through nothing but a sea of black shirts, pants, socks, underwear.

Cursing softly Bonnie searched the floor for the mystery man's pants. She found them on the opposite side of the bed, and rifled through them. Her hand smashed into something small and metallic. Pulling it out she sighed in victory and then walked swiftly out of the room.

There was a long hallway that she could tell emptied into the living room. To the left was a pair of double doors. Prayerfully it would lead the way out.

Just as Bonnie began dialing Elena, despite the fact her vision kept going and in out of focus and she was beginning to feel lethargic again, Bonnie opened up the door and then screamed bloody murder.

Someone grabbed her from behind, slammed the door, plucked the phone out of her hand and proceeded to throw it across the room where it hit the wall and burst into pieces.

Bonnie began to fight with what was left in her as she struggled against her kidnapper. In her haste she saw that the arm holding her was pale white and that a lapis lazuli ring graced one long finger. Her eyes widened and Bonnie reared her head back smashing it into her attacker's nose.

"Gotdamnit that wasn't necessary," said a voice that instantly turned Bonnie's blood into ice.

Damon didn't let go of Bonnie. He turned her around and thrust her up against the door, hoping that once she saw his face she'd calm the hell down.

She didn't of course, utilizing her new position to ram her knee into his nuts. Immortal or not that hurt and Damon went down.

Bonnie attempted to go for the door, but Damon caught her around the ankle and pulled. Bonnie went down and he threw himself on top of her. Her hand reached out and wrapped around his throat where she applied enough pressure that, yeah, he felt that as well.

If her head wasn't feeling like she was having an aneurysm, Bonnie certainly would have given him one. What gave him the right to take her from Mystic Falls?

She was going to scream prompting Damon to clamp his hand over her mouth. Tears slid from her eyes as he pressed his face as close to hers without touching.

"Do _not _set me or my brains on fire. I'll tell you where you are if you promise to behave yourself and not scream. Deal?"

Bonnie thought for a moment before curtly nodding once. Tentatively Damon removed his hand and then placed most of his weight on his elbows. His body covered hers from stomach, to hips, to thighs, legs, and feet. He was dressed in nothing more substantial than a towel that was barely hanging on to his lean hips. His still soaked body was wetting her clothes and that's where Bonnie became painfully aware of the fact she wasn't wearing a bra.

She squirmed that she wanted to get up from the cold floor and put the entire room between them, yet he wouldn't budge.

Damon could easily see she was livid with him but was willing to listen to his explanation probably before she did irreversible damage to one of his favorite body parts.

"We're in Atlantic City."

Bonnie opened her mouth which Damon silenced her by placing his index finger against her lips.

"I found you sunbathing in the woods. In the dead of winter I might add. You were barely conscious and probably had hypothermia so I took you back to my place to warm you up. I promise, I kept everything PG. And then I got the bright idea that you and I needed sometime to connect and bond," he concluded with a smile that was meant to disarm.

It had the negative effect because Bonnie frowned at him so severely he wondered if his face was shriveling like a prune.

"Get off me, Damon," Bonnie said listlessly.

He hesitated before doing as she asked, offering to assist her to her feet, but Bonnie ignored his extended hand.

She got to her feet, felt the world tilt and she wobbled a bit. Damon made a move that he would catch her if she was about to kiss the floor, but Bonnie skirted around him and headed over to the couch. She sat down and buried her head in her hands wondering when this migraine would go away.

"I can't believe you did this," she leaned back against the cushions and stared up at the ceiling. "No, I can believe it. You pulled this same crap with Elena," Bonnie looked at him and ignored the individual drops of water that rolled from his impressive chest and got missing behind the knot of the towel. "Are we about to knock off a few bars?"

"Only if you want to."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Damon…thank you for helping me earlier, but I want to go back home."

He crossed over to her moving with an animal magnetism she never noticed before. "No, you don't, Bonnie. You've been miserable for the last month and a half. I'll give you props for putting up a good front." He sat down on the couch across from her. "But you need to get over him," he told her bluntly.

Bonnie laughed humorlessly. "This coming from the man who…."

"Was obsessed with Katherine for a million years," he grimaced. "Get a new argument, please because I've heard it enough from St. Stefan. What the hell were you doing lying on the ground in the middle of the woods?"

His question felt like a punch and Bonnie flinched slightly. "I'm sorry but when did you become my confessor? I don't owe you any explanation, but what _you _do owe me is a ride back to Mystic Falls. Failure to cooperate will result in your ass getting kicked."

Damon laughed. "Honey, have you forgotten that I've tussled with some of the best in the business?"

Bonnie rose from the couch staring down at him from the edge of her nose like a dictator. "And have you forgotten that I come equipped with the power of a hundred witches. Just try me, Damon."

Shamefully, with the way Bonnie was staring at him and pulling on her reserves he felt his shaft lengthen.

He rose to his feet, uncaring if she could see what her challenging spirit did to him. She didn't take the bait. Pity.

"Judgey…all I want to do is show you a good time. If I fail then you have my permission to kick my ass. I didn't bring you here for any funny business. Not really, at least. So just humor me."

Saying nothing, Bonnie folded her arms over her chest and looked away. Being around Damon was the last thing she wanted but being home wasn't what she craved either. The one place that had been her refuge for so long had now become a prison. There wasn't a single landmark or house that didn't remind Bonnie of her time with Damon and those bottomless eyes of his. Everyday was a struggle to get up and every night was a struggle to stay asleep. Her body couldn't take more of it, but that didn't mean she wanted to be holed up in a room with Damon either.

She was still in the valley of decision so Damon added, "Just think of this as you going through a rebellious phase. I'm sure Daddy Bennett will understand."

"My dad," Bonnie panicked. She narrowly escaped being grounded until she was ninety because Elijah had sweet talked her dad to be lenient on her. And here she was, vanished again with another vampire no less.

"Luckily for you," Damon winked, "he's stuck in Chicago. A big blizzard rolled in so dad will be indisposed for a few days. You're all mine, Judgey," and his eyes darkened intently.

Upon hearing that, Bonnie gulped and felt her stomach bottom out. She stared at her hands before meeting Damon's cerulean eyes. It appeared she was out of options.

"Fine," she sighed. "Go put some damn clothes on," she ordered testily. He smirked. And the thought of clothes made Bonnie wonder what she was going to wear on this trip. She didn't see a bag packed with her things.

Damon read the question on her face. "There's a shopping center located right here in the hotel. Take my card and get what you need. There's no budget."

Surprise flitted across her face before her cheeks began to burn.

"Thanks," she mumbled before shuffling off towards the bedroom before she stopped and turned to face him again. "You're sleeping on the couch just so you know."

* * *

><p>Caroline shook her blonde hair free of any pesky snowflakes as she entered Mystic Grill. Winter wasn't her favorite season but she could appreciate its beauty and of course when school was cancelled due to inclement weather. However, it was an inconvenience because she had to forfeit wearing her stiletto boots for more durable footwear, and her shape was hidden under layers and layers of fabric.<p>

Despite all that, she strolled over joining Stefan and Elena who were enjoying hot lattes.

"Hey guys," Caroline beamed, unwrapped her scarf from her neck and tossed it on the back of her chair.

"Hey Care," Elena greeted. Stefan inclined his head.

"So happy school was cancelled for the rest of the week but now I'm bored. What the hell are we supposed to do for the next four days? I refuse to stay home and help my mom clean her guns."

Elena chuckled whereas Stefan could do nothing but shake his head. The two sweethearts stared at one another and engaged in a silent argument. Stefan wanted to spend as much alone time with Elena as he could, but something always came up driving them apart. Now that things were calm again, he was hoping they could resume their lives when he was just Stefan Salvatore, a boy who was trying not to eat people, and Elena Gilbert the girl who was searching for an outlet after her parents death.

"Well," Stefan began, "Elena and I were just going to hang out. There's not a whole lot to do."

Caroline pouted and rolled her eyes. "You guys are such an old, married couple who sit around an knit and argue over your AARP Magazine. We should do something crazy like, base jumping."

"Caroline, there are no underground caves around," Elena felt the need to burst her bubble.

"That you know of," the blonde vampire contradicted. Caroline was about to continue when she spotted Tyler near the pool tables. He was talking, well she should say he was flirting with some nameless sophomore girl but that wasn't what piqued her interest. It was the fact Matt had joined him and he seemed to be engrossed in an animated conversation with Brooke Danvers, a senior with bigger boobs than hers.

"Hmm," she said deceptively cheerily. "Excuse me, guys, I'll be right back."

Elena watched as her friend stomped her way over to Matt. Oh, boy heads were about to roll.

"Caroline is right," Stefan said the minute she was gone. "We have gotten a bit boring."

Elena frowned and sat her cup of coffee down. "Speak for yourself but I am the epitome…okay no she's right," she sighed heavily and rubbed a hand down her face. "Other than fighting and running for our lives we really haven't done anything exciting. I've just been so worried about Bonnie lately, and wanting to be there for her."

Stefan reached for her hand. "As you should be, and you have no reason to feel guilty about that." Pause. "Have you talked to her at all?"

Elena shook her head. "Not since the night of the charity auction. I should give her a call." Elena reached for her phone and called Bonnie. Like always it was routed to voice mail but the voice she heard wasn't her best friend's.

"_If you're trying to reach Bonnie I regret to inform you she will be out of town for the next few days. But she'll be sure to return your call at her earliest convenience. Ciao bello."_

Stefan heard his brother's voice as he stared at the incredulity that came over Elena's face.

"What the hell has your brother done?"

"I don't know," Stefan replied and dug into his pocket to retrieve his cell. He tried to keep his face stern, for Elena's benefit, but on the inside he was cracking up.

Surprise, surprise, his call to Damon was routed to voice mail. In his best authoritative voice Stefan said, "Damon, when you get this call me _immediately. _You are in big trouble, mister."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You're so cute."

* * *

><p>Damon promised her endless fun and mindless entertainment and so far he had been keeping his promise. After shopping until she could barely stand on her feet, Bonnie wasn't given a moment to rest before Damon pushed her towards the bathroom and told her shower because he would be taking her down to the casinos.<p>

"I'm not old enough to go," had been her argument to which Damon compressed his lips into a hard, non-negotiating line.

"You must have forgotten who you're with. In the shower now or I wash you myself."

"Okay, okay," she hustled off.

While she was in the middle of drying herself off, the door opened to which Bonnie hopped around like a fish out of water, attempting to cover herself.

"Damon, what the HELL!"

He didn't peep but he did thrust his arm through the small opening he created to show her the gown she would be wearing. Bonnie's jaw dropped. It was black and heavily beaded with nude material underneath giving off the illusion that she was naked underneath. It also had a plunging back and a three foot train.

"Like it?" he asked.

When Bonnie snatched the dress out of his hand that was answer enough. Nearly two hours later she emerged from the bathroom donned in the long-sleeved number that fit her body like a glove. Bonnie had done something creative with her hair, and her eyes were smoky so much that when she looked at Damon who was perched on the bed dressed in a tux, he almost felt the room go up in flames.

Damon cleared his throat, sat down the scotch he had been sipping, and approached Bonnie. He traced the slope of her cheek with his thumb. "You're beautiful, Bonnie."

His compliment made her stare at her feet. Damon lifted her chin and her eyes became unguarded for a second. Bonnie had a wild thought that Damon would kiss her and then her dress would be nothing but a pool fabric around her feet, but instead he backed away from her and extended his arm.

She wouldn't acknowledge the little stab of disappointment that slice through her.

Together they rode down in the elevator in companionable silence, and Bonnie although feeling demure held her shoulders back and realized that she and Damon were turning heads. He of course soaked it all up like an attention seeking whore, but that had always been his forte.

Bonnie was nervous thinking that at every table they went to the dealer would ask to see some ID. It didn't happen, thankfully. And no matter which table they went to, they always came out as winners. Especially at the Roulette table. Numbers were her thing, and Bonnie took full advantage of it.

After they nearly bankrupted the casino, Damon took her to a burlesque show. Several times Bonnie had to close her eyes because some of the dances made her feel terribly young and inexperienced and that she shouldn't be seeing this.

They didn't get back to their room until three in the morning.

"You're really going to make me sleep on the couch?" he asked while he slipped out of his jacket and shoes.

Bonnie slammed an extra pillow and blanket on the couch and then placed her hands on her full hips. "Yep," she said. "Sleep tight."

Damon leered at her before rolling his eyes. Eyeing the couch he would be sleeping tight seeing as how it was more decorative and not functional for moments such as this.

Locked away in the room, Bonnie undressed, washed her face, and took down her elaborate updo. Honestly in the last seven hours she could fit the number of times she thought about her boyfriend on one hand. Bonnie figured she could consider that an improvement because at least her thoughts had been centered around winning copious amounts of moolah, and not much else.

She laughed suddenly because Damon in his own way was offering her an alternative to therapy.

"Thank you, Damon," she said.

On the other side of the door, lying belly up on the couch, Damon smirked. "You're welcome, Bonnie."

* * *

><p>Sometime during the night Bonnie's dreams changed. One minute she had been in her room with her girlfriends getting ready for some party taking place in the woods, and the next she was stumbling around in the dress she wore to the casino, chasing after a figure that kept moving.<p>

"Damon!" Bonnie shouted as her hands broke branches that were closing in on her, the further she moved into the dense woodlands. She would get a glimpse of him, head towards the sighting and once she made it there, he flashed away.

"Damon, please stop!"

His taunting laughter followed as tears gushed down her cheeks. And then he was standing right in front of her, black eyes glittering in the night, skin illuminated by the moon. Bonnie sighed in relief. And felt everything quaking inside of her ebb away like clouds parting to reveal the sun.

Damon cupped her cheek and then that handsome smirk on his face morphed into something demented. "I never loved you." He pushed her away causing her to trip and fall into mud. And then, she saw him again, this time holding a redheaded girl in his arms like she was the most precious thing in the world. "She is the _only _girl I've ever loved," Damon said and to prove his point, began kissing the girl.

Bonnie felt her heart constrict as she became a spectator to something she never wanted to see.

Her eyes opened and she was drenched in a pool of sweat. Bonnie felt something looming next to her and she jolted up and her eyes landed on naked flesh.

Damon, with those translucent eyes was next to her. Seeing him made her react in a way she probably wouldn't under much different circumstances. Bonnie threw herself at Damon, furiously wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him closer, panting.

Bonnie hadn't exactly screamed as a result of having a nightmare. The only clue he had that she was having a one was the fact he, the couch, and everything not bolted down were floating a few feet off the ground.

Damon held her close as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his body twisted a bit awkwardly. She began crying until her body shook and the weather reacted off her emotions. A torrential storm came out of nowhere, drenching the entire city.

It was a beautiful thing to behold.

"He was there, Damon, and he was _kissing _her."

He ran his fingers through Bonnie's hair. "It was only a dream. It wasn't real."

"It felt real," Bonnie nearly growled. "I don't want to miss him. I don't want to dream about him. He left."

Damon was silent for a while. "You have me, Bonnie and I have no plans to go anywhere."

She chortled. "You're just being nice to me because I saved your life."

Damon pulled her away from him so he could stare at her. "Are you trying to piss me off? You know I care about you. And it has nothing to do with you saving my life. When _I _say I'm not going anywhere I'm not bullshitting. You can't get rid of me." It sounded more like a threat than anything else. "Move over."

Wordlessly Bonnie slid over, making room for him. Damon climbed behind her, drawing her to his chest.

"Sleep, Bonnie."

* * *

><p>"Work Hard Play Hard," by Wiz Khalifa was blasting from speakers and Bonnie's eyes were as wide as saucers as she kept her gaze locked on the vampire dancing around the caged ring.<p>

Blood dripped from Damon's knuckles as he danced on the balls of his feet, as he dodged a meaty fist aimed for his left cheek. Easily deflecting the attack, Damon served up a jab to his opponent's abdominals subsequently causing the tall and bulky guy to spit out a wad of blood.

The crowd winced yet continued to cheer maniacally. Bonnie could do nothing but shake her head.

Damon had gotten it into his head that he wanted to cage fight after seeing an advertisement in one of the casinos. Bonnie was flabbergasted as she stared up at him.

He merely shrugged. "I've never tried it and you know what they say? YOLO."

She couldn't help it, she burst out into chuckles.

Of course when he strolled up to register, the manager laughed in his face and made some comment about Damon taking his pretty boy ass somewhere else. Of course Damon gave the manager a preview of the fact that despite him being so pretty he was no one to f*ck with.

Needless to say he didn't have to pay the registration fee after that.

Bonnie naturally voiced several objections. She knew what Damon was capable of, but talking Damon out of something was harder than talking someone down from a bridge.

Damon had fought his way all the way to the quarterfinals. If he won this round, he would be facing the indisputable champion, a rumored six foot eight behemoth that had been undefeated for the last five years.

The bulky guy Damon was fighting now was on the ground on bended knee. Damon just shattered his jaw.

Bulky guy gave up.

The referee came over and held up Damon's hand. "Vampyre is your winner!"

Bonnie hated his "stage" name. So far she hadn't felt any other witch or supernatural entity in the area, but that didn't mean one couldn't be lurking around. Damon for his part, just painted a huge target on his back.

In between fights was a fifteen minute intercession. Damon strolled out of the cage, shirtless and bruise free, moving through the crowd, through the women who boldly grabbed and reached for him hoping to turn his intense gaze on them. There was a fluid symmetry to the way he walked as if he weren't moving at all. Damon ignored the crowd, the foul rank coating the air, the insults keeping his gaze locked on the young woman who was holding his gaze despite the havoc he was probably wreaking on her nerves.

Once he stood before Bonnie, soaking up the little oxygen that was left in her lungs, there was some kind of buzz coming from his skin. She didn't know what it was, but it simply caught and held her attention like a spider web making it almost impossible to look at anything other than Damon.

Yet again he had been there for her when her mind decided to play cruel tricks on her, conjuring up a dream of dark-eyed Damon saying he never loved her. Getting back to sleep wasn't so impossible because blue-eyes had been there with her. Bonnie honestly didn't think Damon was capable of tenderness or merely being a shoulder to cry on. She was sure that the only time he attempted to console someone was right before he killed them. But he had proven her wrong yet again.

"I need a drink," he slung an arm across Bonnie's shoulders, and she heard a chorus of teeth being sucked as they made their way to the bar.

Of course one determined female stepped in their path. Briefly she spared Bonnie with a less-than-friendly look before turning her bedroom eyes on Damon. "If its illegal ass you like, you can pretend I'm sixteen."

Damon merely poked the brazen redhead in the forehead and pushed her off to the side. "Be gone!"

Bonnie smiled and handed Damon his shirt and ignored the butterflies that were throwing a rave in her stomach. "I'm beginning to believe you can't go anywhere without being accosted or starting trouble."

Damon shrugged his shirt on. "I think I'm done with this cage fighting scene. No one so far has proved to be that big of a challenge."

"What about the five-time champion? Don't you want to go up against him?"

Instead of answering, Damon swung in front of Bonnie and did that thing with his eyes as if he were undressing her. It made her flush. "I already have the prize I want and no amount of money or bragging rights is going to change that."

Bonnie folded her arms over her chest. "You talk like we're already together. We're not."

A smirk bloomed over his face, slowly, and Bonnie realized her mistake. What she just implied was that they _would _be together, one day, preferably tomorrow.

"I…what…that…," she stammered and was silenced when Damon placed his finger over her lips. He seemed to enjoy doing that.

"Bons, the first step in a twelve step program is admitting you have a problem. You have a definite problem with facing reality. The reality of the situation being that you're here with me and you like having me at your full disposal. You like it when I touch you, when I look at you, when I stand close to you," and he moved a bit closer to prove his point. He heard her heart beat just a bit faster. "You like not knowing what I'm going to do or say next. You like the fact that you can't predict my next move although it pisses you off. You like the fact I leave you feeling confused, hot and bothered, that I scramble your brains. And you want to know what you like the most but won't admit," his lips feathered teasingly against hers. "You like the fact you can't control how your body responds to me."

Her pupils were so dilated she looked high as a kite. Bonnie's heart was hammering behind her ribcage and it was amazing it hadn't shattered. Her mouth had gone dry and embarrassingly some suspect activity was taking place in her nether region.

Damon scented her arousal on the air. He leaned closer to Bonnie and skimmed the tip of his nose along her neck. "You smell so mouth watering good. I can't wait to taste to you."

Bonnie swallowed thickly and tempered her hormones, manhandling them back into their box. She wasn't one to allow her hormones free reign and she wouldn't start now. Damon might be able to affect her with his words, but that would be all. She didn't want to go there with him or anyone else for that matter because in the end she'd just end up alone. But this was proving to be more difficult than she thought.

It took a minute for her to speak. "That's all well and good, Damon, but its not going to happen tonight or ever for that matter," Bonnie brushed past him and went back to their room.

* * *

><p>For the remaining two days, Damon kept himself emotionally unavailable. There would be so many times he put himself out there to be rejected. He didn't sleep very well, the stupid couch not totally to blame for his restless nights, but the girl holed up in the room. He glared at the closed door now.<p>

Something inside of him felt like it had been unleashed when he cage fought. There had been something primitive about it and whatever it was that was locked away inside of him was now roaming through his veins.

He was aware of everything more so than before. And he was moving faster than he could keep up with, which surprised him and threw him for a loop. His sight, vision, hearing, and sense of smell had been impeccable thanks to his vampirism, but now everything seemed magnified, heightened. He could not only hear the other guests on this floor, but he could hear the wait staff down in the kitchen, and their room was located on the tenth floor! But what made matters worse was the fact that Bonnie's scent called to him through the closed door and all night his gums throbbed and his dick ached and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Damon turned his attention to the door as it opened. Bonnie rolled the suitcase out that she purchased. She avoided making eye contact with him.

"I have everything. I'm ready to go."

He said nothing. Merely nodded his head and grabbed her bag. Wordlessly they checked out of the hotel. Damon opened up the passenger side door of the Denali for Bonnie while he loaded their luggage in the back.

The second they hit the highway, Bonnie jammed her iPod earbuds into her ears, reclined the seat, and threw her shades on. This would have been the time for them to reflect on their adventures together, but Bonnie was going back into her internal habitat for the winter.

When she woke up after snoring like a chainsaw for a majority of the trip, they were parked outside of her house.

Bonnie sat up and looked over the console at Damon. His face was tense and she did feel slightly bad for purposely ignoring him and falling asleep without offering to drive. But that was the only way she could escape the tsunami that had been built up inside of her because of him.

"Damon?" she said lowly.

He turned to regard her. His face a perfect stone.

"I'm sorry for my attitude. You were being nice and I was being difficult."

Damon strummed his fingers along the steering wheel. "Don't worry about it, Judgey. My feelings aren't completely hurt."

Bonnie attempted to smile. "I wish…I didn't feel the way I do on the inside. Is what I'm going through what you felt after you learned the truth about Katherine never being in the tomb?"

It took a moment before he answered. "Probably not. All I wanted to do was destroy shit."

Bonnie chortled. "I actually went through that phase and…I almost brought Elijah's house down to the ground."

Damon shifted until he could face her directly. "So what's going on in that head of yours now?"

Bonnie sighed. "I think I need to officially put closure on everything. I haven't been to his house, avoided it because a part of me wants him to be there, but I know he's not. I just want to get past this stage so badly but most of the time it feels like its not going anywhere." Pause. "I did some digging."

Damon lifted his brows.

Bonnie licked her lips before continuing. "There's a spell…if a witch needs to make a decision that goes against her conscience then she can block access to her emotions. The effects only last for forty-eight hours, and I've thought about doing that."

His response to that was automatic. "Bonnie, you can't do that."

She hadn't been expecting that reaction from Damon. "I thought you of all people would understand why."

"Yeah, I understand why, but it's only a temporary fix. What happens once the forty-eight hours are up? Will you only feel more horrible than you do now? Will your guilt only triple? Is it really worth it?"

Bonnie didn't say anything. She'd give anything not to feel that dull ache in her chest. "I guess not."

"Look at me," Damon commanded. He didn't continue until Bonnie did so. "If you decide to do it, let me know. And before you ask me why, you should know why."

Bonnie nodded in understanding. Because he wanted to be there with her, help her through it and probably cause a little mayhem in the process right beside her. Bonnie reached for the door handle. Damon, armed with her luggage, saw her to the door. He pulled Bonnie into a tight embrace and kissed the shell of her ear.

"Thank you for this weekend," Bonnie murmured.

"You know where to find me if you need me."

The minute he was gone, Bonnie rolled her suitcase to the foot of the stairs and then paused. Feeling her heart race as she thought of what she was going to do next, Bonnie grabbed her car keys. She was behind the wheel before she could talk herself out of what she was doing.

Her car rolled to a stop in the driveway of the two-story Victorian. Her hands clutched the steering wheel until her knuckles were white as she stared up at the house that became another home to Bonnie. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she exited her vehicle and walked the familiar path to the front door.

She unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Flicking on the table side lamp, flooding the room with light, instant memories of lying stretched out in front of the fireplace with Damon assaulted her. Bonnie avoided looking at anything that might remind her of their time together.

The house was eerily silent and her senses began to play tricks on her. In her mind she could hear his seductive voice luring her upstairs. Bonnie grabbed a hold of the railing and took the steps one at a time until she stood outside of his bedroom. Her heart continued to pound and she felt her pulse racing in her neck as she swung open the door. In this room was where she felt his presence the most.

His scent was the first thing she noticed. Tears burst from her ducts as she looked at the perfectly made up bed, the same bed she lost her virginity on to the man she loved. Ripping her gaze from the bed, Bonnie headed to the closet. She turned on the light and was a bit startled that his clothes still lined the racks.

That pain in her chest tightened and she could barely move, but she forced her feet forward and grabbed a hold of his shirts, bringing the sleeves up to her nose to inhale his scent hoping it might jar a specific memory. She reverently touched his watches that were displayed on a tray that rested on top of a small bureau located in the heart of the closet.

Bonnie grabbed a shirt, and a pair of pants and went out into the bedroom. She laid his clothes out on the side of the bed he preferred to sleep on. Slipping off her shoes, she crawled next to his clothes and closed her eyes and pretended he was next to her.

"I miss you so much," she said through her tears, and cried herself to sleep.

When she woke up with a pounding headache, Bonnie knew she could find aspirin in the bathroom downstairs.

Crossing through the living room, there were some documents and a journal on the coffee table that caught her attention. Doubling back, Bonnie went to go and inspect them. At first she just briefly glanced at the papers. One of them looked to be a property deed and her name was on it. She spotted the keys to his Ferrari and the title to the car, again with her name on it.

"Oh, my God," she gasped when she realized that Damon had left her the house and his car.

She picked up the journal and opened the first page. " '_To my beautiful princess. May the contents herein be a guide to help you in whatever endeavor you may have to face next_…"

A letter dropped out of the journal. Bonnie picked it up and unfolded it.

Settling on the couch she began reading, imagining Damon's voice in her head as she did so.

"_I didn't have much time to put this together but it would appear that my time with you has come to a dramatic end. I know my leaving is abrupt and we didn't prepare for it as we should, but know it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my prolonged life. There would not have been a force powerful enough to get me to part with you for any reason, but alas, the universe has spoken, and I am to return to my home._

"_But my home, my true home, will always remain with you, Bonnie. I have my brother, and my little red bird, and a few others to look after, but I'm leaving behind the part of me that you helped to resurrect. You've shown me more love than I've experienced in the five hundred plus years I walked the earth, and nothing can diminish my feelings towards you. Although I know you care for another, I do know without question, that you love me just as I love you. And it's because of this love I won't ask you to wait for me. But I will ask you of one favor. When you search the skies, know I'm doing the same and that way we will forever be connected. I love you, body, heart, and soul. Yours forever, Damon Salvatore." _

After reading the letter until she practically had it memorized, Bonnie went outside into the backyard and stared up at the sky, hoping wherever Damon was, he was doing the same.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I told myself I was going to make this chapter short, and well I can't seem to keep my word to myself. Umm, there's not much I want to say about this chapter, other than it was a bit emotional to write, but Bonnie is healing, Damon is helping while not being obnoxious and controlling about it. I, like many hated what the writers did to his character this season, basically turning him into Stefan. I'm all about a character evolving but not doing a complete change to where they aren't recognizable. So his moments with Bonnie will not be sweet to the point you feel your teeth are about to rot out of your head. I plan to evolve him in some other areas that I'm excited about. So stay tuned. Love you guys and as always thank you for reading!**


	32. Revelations

**A/N: OMG Over 800 reviews! Whoop-whoop par-tay. Nah, just playing. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, added to your favorites, left posts about this little story on Tumblr. I appreciative it ALL! I can't tell you guys enough! Much love to everybody! Now on to the show.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Going to check the mailbox was beginning to feel like Russian roulette to Matt Donovan. He was seventeen years old, about to be eighteen in another month, and already he had more bills and life experience than all the kids in his school combined. Matt could think of no other student who had a mortgage to pay, utilities, or property tax. He did and he hated it.

Kicking his mom out of the house after she behaved like a low-rent whore at a Lockwood function seemed like a good idea at the time. And a grown-up idea as well. What he hadn't taken into consideration was the fact his mom was under a mountain of debt which he just now inherited, and had been behind on everything for months _before _that faithful night. Earning a bus boy salary kept the lights and the cable on, but everything else was a huge struggle.

He sat at the kitchen table going over what was past due and what was due now, and was trying to figure out what could be paid in full and what could be held off for another month. Sighing heavily, raking his frustrated hands through his blonde hair, all Matt really wanted to do was take a torch to these bills and runaway from his existence.

Caroline didn't understand the pressure he was under. Matt had done a good job of making it seem like he was making ends meet, staying one step ahead of total poverty and homelessness, but he was drowning. The hole in the bottom of his boat had grown into a crater, and as soon as he dumped some water out, more poured in. If business remained good at The Grille he would be fine, but if people started trimming down on their eating out expenses due to the poor economy, he would be in trouble. Serious trouble.

His ocean blue eyes trailed over to the application that was sitting next to his bills. Whenever he looked at it something bubble in his guts. Matt had never asked for a handout a single day in his life, but if he wanted to maintain his family home, asking for financial assistance from the state would be his only way of achieving that. He had grown up with the stereotype of what certain people looked like who lived on welfare. They were drug users, had a billion kids, and were all around lazy. He clearly didn't fit the profile and now that he was on the other side of the fence, Matt's view had changed. There were people out there who needed help, not because they created the mess they were in, but because of circumstances far beyond their control happened to place them where they were. He could sympathize now where in the past he couldn't.

However, he still couldn't help the shame that sliced through him when he thought about filling out that application and then walking into that building to hand it in and actually make an appointment to talk to a case worker.

Urgh, Matt pushed away from the table and stood up. He went over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade. He looked at the bare shelves in the fridge and grimaced. Grocery shopping was another luxury that sometimes was overlooked. He used his discount at the Grille liberally and was thankful for reduced lunches at school. So feeding himself wasn't that big of a problem. Everything else was.

He didn't want to think about his friends. Tyler was rich, not wealthy, but rich. He could drive a different car to school every day of the week if he wanted to because his father had been an avid car collector. Caroline was a spoiled only kid and milked her parents' guilt to her benefit. It was how she stayed attired in the best clothes a small town like Mystic Falls had to offer. Elena's dad before he died had been a doctor, and her mom came from a well off family. Everything was left to Elena and Jeremy and split evenly between them so they wouldn't even have to work for a while if they didn't want to. And despite that, Elena was dating one of the richest kids in town. Bonnie was an only child and her dad worked all the time doing whatever it was he did, but Bonnie owned a nice shiny car and had an extensive wardrobe to rival her friends, and she had always been shrewd with money.

Compared to them Matt was their broke friend. No one ever brought it up and it was never an issue, and no one ever treated him like a charity case. In some instances it didn't seem right or fair that he had to go through this alone, that he had to pay for his mom's mistakes. He was glad that his mom had enough foresight to take out a life insurance policy on Vicky. It helped cover her funeral but hardly anything was left over.

Matt walked into the living room and eyed his gaming system. If push came to shove he could pawn it and use the money to cover a small fraction of the mortgage. He sighed again. He wanted a new life.

* * *

><p><strong>A few days later…<strong>

Matt circled the massive living room of the Salvatore boardinghouse nursing a beer. Caroline had ambushed him at work the other night begging, pleading, and nearly blackmailing him into coming to the winter luau she had organized. He certainly wasn't in a partying mood. Not when a stack of bills whispered his name all day and he dodged answering the phone because no one outside of bill collectors called him. Partying wasn't on his list of priorities, but then he thought why not? He could use the distraction and it wasn't like he suddenly came into a large sum of money and could pay everything off anyways. His bills would always be there.

So here he was admiring the décor as fake palm trees decorated the corners of the living room. Kiddie pools had been filled with either sand or ice to act as makeshift coolers. Tiki torches burned, flowers hung from every available surface, and the heat had been turned way up so everyone could prance around in bikinis and board shorts comfortably.

Stefan sat in a lifeguard chair, an actual lifeguard chair with a whistle around his neck. His job for the evening was to initiate shot breaks. Whenever he felt like it, when he sounded the whistle, no matter what anyone was doing, raiding the refreshments table, dancing, or going to the bathroom, when you heard the whistle you had to take a shot. The consequences for failing to do so were not pretty.

But what was pretty was Elena bobbing around with Caroline and a few other girls in her navy blue bikini top and matching sarong. He winked at her from across the room.

With the party in full swing, Tyler who had been extended an invitation via Caroline after getting the okay from Stefan, hung off to the sides not interacting with anyone. Ever since Jules blew into town and exposed things he wouldn't have learned otherwise, being around Stefan, Damon, and yes—Caroline was the last thing he wanted. But what he wanted more was answers. Jules never showed up again after summoning him for their meeting at Mystic Grille and he was inclined not to look for her because she was intense and kind of creepy, but she had put some thoughts into his head that refused to leave him alone.

Tyler knew he couldn't just show up on the Salvatore porch without a damn good reason. Damon was always lurking around and would more than likely slam the door in his face, if that was all he did. Stefan on the other hand wouldn't tell him anything either because Damon was his brother. Sure he was aware the Salvatore boys had major family issues, but they were blood and blood looked out for its own.

And not only that, but Jules said they were vampires. Tyler didn't go out looking for proof of this claim. In reality he wanted to put the whole thing behind him and out of his head, but he couldn't. He felt he owed it to Mason to find out the truth. So when he could, he would check every floor, every room of the Salvatore house looking for clues or even Mason himself, if he was here, and if he were still alive or worse.

Since he changed into a wolf, Tyler had tried to hone in his skills. When he was forced to socialize with Stefan, which thankfully hadn't been all that often, he tried to pick up any tell-tale scent that would giveaway the fact he was a vampire. Sometimes Tyler caught a hint of decay, but it was a fleeting smell that didn't exactly wrinkle his nose. He was no Jacob Black, his lips curled in disgust at the analogy, but Tyler felt like he was lacking in major areas therefore making him a totally ineffective werewolf.

Things had to change.

He walked off when no one was paying him the slightest of attention and began searching. The problem with mansions was the fact there were too many rooms to check and there was only one of him. Damon wasn't home. Tyler made sure of that before he stepped on the premises, but Stefan was here and he wasn't sure if vampires could sense when someone was snooping through their things. He'd have to make this as quick and thorough as possible.

He found a door he hoped led to the basement. Tyler had watched enough scary and horror movies to know people did their evil deeds in basements or attics.

Down a flight of stairs he went. When he reached the bottom he went right, passing through years and years of piled up junk. Did they throw anything away? Vaguely went through Tyler's mind. The small hallway branched off. To his left was a dark corridor. The same to his right, in front of him was a large open space of nothing but collected junk. Old, broken furniture, rolled up rugs, picture frames, the usual crap that should have met their end at a junkyard or landfill.

However there was something that did catch his attention. A deep freezer.

Swallowing thickly, Tyler approached the object and wondered what he might find inside. A year's supply of deer meat? Would it be empty? Or perhaps there might be a body inside. Only one way to find out.

He lifted the hood and his eyes ballooned. The deep freezer was filled to the top with nothing but blood bags. The world swam around Tyler and he felt sick to his stomach. His worst suspicion had been realized.

"Looking for something?"

And his nightmare was now a reality.

His hands fell away from the hood and it slammed shut with a muted sound. Tyler turned around and there leaning against the brick wall with his arms folded casually over his chest was Damon Salvatore.

Tyler knew he could take Damon. He was strong. He was a werewolf. But Damon was a vampire and he was probably stronger and faster than him. But it would still be worth a try.

Damon's face was emotionless but there was something in his eyes that made the hair on the back of Tyler's neck stand on end. He could only account being mortally afraid a few times in his life. Tyler figured facing his dick of a father would make any guy piss his pants, but facing off with a vampire that caught you snooping through his stuff, not good. At all!

"So it's true," Tyler said past the clog in his throat. He was proud of the fact his voice came out strong and somewhat accusingly. It didn't croak but if he had to speak again he wasn't so sure of its strength.

Damon's eyes became wild and animated as he unfolded his arms and held his hands out to resemble talons. "It's true I'm a vampire and I'm going to suck your blood," he said in his worst fake-Italian accent. Damon quickly dropped the act as fury replaced his joviality. "Not a smart move on your end to put your snout where it doesn't belong," and Damon picked up the closest object to him which happened to be an old fireplace poker.

Tyler licked his dry lips. "What happened to my Uncle Mason?" he demanded. "Did you kill him?"

Damon looked thoughtful for a second as if he were trying to pinpoint in his long list of kills who Tyler was referring to.

"Ah, yes," Damon took the fireplace poker and bent in the shape of a U. Tyler tried to keep his face neutral. Even on his best day he was sure he wouldn't be able to do that.

"I hate to tell you this, _dude,_" Damon's lip curled. "But I fed him some wolfsbane, rearranged his intestines with a hot poker, and ripped his heart out. His body now fertilizes my petunias."

Rage swelled within Tyler. His eyes became that tawny gold and as he pulled his lips back from his teeth, Damon could see his canines lengthening. Unphased by the act, he vampire sped over to Tyler, wrapped his hand around the young jock's neck, and squeezed.

Tyler's eyes bulged and the tawny color to his eyes faded back to his deep dark brown. He futilely scratched at Damon's hand that added another sliver of pressure. A large vein popped out on Tyler's forehead as his face changed color from red to light purple.

"You're weak as shit when there's not a full moon outside. I spared you before but now you've gone and pissed me off."

The young werewolf tried to talk but couldn't mutter a single word.

And just as Damon made the decision to snap little Tyler Lockwood's neck, Elena came out of nowhere. Her sharp gasp caught his attention for a nanosecond.

"Elena, go back upstairs," Damon said coolly.

"Oh, my God what are you doing?" she exclaimed. "Let him go, Damon!"

"Afraid I can't do that. My secret is out and guess what toots it dies with him."

Elena's doe-shaped eyes widened even more and she was prepared to yell for Stefan, when Tyler suddenly with a burst of strength grabbed Damon by the shoulder and rushed him up against the wall. Elena barely had time to jump out of the way or she would have been smashed behind Damon.

Tyler now wrapped his hand around Damon's neck and squeezed.

"STEFAN!" Elena bellowed. She hoped he could hear her over the noise of the party, but Stefan always kept his ear out for her. She knew he'd be here before she could say 'you want fries with that'.

Damon wrenched his knee between their bodies and put enough space between himself and Tyler so that when he reared back to punch him, the blow landed against the wolf's nose. A fissure of blood spurted out causing Elena to scream like a typical startled girl. Damon let go of his hold around the boy's neck letting Tyler stumble backwards until he fell to the ground.

"Elena, get out of here. He and Stefan are vampires!" Tyler tried to warn his friend and looked at her waiting for a reaction. When none came his eyes widened in disbelief. She knew?

Damon approached and loomed over the injured pup like a Roman soldier; he looked him dead in the eye. Tyler couldn't look away.

"You expose what I am to _anyone _and I'll pay your bitch of a mother a visit. Get up."

Tyler did so automatically as if he were being controlled.

This caused Elena to blink. Damon as well because he didn't think the boy would fall in line so easily. And it was at that time Stefan decided to join them. He quickly calculated the scene in front of him. Tyler was holding his bleeding nose, Damon looked ready to tear him to pieces but was barely holding himself together, and Elena looked horrified and extremely perplexed. He reached for her hand and yanked her out of the way.

Stefan took a position next to his brother so that Tyler would know if he tried anything it would be two against one.

"Get. Out." Damon said lowly.

Tyler only hesitated for a second before he side-stepped the vampire siblings yet he stopped long enough to pass Elena with a baleful glare.

Damon waited a beat before leaving the basement. Stefan knew not to ask him any annoying questions because then he was liable to receive the same treatment, if not worst, than what Tyler just experienced.

His adrenaline and testosterone was up making him the epitome of a walking weapon, a lethal machine that only had one thought persistent on the brain. Kill. As he wove his way through the press of bodies, grimacing and scowling at everyone who scuttled across his sight, Damon wanted to throw everyone out on their collective asses. The wolf knew what he was, which meant someone squealed. Damon had his list of suspects lined up. Caroline being high on the list but she wasn't _that _stupid to breathe a word of what he was especially to Tyler. She couldn't afford to have anyone find out what she was or her mom and the Council would be after her ass.

Jules. It had to have been Jules probably in a last ditch effort to recruit Tyler to her fold. Made sense. And it made him want to dig the remains of her body up and kill her all over again. Mason, too.

He took the stairs two at a time to his room.

* * *

><p>Bonnie was lounging against a bed too big for one person, staring up at the ceiling. The music downstairs was thumping in tattoo with the pounding resounding in her head. She was trying her best to come down from her alcoholic buzz. She could never stay drunk. Not after manifesting fully into a witch. The core temperature of her body burned off the alcohol almost as quickly as she consumed it. She sighed, as she twirled her fingers in her long, thick hair before a small almost child-like giggle erupted from between her painted lips.<p>

The door to the room she was hiding out in burst inward, startling her. Bonnie quickly rose to a half sitting, half laying position on the bed. Her emerald eyes tracked the determined vampire who seemingly ignored or hadn't picked up her presence as he headed towards the bathroom.

Damon skittered to a stop when he realized there actually _was _someone on his bed. His eyes moved to the right and there she was. Immediately the gears in his head switched from anger to lust in a New York minute and he felt the stirrings of an erection take place in his black jeans.

He didn't say a word as Bonnie slid off the bed. Once she was on her feet and offering him a full frontal view of her dressed in a black bikini top that exposed her sculpted mid-drift with a matching sarong tied around her child-bearing hips, he gulped audibly. Around her right ankle was a lei. His eyes raked over her physique as if he were licking her like an ice cream cone, stopping at all the pertinent places. Once he reached her eyes, he could see a blush had settled in her cheeks.

Bonnie wore her hair wild and swept off to the side exposing half the column of her graceful neck that swept into kissable shoulders.

Damon's hands involuntarily balled into fists. If he touched her he might hurt her. Holding her too tightly and inadvertently snapping her bones. The beast-like feeling that came over him while he cage fought in Atlantic City was back and with a vengeance.

Bonnie could sense the violence in him. She kept a safe distance away from Damon and couldn't understand why she was suddenly feeling shy.

"Hi," she said quietly. They hadn't really spoken since their impromptu road trip two weeks ago. She felt bad about her behavior after he had been nothing but nice and generous to her; two things from Damon she wasn't exactly used to.

"Hey," he responded back, his voice deeper than usual and more gravelly. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be downstairs shaking your money maker or something?"

"I needed a break. Too many bodies, too much noise, too many shots of patron and tequila," she examined him for a minute. Bonnie could tell he was tense. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he nearly snapped. "Just tired."

"Oh, I didn't mean to…I shouldn't have…I'll leave."

Bonnie swallowed and attempted to walk past Damon put he reached out and caught her by the arm. He pulled her backwards until she stood in front of him. They stared unabashedly at one another. She really was a pretty little thing, he mused. Unconsciously his index finger traced her bottom lip.

He listened as her heart sped in her chest. A smirk appeared on his face and he felt the tight muscles in the back of his neck relax somewhat. Then suddenly a wave of possessiveness slammed into him. If anyone laid a hand on Bonnie, he'd tear them apart, no questions asked, do not stop at GO to collect two hundred dollars.

Bonnie could sense that in him too and it caused her to gasp, but only a little. What was going on between them?

For the last two weeks she hadn't been able to keep still. She tried not to say that her inability to see or talk to Damon because of her own pride had anything to do with her restlessness, but now that she was here with him it seemed to have evaporated.

Damon brushed his knuckles over the slope of her cheek. He liked touching her. And Bonnie could deny it all she wanted to, but her body responded to him.

"Are you going to come down to the party?" she asked to break up the silence.

For once he wasn't in the mood to party. There was a part of him that wanted to be alone, but then the virile part of him wanted to throw Bonnie on the bed and violate her.

"I don't think I should be around anyone right now," he answered as honestly as he was going to. That was putting it mildly.

"Including me?" she asked and she eyed him beneath her impossibly long lashes.

Damon bent his knees a bit so they could be more at eye-level. "_Es_pecially you." He moved around her and headed into his bathroom to wash his hands. He had mutt all over him after all.

Bonnie observed him from her spot, crossing her arms over her bosom.

"I shouldn't even be speaking to you right now," continued Damon as he carefully inspected his face. It didn't matter the angle someone looked at him he was gorgeous.

"And why not?" Bonnie asked a bit testily.

Damon shut off the water and dried his hands. "Because you said absolutely nothing to me on the return trip. Treated me like I was your gofer. I'm not your whipping boy."

Bonnie dropped her arms. "I apologized for my behavior. What more do you want from me?"

Damon turned around and began to approach her like he was stalking her. Bonnie lifted her chin, accepting the silent challenge.

"Where should I start because it's a long list?" he loomed over her.

Bonnie held up a hand and braced it on his chest to keep him from crowding her space. "Damon, knock it off. Something is going on with you. What is it?"

He sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose before smiling snarkily at her. "Nothing, Bonnie," he said in a sing song voice. "Nothing is _ever _wrong with me. Or you can tell me what's wrong with me as you're so prone to doing," he poked her in the chest. "Since you think you're right about everything."

Bonnie stared down at her hands. "Well, since you're in a mood I think it might be best if I go before we say something we'll regret."

He waved a hand towards the door. "Right on cue. Go ahead and run like you always do. You know that's the one thing about you that kills me. You _love _fighting or instigating fights, but when it comes to the real shit, you take off like a deadbeat dad."

Her nostrils flared at hearing that. "And there you go trying to deflect the issue by insinuating a fight. You don't want to talk about what's bothering you that's fine, but don't make it seem like _I'm _the one with the problem. I wanted to see you, Damon," she blurted.

He blinked. "You did?"

Bonnie nodded. "You think I would hang out in your room just for the hell of it?" Pause. "I know sometimes I'm a bitch to you, although you deserve it most of the time, but…" she sighed heavily. "If it weren't for you I'd be a bigger mess than I am right now, and I wanted to…ah…I want to do something nice…for…you."

Okay, that was sweet although she said it like someone was pulling her teeth with pliers.

Intrigued, Damon quirked his head a bit to the side. "What did you have in mind?"

Bonnie twisted her fingers together. "I haven't exactly figured that out yet. But when I do, I'll get back to you. Deal?"

He snorted and shook his head. "Deal."

Clapping her hands together once, Bonnie backed up towards the door. "Well, my buzz has officially left me and I'm sure there's still plenty of alcohol left, so I'm going to go back downstairs. I'll see you later."

Damon allowed her to leave although everything male about him was screaming not to let her go. Damon changed his shirt and sprayed a bit of his favorite cologne on before heading downstairs. He still wasn't officially in party mode and his fight mechanism was still triggered, but he could just stand around, watch and drink and make sure none of the snot-nosed brats that ran around his place didn't break shit.

He would never admit to feeling giddy. That wasn't an emotion you tacked on to any vampire that had a dick, but he was feeling something akin to giddiness at the prospect of Bonnie wanting to do something nice for him. It would be a nice change of pace from her always scowling or frowning at him or wishing him dead or setting his brains on fire.

Damon easily spotted her in the crowd of gyrating bodies. She was standing next to Stefan, in his humble opinion, three inches too close to his little brother who was busy pouring beer from a keg into her red plastic cup. Once he was done, Stefan did something he would never do for anyone who didn't share Elena's face. He pinched Bonnie's chin between this thumb and forefinger. An affectionate move. Bonnie smiled at him warmly but that was it. Damon relaxed somewhat. He knew Stefan was well aware of his boner for Bonnie and wouldn't dare encroach on his territory, but still, he couldn't say he enjoyed watching their friendliness towards one another. There was only room for one Salvatore in Bonnie's life.

His glacial eyes tailed her as Bonnie bobbed along to the ridiculous uptempo song that was playing. She made her way over to the blonde all-American athlete and sat down on the arm of the overstuffed chair. Bonnie swung her leg over Matt's draping it across his knee. Damon's eyes crinkled at the corners when he saw the inebriated football stud wrap an arm around her waist and pat her side.

"Hey stranger," a feline voice said impossibly close to him.

Damon looked to his left and there was Andie Starr in the flesh. "What the hell are you doing here?" he meant to voice that question in his head, not say it out loud. Oops.

Andie leaned over. "What?"

She hadn't heard him, so Damon repeated, "What are you doing here? Chaperoning?" he returned his attention to Bonnie. Great, now the lurker warlock was standing next to her. Seriously was the boy stuck on stupid? Damon clearly heard himself warning the cretin away from Bonnie.

Andie swayed a bit on her feet. "No, I came to see you actually. I didn't think you'd be having a party."

"Not my party," Damon said.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" and she batted those long lashes at him and made sure her pouty mouth was extra shiny and alluring.

Damon turned to her, putting his back to the crowd. "We have nothing to talk about, Andie."

She draped her arms over his shoulders. "I know being a jerk is your thing. What can I say? I have a thing for jerks. Just ask all my old boyfriends."

Desperate women were fun to toy with but Damon wasn't going to screw up his chance with Bonnie by dallying with Andie. He knew he could have the anchorwoman on her hands and knees in an instant, but that wasn't what made him hard anymore. When he thought about it, it was quite ridiculous that the only challenge he hadn't been able to walk away from were ultimatums delivered by seventeen year old girls. A woman like Andie, who had her own car, crib, a job with full benefits, and didn't have a curfew is what he should be chasing after, but…

As he looked over his shoulder at Bonnie who was seemingly surrounded by a bunch of males all of a sudden, when he looked at her Damon felt as if his life made sense. Bonnie knew what he was, and in her own way, she had accepted him, rough exterior and all. If he told Andie, showed Andie what he was, she'd scream "monster" and would runaway looking for a stake to bury in his chest, or she'd try to turn him into Stefan.

Damon reached for her hands and untangled them from around his neck. He stared intently in her eyes. "Go home, Andie. You step foot on my property again I'll have you arrested for stalking. Got it?"

Fuzzily, the woman wondered off. Before he even turned around, Damon knew Stefan was standing behind him, brooding.

Rolling his eyes, Damon turned to face the music. "What do you want?"

Stefan shrugged and held out a glass of Damon's favorite bourbon. He clapped his brother on the shoulder and strolled away. Sometimes that boy knew him _too _well.

Taking a sip from the hypnotic elixir, Damon fixed his eyes on Bonnie again.

Feeling as if she were being targeted, not watched, Bonnie glanced up in Damon's general direction and caught him gawking at her. His eyes were unreadable, his mouth was in a tight, grim line, but there was something else surrounding him that made it impossible to look away.

Bonnie witnessed several girls surrounding Damon as if drawn to him by some invisible force. All of them were flushed, several more were giggling, and one even walked right into a wall. Inwardly she rolled her eyes. Sure the man had looks and body for days, but she saw more than his outward molding. On his death bed she had peered into his soul. It might have been a small window, but Bonnie saw much more than the heartless killer Damon had prided himself on being.

Damon tilted his head in that knowing way and rose an eyebrow. Bonnie felt herself returning his challenging look with one of her own. And despite the fact they were separated by several feet, she could swear she felt his fingers dancing along her skin. Bonnie shivered and when she did, Damon's other eyebrow rose.

She lost a corner of her bottom lip between her teeth and demurely looked down at the swirling brown fluid in her cup. When she looked back up, Damon was gone. The spell ruptured.

Bonnie abruptly stood up from the arm of the chair and looked around the room. She couldn't find him anywhere.

The sneaky bastard.

* * *

><p>Thankfully the next morning Bonnie didn't have a hangover, but she drunk nothing but water and popped a couple of aspirin just to be on the safe side. For the first half of the morning, she spent it cleaning her room and writing out the grocery list. Little by little she felt her life returning to normal. It wasn't so difficult getting up in the morning. She had the letter Damon left for her along with the journal which she hadn't worked up the courage to read yet, but she would one day. Those two items were enough to give her comfort, solace, and even some closure.<p>

She wasn't fully over him yet. It had barely been two months since he left, but that gaping hole that took up residency in the middle of her heart had shrunk down from apple to lemon size.

Now there was a new mission on her plate, one that had no supernatural undertones. Matt, in his drunken state spilled the beans about his finances. Bonnie wanted to help him and she knew she couldn't come right out and cut him a check. He'd never accept it and she didn't have the kind of cash it would take to stop Matt's house from being foreclosed. And this wasn't something she ran off to tell her girlfriends either. Caroline, although meant well most of the time, was imprudent and said the first thing to pop into her head. It also went without saying that a man would have a hard time accepting financial help from his ex no matter the status of their friendship. So telling Elena was out as well.

As Bonnie thought of the best possible way to help Matt while remaining anonymous, her door bell chimed. When she didn't answer fast enough, a swift hard knock sounded on the door.

Bonnie wove her way through the living room and looked out the peephole. Frowning she unlocked the front door and came face-to-face with an enraged Tyler Lockwood.

"I need to talk to you," he stormed inside without waiting for Bonnie to invite him in.

Scoffing, Bonnie slammed her door shut and entered her living room. "Rude much?" she directed at his back.

Tyler turned around and practically glared at her. "You knew that Damon and Stefan are vampires, didn't you?"

Bonnie gulped. She didn't comment.

Tyler continued, processing her incriminating silence. "And did you also know that Damon murdered Mason?"

Again, Bonnie didn't speak.

Tyler was up in her face but she didn't flinch. "Why didn't you tell me, Bonnie! Was your guilt about knowing Mason was dead and pretending to not know a damn thing about it the reason you wanted to help me during the transition? To clear your own conscience?" his nostrils flared and he was breathing hard.

"Tyler…it's complicated."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Like hell it's complicated. Damon nearly killed me last night. I can't breathe a word of this to anyone because if I do he's going to go after my mom."

Bonnie's eyes widened. That was just like Damon.

"I just want to know why he killed my uncle and why does he get to getaway with capital murder?" Tyler collapsed on the sofa and buried his head in his hands. Very tentatively Bonnie sat down beside him. It was time to tell him the truth, with some careful omissions.

"I'll tell you everything, Tyler, but you have to promise not to go after Damon or Stefan. They _will _kill you if you try and Damon will make good on his threat."

He quickly looked at her, searching her face. "Did they threaten you?"

Bonnie shook her head. How could she explain, without appearing as if she had a few screws loose, that she had been in league with the Salvatore brothers for nearly a year?

"No, they didn't threaten me because I have a secret of my own. I'm more than just psychic, Tyler. I'm a witch. There's a secret council in this town that go after people like us," she waved her finger between them. Just because he was the mayor's son, didn't make him exempt from persecution. "Vampires, werewolves, witches, anyone or anything that's supernatural."

Tyler looked confused for a second. "You mean…if this secret council," he used air quotation marks to illustrate his point, "found out about us they would kill us?"

"They would burn me on a pyre, and more than likely decapitate you. They'd put a stake through Damon and Stefan's hearts. Caroline too, if her mom or anyone found out about her. The council has been around since the days of the Civil War. It's composed of members from the founding families. They feel its their right to rid the town of anything non-human."

He was feeling bewildered again, just like when he found out from Jules about the Salvatore's.

"This is some shit," Tyler laughed humorously. "But if I told my mom…"

Bonnie resolutely shook her head. "You can't tell her because she's on the council."

His jaw dropped and his eyebrows lifted off his forehead. "If this is supposed to be a secret council how do _you _know she's on it?"

"Have you not been listening to me? I'm psychic and…well…Damon is head of the council so what he knows, I know."

Tyler felt his stomach bottom out. Now he really couldn't say anything because if Damon was in charge, all he'd have to do was pour a little poison in the council's ear about him and he'd be done for.

However, none of this excused his involvement in Mason's death. Bonnie knew more than what she led on. Tyler trapped her with his black-on-black eyes.

"But if Damon is a vampire and he's on the Council...then that means they don't know," that gave Tyler _some _leverage but not nearly enough.

Bonnie could clearly see what Tyler was thinking. "If you value your life you won't say anything."

"Why are you protecting him?" Tyler asked heatedly. "Everything makes sense. All those supposed animal attacks. It was Damon and Stefan wasn't it?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Stefan doesn't drink human blood."

Now it was Tyler's turn to shake his head. "But I saw all those blood bags they keep in a freezer in the basement," he refuted her claim.

"Look, the fact of the matter is, Damon will kill you if you mutter so much as a word against him. Stefan is honorable. He won't come after you but if you go after him or his brother, you've pretty much just signed your death certificate."

That bewildered look was back to his eyes and for the first time in so long, Tyler looked like a scared little boy. "This can't be real, Bonnie. None of it."

"I'm sorry but it is."

Tyler blew out a harsh breath. "If you consider yourself my friend, Bonnie, then you tell me absolutely _everything _you know about what happened to Mason."

"I'll do you one better, I'll tell you how you were conned into activating your werewolf gene."

Tyler sat and listened to Bonnie as she wove a tale about some vengeful vampire who shared Elena's face who went around town compelling anyone left from right to attack him to purposely get him to kill them. He also learned that his uncle had been entangled with this she-beast, and had lied to him about the moonstone. And she also told Tyler that Katherine probably would have killed both he and Mason at a later date, although that was completely speculation on her part, but Katherine was the type of person who didn't like loose ends.

What Bonnie didn't tell Tyler was the real purpose of the moonstone, it's present location, nor the fact that if he bit a vampire in his lycanthropic state that he would kill them. She would not be providing anymore fuel to anymore fires.

She needed a drink of water by the time she was done talking. Tyler sat for a minute letting everything sink in. For so long he had been such a fool. Could he trust no one in his home town?

He accepted a cold bottle of water from Bonnie. "Thanks."

"Now that you know everything, what are you going to do?"

Tyler shrugged. "What can I do?" he scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling very tired. "I can't go to my mom without putting her or myself in danger. I can't tell my close friend the truth about what I am. You and that God awful Caroline are all I have."

"I'm sorry, Tyler."

He snorted and then rose to his feet. "Thanks for telling me the truth."

Bonnie didn't saying anything. Saying your welcome didn't seem appropriate.

"I'll show myself out."

With him gone, Bonnie had nothing to do other than to resume what she had been doing before. But she couldn't because she was worried about Tyler and what he might do. The last thing this town needed was another war. She was exhausted from fighting, exhausted from mourning the loss of her relationship, she was just plum tired damnit and wanted a break. Seriously was that too much to ask for?

Clearly.

Her stomach growled and that's when she became aware of the fact she skipped breakfast and it was late in the afternoon. It was never smart to go grocery shopping when you're hungry so Bonnie decided she'd stop at The Grille and then shop.

She picked up her keys from the foyer table and paused when she saw the key to Damon's Ferrari. What the hell was she supposed to do with a two hundred thousand dollar car? She didn't know how to drive stick.

A light bulb lit over her head.

* * *

><p>Stefan, with one arm crossed over his chest, the other propping up his chin, he stared at the beautiful, sleek automobile before him and then moved his eyes over to the girl standing on the opposite side of the car.<p>

"You want to sell it?"

Bonnie enthusiastically nodded her head. It was Damon's baby, but he wasn't coming back as much as it pained her to admit that, and she couldn't very well drive it around town. At first Bonnie was inclined to drop the keys off to Matt but the last thing he needed was an expensive car where it would take his entire paycheck to fill up the tank. So the next obvious choice was to sell the Ferrari and give the dividends to Matt. Anonymously of course.

"I don't know how to drive it and even if I did, what would that look like, and how would I explain it to my dad? I already have a car and this is just sitting here collecting dust. Selling it is the best option."

"All right. I'll get in contact with my car salesman. He's reputable and will give you a good price for it. Damon's barely driven it, right?"

Bonnie nodded, though it was hard to swallow. Damon had other built in modes of transportation that he preferred. He only drove the Ferrari when he wanted to show off, or if they went out on a date.

Stefan studied her for a minute. "How have you been handling him being gone?"

Bonnie wasn't surprised by the question. She shrugged her shoulders. Gone was the urge to cry whenever someone so much as mentioned his name.

"The best way any seventeen year old girl in love for the first time can," she answered plaintively. "I'm just taking it one day at a time."

Stefan popped open the hood of the car and inspected the engine. "And my brother he's been helping you through it?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to make a case for your brother without appearing as if you're making a case?"

Bluish-gray eyes smiled at her though Stefan wore his poker face. "Now why on earth would I want to do that? Damon was raised by cavemen. I barely like acknowledging he_ is_ my brother."

Shaking her head, Bonnie joined Stefan at inspecting the engine. She didn't know a thing about cars and had no idea what he could have been looking for.

"I told him that I wanted to do something nice for him but I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?" Bonnie bit a corner of her bottom lip.

Stefan thought for a minute before answering. "Damon is competitive. He likes anything involving speed, adrenaline, women."

Hmm, that didn't really narrow down her choices, but it was a place to start. Not a very good one, but one nonetheless.

"I'll see what I can do," Bonnie muttered. "I told Tyler the truth about what happened to Mason and about Katherine."

The only surprised reaction Stefan gave to this news was by shaking his head. "He was bound to find out eventually. You didn't tell him about the moonstone did you?"

"No, of course not. The less he knows the better off he'll be. I'm just glad everything is out in the open, but I'm not sure if Tyler won't try to retaliate."

Stefan sighed. He was over people seeking revenge. "Well, he'd be wasting his time to even try, but that doesn't mean I won't keep my eye on him. Better me than Damon."

"Yeah, and that's something else I'll need to speak to your brother on."

"Bonnie, you have to understand that protecting our secret is tantamount to who we are. It's in our nature to want to take out any threat. Damon was just doing what we've been programmed to do. Making a big deal about it won't change his actions."

"I get all of that, but…" she tossed up her hands. "I guess I need to pick and choose my battles with him."

Stefan began smirking. "Unless of course arguing with my brother is a form of foreplay for you."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed and she was tempted to slam the hood down on Stefan's fingers. "Shut up, and get back to whatever it was you were doing."

* * *

><p>Walking down Laurel Street, Bonnie searched through her purse to make sure she had her bank card. It was Friday night and she had every intention of maxing out her savings. Stefan had called and let her know that he was in the final stage of negotiations about the Ferrari, so that was one less thing for her to worry about. She still had to decide what to do with the house and Damon's effects.<p>

Sighing and switching her thoughts, that's when Bonnie became aware of the fact someone was following her.

Looking to her immediate left she saw a helmeted figure on a motorcycle. Bonnie turned her head away and continued on foot towards her destination, but it was hard to do since she was sure the person on the bike was intentionally trailing her.

Stopping and bracing a hand on her hip, Bonnie glowered at the person. "What do you want?"

The motorcyclist put the brakes on the bike, kicked the stand into place, and then removed the helmet.

"Hello, Bonnie."

Her jaw dropped and then snapped closed. Laughing sky-blue eyes raked over her and Bonnie wasn't shy about checking Damon out in his leather riding jacket, tight jeans, and boots.

"You're stalking me now?" she asked.

Damon hunched a shoulder as he continued to straddle the bike. "There's not much else to do in this damn town. But a little birdie told me that you're having a hard time trying to think of something nice to do for me. I have an idea, but I'm going to need you to keep an open mind."

Bonnie walked to the edge of the sidewalk, intrigued but didn't want Damon to see that. She kept her face perfectly neutral.

"Let's hear it."

Damon handed her a spare helmet that Bonnie hadn't even noticed before. "Ride me…I mean ride _with _me."

Bonnie was no fool and knew that was a fake Freudian slip. She had shopping to do and she wasn't sure if she were a fan of motorcycles or not. Plus, it was still technically winter although spring was right around the corner, still, she wasn't exactly dressed to ride on the back of something that had no doors.

Yet Bonnie recognized this as one of those moments you threw caution to the wind. She accepted the helmet from Damon and pushed it on her head. She climbed on the back and tightly wrapped her arms around his middle.

Damon started the bike and flew down the road.

And this wasn't a lazy Sunday drive. Damon deliberately swerved in and out of traffic the minute they hit the highway, popped wheelies and had Bonnie screaming until her throat was raw. But not once was she terrified of being ejected off the bike. In all honesty knowing there wasn't much to protect her from sudden death if Damon did something stupid like crash, made things even more thrilling and exciting. He was a rebel and never did anything nice and easy.

It seemed like they had been burning up the asphalt for hours and when they passed a huge sign welcoming them to Maryland, Bonnie nearly jumped off the bike.

Damon rolled the bike through a woodland area. Bonnie could smell seawater and wondered where the heck they were. Parking the bike, he helped her down and then laced his fingers with Bonnie's. Part of her wanted to pull her hand away from his, but the other side of her said just go with the flow.

Their boots sunk into sand and Bonnie wondered if he had driven them to the Maryland coastline.

"Where are we?" Bonnie asked.

"The Chesapeake Bay," Damon answered.

Dusk had fallen so Bonnie couldn't see the water how she wanted to. They didn't walk to the water's edge because it was much too cold for that, but they stood there side by side, peering out into endless darkness.

They were silent for a while before Bonnie looked up at Damon. "I was supposed to do something nice for you," she reminded him.

The vampire shrugged and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Sorry, my chivalrous side wouldn't let me let you take full advantage of the feminist movement and take me out."

Bonnie looked horrified. "I wasn't talking about a full fledged date where I pick you up, take you out to dinner and a movie, and pay for everything. I was thinking along the lines of some kind of activity that didn't involve kidnapping or torture."

"Oh."

A beat. "This is nice."

"How bout we find a new adjective to describe things?" Damon suggested and sat down on the sand. Bonnie hesitated for a moment before joining him. "Nice is for inexperienced boys who whack off and still live at home with their moms. I'm a grown man—correction—vampire and I don't do nice. This is…"

"Exactly what Damon Salvatore would do." Bonnie interrupted and met his eyes in the darkness. "And it was exactly what I needed." Bonnie turned her attention to the sky and stared up at the stars.

* * *

><p>Lounging in a tree, a pair of black as night eyes stared up at the sky, a ghost of a smile appeared on his preternaturally handsome face before it was replaced with a dark scowl. He hated being here. Away from her. He sighed heavily.<p>

"La mia principessa."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Translations: La mia principessa- my princess. On the show they've yet to explore how Matt pays for his house and his bills because I refuse to believe he can cover everything on a bus boy salary. That's just not realistic. So it was important to me to show another side that we rarely get to see. And I had to add a quick Book Damon scene because I miss him, but that doesn't mean he's coming back. But thank you guys for reading! Love you. **


	33. Inseparable

**A/N: Hi peoples. Damon is a little vulgar in the opening of this chapter. You've been warned. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

"See that's the difference between you and me, Stefan. I don't make love. I fuck…_hard._"

There are some conversations a person should not stumble upon, Bonnie thought as she skittered to a stop right outside of the library in the Salvatore boardinghouse. She braced her back against the wall, and tried her best to conceal her presence as she listened in with a slack jaw and enlarged eyes.

"Classy," Stefan muttered sardonically as he twirled a pen between his thick fingers, watching his brother pace around the room.

Damon stared at his brother askance. "I love pussy. I love eating it, sticking it, fingering it," he sighed heavily, "it's just been far too long since I've had any _real _fun."

When Stefan wanted to have a brother-to-brother conversation with Damon he hadn't meant for it to turn into a discussion about sex. But it wasn't completely unexpected. They rarely spoke of things outside the realm of destroying a common enemy, Elena, or their rivalry that started eons ago. It was on very rare occasions where they did behave as brothers, and since Damon's death scare, Stefan had put in more effort to spend time with Damon.

Naturally Damon was suspicious of Stefan's true motives in wanting to have simple conversation. That's not what their dynamic had been about. He kind of missed the days he would spend a good majority of his time causing misery in Stefan's life because it gave him something to do. Things were different now between them, and maybe Damon liked it, but he would never admit that. They were brothers but they hadn't been "brothers" for decades. This was new and slightly uncomfortable ground for both of them.

Yet they were both willing to give it a shot until something else drove a wedge between them.

At the conclusion of Damon's confession, Stefan arched an eyebrow. "So why the self-imposed celibacy? If you're that obsessed with a woman's va-jay jay why aren't you doing any of the above?"

Inwardly, Stefan snickered. He knew why Damon had locked his testicles away in his own chastity belt.

Damon braced his back up against a set of bookshelves and wove his impressive arms over his chest. "You know why, Stefan."

"Do I?" the young Salvatore goaded. "Correct me if I'm wrong but you never let your pursuit of a woman stop you from having fun. What's different now?"

Instead of answering, Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. This had been a topic he wasted too much time analyzing. "Let's just say I'm trying something different, novel."

Stefan removed his boots from the table he had them propped up on and sat up in his chair. "Is it working for you?"

"What do you think?" Damon practically growled. "I have plenty of self-control but whenever I get within two feet of her all I want to do is tear her to pieces. That's not completely unusual for me, but…"

"But?" Stefan pressed when Damon hesitated for too long.

"I want more than just her body, Stefan. I want _her."_

"Oh, look at you, you're growing up," Stefan teased.

Damon flipped him the bird. Yeah he might have been growing up but Damon wasn't exactly seeing any benefits. For as much time as he spent with Bonnie, day in and day out, he never did more than occasionally touch her cheek. He couldn't stand being careful, of not wanting to test the elasticity of the boundaries that were erected between them, but he was a boiling kettle about to explode.

Stefan had a question for his brother. "Have you told her how you feel?"

Okay, Bonnie thought. It was time to make her presence known before she heard something she wasn't fully prepared to hear. Dropping her "cloak" she rounded the corner, surprising both brothers as she seemingly appeared out of thin air. Bonnie breezed into the library and attempted to smile but it probably came off as more of a wince.

"Hey dudes," she said and navigated her way down the short flight of steps. When she forced herself to meet Damon's eyes and after playing back some of his more colorful remarks, she missed a step and went spiraling to the ground.

Two pairs of hands reached out to stop her momentum, but her knee still met with the floor and the pain that shot through her leg felt absolutely fantastic.

"Bonnie are you okay?" the Salvatore's said in unison.

She was more embarrassed than anything else as color rushed up her neck and settled in her cheeks. This would definitely end up on her "finest moments" list.

"I'm fine," she cleared her throat and ignored the throbbing resounding from her knee. Damon wouldn't release her hand. In fact he helped her over to the table and sat her on top of it. Her embarrassment increased ten-fold when he reached for the hem of her jeans and began to roll it up.

"I said I'm fine, Damon."

"Why don't I check just to be sure?"

Saying nothing outside of rolling her eyes, Bonnie planted her eyes on Stefan who was trying his best not to look amused. She scowled at him slightly before redirecting her attention to Damon. One hand palmed her calf while the other applied light pressure to her patella as he twisted her leg from side to side.

"Does that hurt?" he looked at her with those incandescent eyes of his.

Bonnie felt nothing outside of the pleasurable zing of having someone with soft hands touch her skin. "No, it doesn't hurt. I heal quickly."

"I'm sure you do," Damon pulled away. Bonnie rolled down her pant leg.

Stefan began to feel like a third wheel and wanted to subtract himself from the equation. Besides, all the sex talk with Damon certainly put him in the mood to do some naughty things with his girlfriend. Things they hadn't done in an extremely long time.

"I'm going to jet you guys. I'll see you later," Stefan announced much to Bonnie's dismay. He was gone before she could implore him to stay.

Now that it was the two of them Bonnie was beginning to feel shy and self-conscious again and she hated it. Gone were the days she could look at Damon dispassionately and like the homicidal maniac he prided himself on being. She cleared her throat again and couldn't exactly remember why she was there. Nevertheless, she slid off the table and placed the entire library between herself and Damon.

With her standing, Damon ran his eyes over Bonnie liking the snugness to her jeans and how they cupped her ass. She had, in his opinion, the perfect ass.

"Did I interrupt your brother bonding time?" she asked and fingered a couple of books on the shelves.

"Yep, not gonna lie. So what brings you by? You wanted to ogle me?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows.

Bonnie snorted and shook her head. "No, I'm here to pickup the check you promised to Carol Lockwood for the Wickery Bridge fundraiser. I'm on the student committee. Treasurer."

Damon snapped his fingers together. "Right. Follow me." He and Bonnie left the library and strolled back into the main living room. "I thought I could mail it in?"

Yeah, he could but Bonnie wouldn't admit that coming here personally was her way of seeing him. "Well, you know Mayor Lockwood. She doesn't want to take any chances with it getting lost or stolen in the mail."

Walking behind his desk, and opening up the correct drawer, Damon took out his check book and simply signed his name. He handed it over to Bonnie who stared at it and then at him.

"It's blank," she stated the obvious.

"Yeah," Damon replied as if he were saying 'duh'.

"Um, aren't you afraid someone might try to clean you out?"

He slighted her with a look. "They know better than to take more than what they need. But if you're that worried about my fortune, why don't you write down what you think would be a generous donation."

Bonnie swallowed hard. "That's not my place to say."

Damon rounded the corner of the desk and loomed over Bonnie. "I'm making it your place to say."

And Bonnie couldn't escape the feeling that Damon was giving her power over something other than his finances. Bonnie hesitated for a second before skirting around Damon. She picked up the pen and wrote down a number and held the check out for his approval. He nodded his head once.

"The mayor will appreciate your donation, Damon."

"It's not the mayor I want to impress."

Bonnie's cheeks warmed and she wanted to slap herself. So what Damon had truck loads of money. Who didn't? Now her thoughts were being ridiculous.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Bonnie?" and his question felt more like a caress.

_You can stop making me feel like an inexperienced seventeen year old girl, _she thought. "No, that was everything. I'll see you later."

He allowed her to get to the door before calling for her attention. "Hey, Bons?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still waiting for you to do that nice thing for me."

* * *

><p>Stefan was a man with a mission. The mission being: entering Elena's premises. He politely knocked on the door and smiled brightly when she opened the door looking young, fresh, and beautiful.<p>

"Hey," she said with a smile that eclipsed her face, making her cheeks look full. She automatically reached for Stefan's hands and pulled him inside. This was a rare occasion that they had the house to themselves. If she was at the boardinghouse, Damon was around. When Stefan spent time at her humble abode, Jeremy, Jenna, and sometimes Alaric was present. Having total privacy was a very rare luxury.

"Hey beautiful," Stefan said and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. He sealed his mouth over Elena's and didn't offer up his usual tame kiss that she had come to expect. Stefan always handled her with reverence, with care, but today he was holding her tighter, and worked his mouth over hers as if he had something to prove.

And Elena couldn't find one thing to complain about.

"Is the house all clear?" he mumbled against her ripe lips as he slid his fingers through her long, mahogany hair.

"We have the whole place to ourselves."

"Then let's not waste anymore time talking." Stefan swung Elena over his brawny shoulder and zoomed up to her room. She laughed with abandon and found herself upright with Stefan devouring her mouth again.

Things between them had been bland for a while, routine, and predictable, but Stefan wasn't in the mood to be predictable. He loved Elena, would do anything on the planet for her, but there was always a part of him he held back because he didn't want to terrify her. Many people might believe that he and Damon were miles apart in terms of personality and temperament, but they were sometimes one in the same. Where Damon had a tendency to treat the people in his life like objects and possessions, Stefan always tried to treat people as people. They weren't toys or distractions for his own amusement. They had souls and he treated them with respect.

But there were moments where Stefan would love nothing more than to strip Elena naked and have his wicked way with her.

Elena, for her part, had no idea what just came over her boyfriend. The last time Stefan acted so demandingly was when he was being a closet blood fiend. For a second she faltered, pulled back to study his eyes, but the frenzy he lit inside her told her to ask questions later.

Her shirt was being lifted over her head and then, she was spun around and found her stomach kissing the wall. Stefan worked his hands under the cups to her bra and massaged her breasts.

He whispered in her ear, "I love your tits."

Her skin heated as if she had been blow apart by incendiaries. Her cheeks were flushed and a river flowed between her thighs.

"Stefan…what's gotten into you?" she panted as her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he kissed along her neck.

"Nothing. I just need you, Elena."

And for the rest of the afternoon, he showed her how much he did.

* * *

><p>Luka Martin wouldn't consider himself a professional private investigator by any stretch of the word. He was seventeen years old, had no true, real friends because his father constantly moved them around. He was a warlock from a long line of sorcerers and had barely tapped into his full potential. There was a lot he could do, so much more he couldn't, but he never passed up the opportunity to learn more.<p>

However, he had been regulated to watching Bonnie Bennett's every move. Not that he was complaining too much. Bonnie was a very beautiful girl. He could watch her all day everyday without sweating. She intrigued him yet at the same time frustrated him. Whenever she was near he could always sense the immeasurable power that circulated her body like a force field. Bonnie was life and she was something more than that. But it was the company she chose to keep which left a vile taste in his mouth.

Luka couldn't say he outright hated vampires. Personally he hadn't met one that did anything bad to him. His father on the other hand couldn't say the same. Jonas had been used and abused by a coven of vampires once when he was young and idealistic and thought he'd hustle spells. Things didn't work in his favor, yet he learned to be shrewder, however it was a lesson that almost came too late.

Yet that failed to explain why Jonas so easily agreed to work, at least on a freelance basis for Elijah Mikaelson. Jonas only told Luka what he needed to know. Whenever Elijah summoned Jonas he was always told to come alone. So Luka really had no idea what his father had been propositioned to do all those times he took off in the middle of the night, but now the mission was clear.

They had been tasked with finding the original family of vampires.

Thinking of this made Luka's stomach rumble. Why on God's green earth would his father ever agree to find the originators of the vampire bloodline? Did he secretly want the world to be annihilated? Luka wasn't sure and his father wasn't coughing up any answers. He had been told that one way of getting to their ultimate goal, which Jonas still hadn't revealed to Luka, was to get on Bonnie's sweet side.

Two and a half months into his assignment, Luka had made no leeway. In the first week he followed her around like a lost puppy, he learned that Bonnie was hardly ever alone. If she wasn't with Caroline, she was with Elena, and if she weren't with Elena she was with Damon Salvatore.

Yeah it took him a bit by surprise there had been two Damon Salvatore's sauntering around town. One seemingly vanished into thin air. Now it was the one with the light blue eyes who was Bonnie's new shadow.

Those two had been virtually inseparable. If you saw one the other was surely to be around. Not a day went by that Luka didn't come across them playing darts or shooting pool at The Grille. If they weren't there, and happened to be out and about enjoying the warm weather, they were constantly engaged in some discussion or argument, boy did they love to argue. They had their quiet moments and would sometimes innocently touch one another. Luka learned that Damon had an affinity for grazing Bonnie's cheek with his fingers, and Bonnie sometimes, when no one was looking, would hook a finger into Damon's belt loop.

One would think they were a couple, but from the scraps of information Luka had been able to pool together, they were simply friends.

Although friendship wasn't what Damon had in mind for Bonnie. Even a blind person could see that.

Several times Luka caught Damon boring holes into anyone who stood too close to Bonnie, or talked to her for longer than ten minutes. He had a penchant for interrupting her girl time by drawing her away from her friends knowing ahead of time it would piss her off. Bonnie would attempt to correct him, Damon would try to act contrite, and then before either of them knew it, they would be huddled in a corner somewhere laughing and play fighting.

If they couldn't escape group outings, they would spend most of their time trading heated gazes that melted the candles faster than the flame. If they weren't f*cking, they would be very shortly.

Which shortened Luka's time table to win Bonnie over to his side. The few times he had been able to interact with Bonnie she had been nothing but polite yet she kept things strictly formal and short. He couldn't say if she avoided him because he was a new face or because she didn't trust him, more than likely it was a combination of those factors, yet Luka had been nothing but disarming towards her. He made sure not to give her a reason to distrust him.

Nevertheless, his father's patience with his lack of progress was running extremely thin, and being lectured was the last thing Luka wanted.

Since spring was now fully upon the town that meant more Founder's events, celebrating the history of the town, and dances. Luka could really careless about any of this, but just this morning he was accosted by his father who basically said if he couldn't get Bonnie to agree to be his date for the upcoming decade's dance, and finagle her to their side, he might as well look for a new place to call home.

Well, he hadn't said that, but it was merely implied.

Luka stood in the midst of the quad searching for Bonnie. When he spotted her, she was talking to Elena Gilbert's younger brother.

He strolled over and by the time he arrived he caught the tail end of their conversation.

"Do you have a date for the decade's dance?" Jeremy asked and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Bonnie threw her satchel in the backseat of her car and stared up at Jeremy. He had recently cut his hair and looked as if he had a massive growth spurt. His shoulders were brawnier, his voice a bit deeper, and he appeared as if he grew another six inches in height. Jeremy was basically towering over her.

She smiled up at him. "I don't," she said carefully.

Jeremy beamed and hitched his book bag higher on his shoulder. "I really don't like going to school dances. I try to avoid them when I can, but…"

"Hey, Bonnie," Luka interrupted. There was no way in the world he could allow Jeremy to ask Bonnie out and mess up his golden opportunity.

Bonnie looked thoroughly startled to see him whereas Jeremy looked annoyed. "Hey, Luka."

"I heard you talking about the decade's dance and I wanted to ask if you wanted to go with me as my date," Luka mustered on.

Jeremy turned beet red in the face and stared daggers at Luka who promptly ignored him.

Bonnie sighed and bit a corner of her lip. The dance wasn't for another two weeks and it seemed suitors were coming out of the woodwork. Bonnie felt flattered but also overwhelmed. She wasn't used to so much male attention which was a sin and a shame. Earlier that day two juniors and three seniors had asked to be her date.

Yet she fully understood she had to be diplomatic in letting the both of them down gently. "Actually…I haven't decided if I'm going to go. If I change my mind, I'll let you," and she looked at both Jeremy and Luka, "know. Sorry."

Jeremy nodded. "It's cool. Like I said, school dances aren't really my thing."

"Well, if you change your mind," Luka said past his disappointment, "here's my number." He handed over a folded piece of scrap paper to Bonnie. She took it and offered another apologetic smile.

_Gotdamnit, _both Luka and Jeremy muttered internally. Jeremy slinked away but Luka remained.

"This might come off as being a little presumptuous, but do you have any plans this afternoon? I'd like to treat you to dinner."

"Actually I'm meeting up with a friend."

Foiled again, he seethed. "Not a problem. Well, if you ever get bored and want to maybe do some spells, you have my number."

Bonnie said nothing, only nodded her head and then waited impatiently for him to take a hike. Luka did so. He walked over to his parked Volkswagen and climbed behind the wheel. He didn't pull out of his space until Bonnie left the parking lot and he proceeded to follow her.

Surprisingly she wasn't making a beeline for the Salvatore boardinghouse. Instead she pulled up into the driveway of a beautiful two-story Victorian. Luka wasn't sure who lived here, but he noticed that a beat up Ford truck was parked along the curb. He parked some distance away and watched as Bonnie greeted the blonde hair guy who worked at the Grille, Matt was his name Luka remembered. He couldn't hear their conversation. Pity he didn't know how to read lips.

Bonnie opened up the front door and she and Matt went upstairs to Damon's room. She could tell her friend was extremely uncomfortable being here.

She had figured out a clever way to help Matt without making a big fuss about it. Not only had Stefan been able to get a great price for the Ferrari but he connected Bonnie to his lawyer who would set up a special account so that monthly withdrawals could be made to Matt's debtors. It would look highly suspicious if his debt was wiped out overnight, so it was agreed that his bills would be paid off little by little under the guise that Matt had been selected for some government program that helped those in financial straits.

Presently they were at Damon's house so Matt could go through his closet and pick out things he needed. Bonnie would box up the rest and donate the excess to Goodwill and The Salvation Army.

She flicked on the light to the closet and walked inside. Matt hung out under the threshold, his cerulean blues fixed on nothing but a sea of black.

"I didn't think guys could own this much stuff," Matt said ruefully. "Bon…I'm not sure I should go through his things. I mean…I appreciate the offer, but…"

Bonnie turned around and faced her childhood friend. "Matt, I've accepted the fact that Damon isn't coming back. And this isn't just about me helping you, but you're helping me too. You're helping me close another chapter in this book."

Matt scratched the back of his neck. He still was uncertain about this. "I know it sucks that he's gone, but don't you want to hold on to _something_?"

Bonnie fought past the tightness in her chest. "I don't. It's better if I don't."

Matt didn't like being intrusive but he was never given the full story on why Damon checked out of town. "Why did he leave in the first place? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Sighing, Bonnie licked her lips. "He had a family emergency," and she said nothing else.

Matt nodded; despite the fact he knew there was more to the story. "He may come back one day, Bons. I don't think he'd be too happy if he caught me wearing his stuff; and Damon is a pretty buff guy. I'm not trying to get into a fight with him over clothes."

Bonnie snorted. "If he comes back and that's a _huge _if, Damon has the means to supply himself with another wardrobe. There's no pressure, but just look through everything. If nothing suits your fancy that's cool, but if you do see something you like, feel free to take it. These clothes deserve to be worn by someone, and I can't think of a better person than you."

With that Bonnie left him alone. She was sure the decision would be easier for Matt to make if she weren't around, looking over his shoulder.

Very reluctantly Matt moved through the closet. Several times his eyes ballooned when he read the labels, saw the price tags that were attached to some items. Despite the fact almost everything in Damon's closet was black, Matt found a few button down shirts in dark blue and purple. Damon had tailored suits, slacks, jeans made by Diesel and True Religion, boots by Durango, North Face, and Ferragamo. Neck ties, belts, dozens of belts, leather jackets, watches, and sunglasses.

Before he realized what he was doing, Matt was picking out some of everything. He found a drawer that was filled with Hanes undershirts, all in black. He grabbed a few packs. He and Damon, he discovered did wear the same size in shirts and shoes. Matt was a bit taller than Damon, so some pants he had to leave behind.

When his hands were full, he stepped out into the bedroom and found a suitcase lying on the bed. Matt shook his head and began to fill it with his selections.

Twenty minutes later he was zipping up the suitcase and Bonnie had stepped back into the room. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment. But realistically he barely made a dent in Damon's wardrobe.

"Got everything you need?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "I have to find someway to pay you back."

"You don't have to."

"No," Matt refuted. "I need to. Look, I'm not the best cook. Maybe I can nuke you something for dinner."

Bonnie smiled. "How bout we just grab a cup of coffee at The Grille and call it even."

"I'll throw in a cranberry bliss bar and _then_ we're even."

"Hmm, cranberry bliss bar, my favorite dessert. You got a date."

Luka started the engine to his car when Bonnie and Matt exited the house. Matt went south, Bonnie went north. Luka followed her closely but not enough to make it look like he was tailing her. Like clockwork, Bonnie went home where Luka imagined she changed into some scintillating workout outfit for her routinely scheduled workout at the local gym. And as expected Damon Salvatore rolled along in his Camaro with the top down and honked the horn. Bonnie popped out and bounced her way to Damon's ride where she threw her gym bag in the backseat.

The message alert went off on Luka's phone. Sighing, he fished for the device in his pocket, and upon extracting it he caught Damon peeling off down the road going way over the posted speed limit. Luka read the message which surprise, surprise was from his father, asking for a status update. He sent a quick reply that he was on his way to The Grille where he knew Bonnie would be. However, that's not where he was actually going to go. Luka figured it was time to get himself a gym membership.

* * *

><p>Damon climbed out of his Camaro dressed in a black pair of basketball shorts, and a black sleeveless tank. On his feet was a spotless pair of black and gray Jordan's. Surprisingly the vampire was wearing a fitted baseball hat that he wore backwards. Bonnie certainly could admire his physique in this attire as they walked with purpose towards the gym.<p>

She was still bemused by the fact Damon talked her into learning how to box. When he first ambushed her with the idea, Bonnie came up with every single objection she could think of to how pointless boxing would be. He had debunked all of her notions by saying the physicality involved with the sport would help officially pass dark-eyed Damon out of her system like an enema. Damon had been relentless during her first workout that she actually hated him, but secretly it felt good to exert all her inner turmoil and frustrations out against a punching bag, and later during their sparring match.

Right now she bounced on her feet just the way Damon taught her as she held her taped hands poised to strike.

Damon slapped her ass with the pads he wore on his hands to test Bonnie's reflexes. She scowled at him and adjusted her mouthpiece and went in to jab him in the solar plexus, but Damon anticipated the move and blocked it.

"Your focus is off, Bennett," he chastised. "You know the rule. Leave your shit at the door."

Bonnie stopped bouncing and dropped her arms. She took out her mouthpiece. "I thought the purpose was for me to beat the shit out? Stop changing your methodologies."

He grinned that evil smirk that said he was up to no good. "And when did you start listening to me. What's on your mind?"

Lots of things but Bonnie didn't want to discuss it while she was sweaty and breathing hard. She stuffed her mouthpiece back in her mouth, took up her fighting stance again. Her ponytail swished against her neck as she bounced on her feet.

Out the corner of her eye she spotted Luka Martin enter the premises. She dropped her arms as she observed him speaking with the front desk receptionist. For weeks she knew he had been following her, and Bonnie had every intention of asking him what his deal was. Apparently he was keeping tabs on her but for what, she didn't know. If she breathed a word of it to Damon, Luka would be swimming with the fishes. And she certainly didn't want his death on her hands.

Damon caught on to the fact something had distracted Bonnie. He turned around and his eyes narrowed as they landed on the warlock. He turned back to Bonnie.

"Is _he _the reason you're off today?"

Bonnie blinked and shook her head. "No." Not entirely at least.

Damon didn't believe her. "Say the word if he's giving you problems. I'll take care of it."

"You're beginning to sound like Tony Soprano."

"I am a mob boss. I thought you got the memo, Judgey?"

"Let's just go back to boxing, shall we."

"After you," Damon held up his hands. Bonnie did a right-right-left combination and to her horror caught Luka headed towards her. Either the boy had a death wish or he was just that unobservant. Damon did not like people encroaching on their time together, well he didn't like people period. For the time being she ignored him. Already she could feel Damon stiffening with irritation because he sensed Luka approaching.

"Bonnie!" Luka blurted as if he were surprised to see her.

She continued going through her regular workout routine, keeping her eyes focused on Damon. "Hey, Luka."

"I didn't know you box."

"And she does a whole bunch of other shit. Now," Damon dropped his hands and faced the warlock. "Get lost, skippy."

"I think Bonnie can speak for herself," Luka challenged.

Uh-oh. Damon pulled one padded glove off prompting Bonnie to step in front of him. "Luka…not to be rude but we're working out here. Can I talk to you later?"

Luka wasn't looking at her but rather at the wild, untamed look on Damon's face. How could she not see that he was a barely controlled animal? Maybe Bonnie was one of those girls who thought an overly possessive, highly volatile asshole was sexy.

When Luka was finally able to pull his eyes away from Damon and plant them on Bonnie, he shrugged. "Fine," he said and walked away.

With him out of the picture, Bonnie turned back around and glowered at Damon who rolled his eyes. "You need to cut that out."

"And you need to stop nagging me. The boy is a pain in the ass. He keeps popping up all over the place. How many times are you going to have to reject him for him to get the message that you don't want anything to do with him? I don't trust him or his four-eyed father. Something isn't right about them."

"And I think that's just your bias talking."

"Ha!" Damon planted his hands on his lips. "Blow me."

Bonnie's eye narrowed. "But Luka made a very valid point, Damon. I can speak for myself. Believe it or not I can form words, complete sentences too!"

As much as he didn't want to, he chuckled a bit. Damon slipped the glove back on. "You would tell me if something was up with him, right?"

Bonnie went back to her cadence. She shook her head. "No, because your way of dealing with something is far different from my way of handling a situation."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Judgey."

Bonnie pursed her lips together. "When it deals with you it is a bad thing. People have a very short life expectancy when they're around you, Damon."

He grinned, feeling flattered. "Then I guess that means you should be more careful."

Bonnie took her eyes off what she was doing and stared at Damon. "I probably should," she agreed. "What are you doing Friday after next?"

Damon shrugged and blocked Bonnie's upper cut. "I'm sure I have a rendezvous with the lovely ladies of Delta Pi something or another. Why? What's up?"

"You're going to be my date for the decade's dance," she stated matter of fact.

Shock, surprise, and pleasure erupted on his face. "Oh, really? I am. Just like that you're _telling _me I'm going to be your date? What if I don't want to go? And aren't I little too old for a high school dance?"

Bonnie dropped her hands. "You know, you're right. I should go ask Luka." And Bonnie proceeded to walk away.

Before she even had the chance to walk two feet from Damon, he grabbed her by the arm and tugged her backwards, pulling her flush against his chest. "Nope, nope, nope. I can't let you go out like that," he stared down into her face. "I would be honored to be your date. Pick me up at seven. Get me a nice corsage. And if you're good I'll let you get to second base."

Smiling and shaking her head, Bonnie disengaged her arm from Damon's and headed to the showers.

* * *

><p>"There she is," Caroline said and watched from one end of the couch she was sitting on as Bonnie approached, cup of java in hand. "I feel like we barely spend any time together. You're <em>always <em>with Damon," Caroline grumbled.

Bonnie made herself comfortable on the middle cushion of the couch. Mystic Grille had done some renovations, and now offered a small living room area to patrons who wanted to feel like they were either at a bookstore or coffee house. Elena occupied the other end of the sofa wearing the goofiest grin on her face.

"I'm not always with Damon," Bonnie exasperated. "And what's with the grin, Elena?"

The brunette wiggled against the cushion under her friends' scrutiny. "No reason…just…life is great!"

"Translation," Caroline began, "Stefan has been banging that bottom out."

Bonnie roared with laughter while Elena turned beet red and tried to sink into the sofa. Bonnie nudged Elena with her shoulder. "Has he?"

Elena pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not commenting because there are too many prying ears in this place." But then she winked.

Caroline shook her head. "She never wants to cough up any details," she said in an aside to Bonnie. The blonde vampire leaned forward so she could peer at Elena. "I tell you all the things Matt and I do."

This reminder made Elena grimace. "Yeah, but it's not like I actually want to know."

Caroline looked affronted. "If I can't talk about sex with my two best friends who am I supposed to talk to? Matt? He was there. He knows what happened."

Bonnie snickered and sipped her drink. "Moving on to a new subject. I'm in serious need of a fashion recon. Whose bright idea was it to cover the 20's for the dance?"

Caroline practically squealed. "I already have my entire outfit laid out. I am going to be a red hot flapper girl. What do you need help with?"

"Everything," Bonnie admitted.

"Well, wait," Elena interjected. "Who are you going with? Do you have a date?"

Bonnie began to feel just a bit tense. "You want to hear a funny story?" she turned slightly to face Elena. "Your brother tried to ask me to the dance."

"Jeremy?" Elena was flabbergasted.

"How many brothers do you have?" Bonnie chortled.

"What did you say?" Caroline asked.

"I told him I wasn't sure I was going to go, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Right before Jeremy was about to ask, Luka Martin came out of no freaking where, completely cock blocked and asked me."

Neither Caroline nor Elena was terribly surprised by this news. "Well, he has been circling you for weeks," voiced Caroline.

Bonnie snorted. "He can circle all he likes like the buzzard he is."

"So are you going to the dance?" Elena wanted clarification.

"I am. And I'm going with Damon."

Two sets of eyes blinked at her. "Damon?" Caroline dead panned.

For some strange reason Bonnie felt irritation slice through her. "Yes, Damon." She looked at her two best friends. "Is there something wrong with me going with Damon? I know he's not a student…"

Elena shook her head. She was afraid something like this would happen. That Damon would try to capitalize on Bonnie's vulnerability and begin to cloud her good judgment and common sense.

"No," Elena spoke up, "it's just that Damon and his past…I really think you should consider some other options, Bonnie."

"Why?"

"Because he's an asshole," Caroline blurted, point blank. "Okay, I'll give him credit for not being as mean as of late, but do I need to go down the list of all the foul and rotten things Damon has done since coming back here? It would take me two years to get everything out."

"No, I don't need you to do that," Bonnie's nostrils flared. "Damon has made mistakes, and I'm not making excuses for him, but he's been a really good friend to me, and my source of support..."

"That's only because he wants to get in your pants, Bonnie," Caroline cut her off.

The young witch rose from the couch. She wasn't in the mood to defend Damon. Her friends might not like her choice in a date but she didn't live her life according to their opinions.

"You two just don't get it," Bonnie shook her head. She walked off.

"Bon…" Elena attempted to call her friend back. She reached over and smacked Caroline on the shoulder. "You could have handled that with a little more tact."

"Oh, great so now it's my fault Bonnie is pissed because I was simply telling her the truth? I can appreciate Damon helping Bonnie through her after break-up depression, but in the long run all he's going to do is hurt her. And Bonnie is a fool if she can't see that."

Strolling over to the bar, Bonnie slapped her cup down on the countertop.

"Easy, love, I think they'll make you pay for that if you break it."

Bonnie swiveled her head to the man sitting to her left. Her eyebrows hitched. Staring unabashedly at her was man with deep blue eyes, short curly blonde hair, and the reddest lips she had ever seen. The man smiled at her obvious perusal showcasing crescent moons in his cheeks. Bonnie always had a weakness for men with dimples. But then her inner radar went off warning her that the person she was presently keeping company with was a card carrying member of the undead.

Finding her tongue she said, "I'm a regular customer so I think they'll let me slide."

The man's smile widened. He leaned over and peered in the mug to see what her drink of choice had been. "Shall I buy you a refill, then?"

His English accent tickled her ears. "No. Suddenly I'm not thirsty. Excuse me."

Bonnie slid away to head back to Elena and Caroline but then her way was suddenly blocked by broad shoulders, and an expansive chest. Swallowing Bonnie looked up at the man.

"We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves," the man extended a hand. Bonnie very reluctantly touched his palm and tried not to recoil. "But something tells me you already know who I am."

Bonnie didn't respond. She felt the air in the building change. She knew Damon was there. She located him over her shoulder and as suspected he had his eyes locked on her.

The man followed her line of vision and smiled at the dark-haired vampire who looked ready to kill, no questions asked. In a sudden move, the man spun Bonnie until her back was pressed to his front. He pushed her hair aside and he initiated a small two step to the soft music that was playing.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Bonnie."

"Then what do you want…Niklaus?"

He grinned against the shell of her ear. When Damon made a move to approach after Bonnie name dropped, Niklaus tightened his arms around her and moved his lips lower until they hovered against Bonnie's neck.

"Not another move, vampire."

Having heard the command, Damon growled and balled his hands into fists. He knew in the time it would take him to reach Bonnie, Niklaus would have snapped her neck.

"Please, call me Klaus," he directed at Bonnie. "Only one person on this planet insists on calling me by my birth name. Elijah. How is my dutiful brother?"

"He's upset because you didn't send him a Christmas card," Bonnie replied sarcastically.

Klaus chuckled lowly in his throat and kissed the column of Bonnie's neck. She jerked at the contact. "I need you to send a message to my brother. 'Stop looking or I will pick off those in your bloodline one," kiss to her neck, "by one," this time to the corner of her jaw, "by one," and finally her temple.

Bonnie was breathing deeply and rapidly. "And if I don't deliver the message?"

That grin was back on Klaus' face although she couldn't see it, Bonnie knew it was there. "Then I will make life very unpleasant for you here." He pulled away from Bonnie, turned her around and then kissed her hand. "Save me a dance, love. Until then."

Klaus flashed away and Damon was standing in front of her. "So that was Klaus?" he asked the obvious.

Bonnie nodded and couldn't feel the floor under her feet. Klaus was by far stronger than anything she felt before and her head felt like it was filled with nothing but air. "He's so incredibly strong, Damon."

And he certainly didn't like hearing that. He placed a reassuring hand on Bonnie's shoulder. Soon she was surrounded by a very concerned looking Elena and Caroline.

"I heard what happened. Are you okay?" Caroline asked, their earlier disagreement forgotten.

Bonnie nodded and moved beyond the press of bodies. "I need a minute." She wanted fresh air and headed towards the exit.

Jonas and Luka who had been keeping a low profile saw the exchange and looked at one another. The very thing they needed had just fallen right into their laps.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Dum-dum-dum Klaus has arrived! And will he be the so-called harbinger of death that he was "supposed" to be on the show? You'll have to stick around and see. And to answer a reviewers question about how long this story will be, well, I'm not sure. There's still a whole lot of story left to tell. More twists and turns and Bamon-y goodness is coming. Oh, and I'm glad you guys liked the insight into Matt's life. I have big plans for him…later…much later. Thank you guys for reading! Love you!**


	34. Party Like Its 1920?

**A/N: Aloha. I wasn't sure how to start this chapter, so it is what it is. This is another long one, but I think you'll like it. Enjoy!  
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Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Mystic Falls 1863**

Oil lamps were being lit. The best handcrafted and hand woven lace linens were being ironed and placed over the dark cherry wood tables. Polished silverware brought up from the family vault waited patiently for gloved hands to touch and admire. All the ovens in the kitchen were working at full capacity.

Upstairs Stefan Salvatore stood in front of the muted mirrored glass and adjusted his tie. He eyed his caramel hair that was parted on the side and slicked back from his preternaturally handsome face. Many times Stefan heard his father praise him for coming equipped with an able mind in addition to his dashing looks, unlike his brother. Tugging down the hem of his double breasted vest, Stefan twisted his young face from side to side and then…sighed heavily.

He hated attending these "coming out in society" parties. He couldn't feel more like a pawn in his father's game of advancement. Giuseppe was hoping that the Wright's, although not a founding family of Mystic Falls but still very much affluent would accept his proposal to have Stefan marry the youngest of their three daughters. Marianne Wright was a modest girl of virtue and gifted. She had a beautiful singing voice. Sure she might not be the most beautiful girl in town, there was a quite gentleness about her that Giuseppe felt matched Stefan's oftentimes somber temperament.

Stefan felt Marianne was nice enough but to actually build a life with her depressed him more than anything else. He knew if they did marry they would have an amiable relationship. But he wanted more than just an agreeable wife.

Hell, he was only sixteen years old. Why did he have to think about marrying anyone?

Because Giuseppe wanted grandchildren? The thought alone made Stefan snort ungraciously. Giuseppe was not a man built for children. He sired his own branch of the Salvatore family tree only because it was an obligation, not because he actually wanted miniature versions of himself running around.

But being duty bound, Stefan would play the part of the besotted suitor to his maybe intended betrothed and see where the chips fell afterwards.

The door to his room burst open and in sauntered his dark-haired brother, shirtless, suspenders over his shoulders, drunk.

Stefan ignored Damon and reached for his overcoat. He slid his arms into the appropriate holes and buttoned the coat of deep dark, navy blue.

"Aw, look you at you, Stefan. You look ready to shake hands with the leader of the Confederacy himself."

"How much have you had to drink, Damon?"

"Clearly not enough if I'm still standing on my feet," Damon tripped his way over to Stefan's bed and flopped on it backwards. "What is the logic of this stupid dinner party anyways?"

Stefan turned in his boots to glare at his brother. Damon could lead by a much better example instead of drowning his sorrows in brandy and dallying with anything walking in a petticoat. But Stefan knew what his brother was trying to do. He was trying to weasel his way out of enlisting in the war. Stefan could admit he admired Damon's resistance to tradition, but he felt his brother was playing a losing game. Giuseppe would never allow Damon to step foot inside their family home again if he didn't do what his country needed him to do and that was to defend the south.

"Father will be very cross with you if you say or do something untoward any of his guests."

Damon ignored him. "Do you think _Father_," and the word dripped with disdain, "would still want me to fight in the war if he found out I impregnated one of the slaves?"

Stefan could do nothing but blink. Surely he was joking but with Damon one could never be too sure. Damon propped himself up on his elbows and glowered at his little brother waiting for his reproach because he knew it was coming. Sometimes when Damon looked at Stefan all he saw was another Giuseppe in the making. He loved his brother yet hated him at the same time because he knew what was in Stefan's future.

In this moment, Stefan knew he was being baited. He pursed his lips and refused to comment knowing it would aggravate Damon more than to run off at the mouth. He had gotten used to that.

When Stefan remained mute on the subject, Damon rolled his eyes and flopped back to the bed. "I was joking."

"I know you were and if Father were to hear…"

Damon was off the bed in an instant and spun his brother around by the arm and braced his hands on Stefan's shoulders, squeezing until Stefan winced.

"Get a f*cking mind of your own, Stefan! I swear to God every other word that comes out of your mouth is 'Father this' and 'Father that'. Grow a spine for goodness sake!"

Stefan leaned away from Damon, his mouth foul with drink. He broke his older brother's hold on him and turned back to face the mirror. "I don't understand you sometimes, Damon. It's like you _don't _want anyone to like or respect you."

Damon made an undignified noise in the back of his throat. "Maybe I should enlist and get killed. That way I'll live up to everyone's expectations of what a disappointment I truly am."

"Damon," Stefan said and watched as his brother stumbled out of his room.

Present day Mystic Falls, Stefan stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down the collar of his dress shirt wondering why he was thinking about that moment in time that happened so many centuries ago.

And naturally Damon, still shirtless walked into his bedroom holding a black pinstripe shirt in his hands. "So I was wondering if it might be too presumptuous to ask to have the whole house to myself tonight."

The younger Salvatore hitched a dark eyebrow in the air. Sometimes Damon liked to begin conversations as if he were in the middle of an ongoing discussion.

"Excuse me?" Stefan said and went back to adding little touches here and there to his 1920's attire.

Damon slipped on his shirt. "Your hearing isn't _that _bad, Stefan. Aren't you going to be sneaking into Elena's tonight after the dance? You naughty little vampire you."

Stefan chuckled. It was rare, this playful side to his brother that didn't have a malicious undertone attached to it. Instead of answering right away, Stefan tucked his hands into his pant pockets and rocked on his heels.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but Elena will be spending the night with a blonde and a brunette after the dance."

"She's into threesomes? Kinky."

Again, Stefan chuckled. "No, pervert. It's tradition that the girls all congregate at someone's house for a mandatory sleepover after every Decade's dance."

"Freak tradition!" Damon bellowed. "I'm trying to start one of my own tonight," he presented his lopsided grin.

"Look, I know you and Bonnie have grown exceptionally close since the end of her relationship, but even you know what a long shot it is to get her to agree to stay over…with you."

"Next are you going to tell me the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy aren't real, Stefan? Of course I know it's a long shot but you can't blame a vamp for trying. Besides, I have a method of getting Bonnie to see things my way," he winked at his brother and then spun around to show off his threads. "How do I look?"

"Like you bootleg moonshine in a swamp."

Damon snapped his fingers. "Grazzi. Come on, bambino! We got girls to ravish."

* * *

><p><strong>Three hours earlier…<strong>

Sweat coursed down his olive skin before dripping on the asphalt beneath his feet. Tyler palmed the basketball between his hands and laid up a shot. It went right in the hoop without touching the net. He jogged over to grab the ball and continued free shooting, hoping the physical activity would wane the tension that had been coiling in his belly since the night he discovered the truth about the Salvatore's.

He hated living on edge, looking over his shoulder, being on guard all the time. It was nerve wrecking and irritating and he wanted it to end. Gladly his mom hadn't picked up on the change in his attitude and even if she did, Carol Lockwood was one who believed in keeping up pretenses rather than dealing with the nitty gritty.

Tyler saw something in his peripheral vision and halted in bouncing the ball. "Hey Matt, what's up?"

When Matt was close enough they gave one another a pound. "Nothing," and then he started grinning like a loon. Tyler frowned at him.

"What the hell's the matter with you? Did you just get some from a new piece of ass?"

With that Matt punched Tyler none-too-gently in the arm. "Screw you, Tyler." He stole the basketball and did a jump shot. He grinned with satisfaction as it went in the net. "Everything that was bothering me up until two days ago has finally been relieved."

Tyler stared at his lifelong friend quizzically. "Okay?"

"Look, I know I don't talk about my home life all that much, but long story short I was about to be put out on my ass."

"Why didn't you tell me? You could have moved in with me. I could have helped you," Tyler was deeply aggrieved his best friend didn't tell him what was going on, or had Matt given him signals that he was struggling and Tyler too caught up in his own drama hadn't noticed? In this moment Tyler couldn't have felt like the worst friend in the world.

"It's cool, Ty, but I needed to handle the situation on my own. But somehow my name was put into this pool for assistance and I was selected, and a special account has been set up where everyone I owe money to can go in and make monthly withdrawals."

"Wow…that sounds…sweet."

"It's a God-send is what it is. And you want to know the funny thing? I don't remember signing up or applying for any kind of program. I mean I was _going _to, but…then this happened."

To Tyler this sounded too good to be true but he didn't want to place any doubt in Matt's mind. Even he could admit to not seeing Matt look this happy and carefree, not since the days he was stupidly in love with Elena Gilbert.

"Well, I'm happy for you man," Tyler said quietly and bounced the ball. Since Matt was breaking down barriers and sharing a bit of what had been going on in his life, Tyler desperately wanted to tell his best friend the truth about what he now was.

He opened his mouth but then shut his trap. Call it his intuition but Tyler had the feeling that if he told the truth Matt would not welcome him with open arms. Already this year they had been at odds, butted heads more times than they could count, and no Tyler hadn't done their contentious friendship any favors by making out with Matt's mom. Now they were working on patching up a friendship cultivated since their days of scraping in the sand box. No, he would keep his secret to himself for a little while longer. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, what kind of help could Matt offer if he did know the truth?

It was best to keep him out of it.

Matt looked at Tyler speculatively. He could tell something was on his mind. "You okay, Ty?"

Tyler's head jerked up at the question and he pasted his usual cocky look on his face. "I'm cool, man. Let's get a game in before the dance."

Matt nodded and immediately started talking smack as the two delved into a hard game of Twenty-One.

"So who are you taking to the dance?" Matt inquired.

Tyler walked around the court, bouncing the ball, keeping it out of Matt's reach. "Tanya McMannon."

"Sweet," Matt complimented and tried to steal the ball, but Tyler switched direction and began circling counterclockwise. "The crew pooled our money together to get a limo. You can roll with us if you want."

"No thanks," Tyler snorted. There was no way in the _world _he was going to ride in a limo with the Salvatore's because he already knew that was the "crew" Matt had been referring to.

Matt hated the obvious division between his friends. He felt he could be the glue to hold everyone together because next year would be their senior year, and after that they would all scatter. Yet he could understand Tyler's trepidation. It took some getting used to being around Stefan and Damon. He shook his head feeling bemused as he remembered Caroline telling him that Bonnie had asked Damon to be her date. Either she was _really _desperate or was _really _missing the other Damon. In either case, he hoped everyone would be on their best behavior tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>The Gilbert Residence<strong>

Hands clamored for mascara wands, eye shadow, concealer, flat irons, bobby pins, and every other single beauty tool known to mankind. Being smashed between her two friends, Bonnie carefully applied jet black eyeliner to her bottom lid, as Caroline and Elena reached over and under her. It had been so long since the three of them got ready for a dance together. Bonnie was reminded this used to be tradition, especially during their junior high years.

In her mind's eye, she could see Caroline standing in front of the mirror stuffing her bra with tissue whereas Elena would be poised on the edge of the tub shaving her legs. Bonnie would cringe as she tried to scrape food out of her braces and wondered which shade of lip gloss she should wear that wouldn't draw attention to her cybernetic mouth.

Thankfully those days were long gone and the women facing the mirror today didn't need to go to extremes to hide their imperfections.

Jenna came bursting into the room wielding her camera and began snapping unmerciful shots that had the girls screaming, cursing, and slamming the door in her face. She laughed maniacally and promised that was only the beginning and that she had every intention of showing those unflattering pics at their respective weddings.

Jeremy knocked on the other closed door of the bathroom, toothbrush lodged in his mouth. "Open the door, Elena!"

"We need another twenty minutes, Jer," she replied through the closed door.

Upon hearing that Jeremy rolled his eyes. He had decided at the last minute that he wouldn't be the bump on the log and attend the stupid dance. "Y'all have already been in there for the last two hours. It doesn't take that long to get ready. Now open this damn door."

The door did open and his sister stood in front of him with a scowl on her face and a hand propped on her hip. "May I ask who you think you're talking to?"

Instead of answering her, Jeremy slapped the palm of his hand on her forehead and pushed her aside. Elena screamed because he just possibly messed up her 1920's inspired do and her headband it had taken her three tries to get it right.

"Ass," Elena seethed and watched as Jeremy bumped Caroline out of the way. He stood next to Bonnie smiling down at her before jamming his toothbrush in his mouth.

Leaving the bathroom, Elena waltzed over to her dress that was hanging on the back of the closet door. It was a white, sleeveless number that had actual seed pearl beading. Stefan claimed he "found" it up in the attic at the boardinghouse, and knowing his history she was inclined to believe him. However, the fabric looked more current with today's times and it smelled a little too brand new to have actually survived in tip top condition in the Salvatore time vault.

Jeremy roamed his eyes over Bonnie who stood next to him wearing a kimono robe. Her hair, parted on the left side fell in soft waves the ends curled under and full of volume. Her green eyes sparkled like kryptonite thanks to the heavy dark eye shadow and liner she used to contour the almond shape of them. But it was her lips swathed in dark, deep red lipstick which caught his attention.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," she admonished him with a smile and left the bathroom, closing the door after her.

Caroline had already donned her red flapper dress and was slipping on a pair of red Mary Jane's over her nude fishnet stockings.

"Care," Bonnie called for her friend's attention. "You look gawjuss."

Caroline laughed and preened. "Thank you, sweetie. You need to hurry up and get dressed. You're always the last one to get ready."

Downstairs the doorbell rang and the girls looked at each other before screaming and scrambling all over the room searching for last minute accessories, hair combs, gloves, earrings, the works.

The Salvatore gents entered the premises looking debonair and like sophisticated criminals. They could hear the commotion from upstairs and wondered what in the world was going on in Elena's room.

"Don't you two clean up nicely," Jenna complimented and held up the digital camera. "I need a photo-op because that's what a responsible guardian does." Jenna held the camera to her eye and drooled a little bit at the way Damon and Stefan took up casual poses although they looked as if they were modeling for _Italian Vogue_. Damon was all dark silk and sensuality with a Fedora perched on his head covering up one eye, while his brother looked as if he were an FBI agent in his navy blue suit. All he was missing was an Uzi. They certainly didn't make them that like when I was in high school, Jenna lamented sadly.

"Thank you," she said. "If anything happens to those girls," she held up the camera, "your pictures will be posted on the eleven o'clock news. Capiche?"

Damon rolled his eyes whereas Stefan licked his rosebud lips and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Capiche," Stefan replied.

The doorbell rang again and Stefan offered to get it. It was Matt dressed like a bartender.

As the two of them reentered the living room, Elena came downstairs. Stefan gazed up at her feeling as if he was in the presence of a heavenly being. He moved to the bottom of the step, holding out his hand which she eagerly accepted. Damon wanted to stick his finger in his mouth to mimic he was about to upchuck. Matt could definitely commiserate.

Next Caroline flitted downstairs, her eyes beamed when they landed on Matt as she quickly did a perusal of his attire. He did look sharp in his shirt, vest, tie, tailored slacks, and Jaxon Herringbone hat. She jumped into his arms and proceeded to rub her red lipstick all over his mouth which he complained about.

Damon peered up the stairs wondering where _his_ date was. He heard the tap of four inch heels on the steps. Soon his eyes were glued to a sexy pair of black patent leather Mary Jane's, working up along black fishnet stocking covered legs, to the fringe of a black dress, up a graceful neck draped in pearls, to the bottom of a heart shaped chin, roving upwards to gaze at apple red lips, and settling on those haunting green eyes.

Bonnie smiled saucily at him as she held the banister with a gloved hand as she descended towards him. Black looked good on her, in fact Damon hadn't come across a color that didn't do her justice. But he especially loved her in black.

Her long wavy hair brushed against her caramel shoulders, and he noticed almost at the last minute that she had a gardenia clip in her hair.

Bonnie stood on the next to last step which put her at eye-level with Damon. "You certainly are the dame of the night," he said and reached for her hand which he promptly kissed, never breaking eye contact with her.

She could certainly agree that Damon looked ready to knock off some banks and break a lot of hearts in his all black attire. Bonnie could see why Damon loved black. It offset his pale skin reminding her of ink being spilled into milk. The only color that added a splice of life to his notorious monochromatic color scheme was his methane-blue eyes. She smiled when she noticed he was wearing wing tip shoes.

Vaguely Bonnie noticed that all conversations had ceased and she reluctantly took her eyes off Damon to notice that five pairs of eyes were staring at them unabashedly. Her malachite eyes narrowed, and she was ready to scold them to mind their business, but Damon gently took her by the chin drawing her attention back to him.

The world dissolved into nothingness again and it was just the two of them in the cocoon they crafted since their adventures in Atlantic City or maybe before then. Nothing else mattered except Bonnie wanted to have a wonderful night and she knew Damon had the goods to deliver because he abhorred monotony and tedium.

"You ready to burn the gym down with me?" he asked.

"Bring the gasoline and I'll light the match."

He winked at her and tucked her arm in his and led her into the living room. Hardly anyone noticed that Jeremy, the only other guy dressed in a three piece suit had come downstairs since they pretty much had their eyes glued to Bonnie and Damon.

"Okay, I have to get pictures," Jenna said. As much as she loved the decade's dance her days of living vicariously through her niece and nephew were over. Plus she needed to do some serious work on her thesis, so unfortunately this event she'd have to sit out.

Each couple lined up accordingly smiling at the camera, however Bonnie and Damon were too busy gazing at each other.

After Jenna snapped nearly two dozen pictures, the group had been released from the Gilbert household, but Bonnie held Damon back and taking his hand led him into the kitchen. Damon leaned against the center island wondering what she was up to as Bonnie opened the refrigerator and extracted a plastic container.

He lost his eyebrows to his hairline as Bonnie approached him and presented him with a white rose boutonniere.

"You didn't have to do that," he told her but stood up straighter nonetheless as Bonnie removed the flower from its holder and pinned it right over his heart.

She stared up at him under her long lashes and Damon found it a bit more difficult to swallow. "Count this as part one of me doing something nice for you."

He smiled and grazed her cheek with his thumb. "I swear you're trying to make me lose my edge. Well that's not gonna happen no matter how much you butter me up, Judgey," and to prove his point Damon tossed Bonnie over his shoulder amidst her protestations. He bit her ass since it was right there. Let the good times roll.

* * *

><p>The moment everyone stepped foot inside the beautiful decorated gym, Damon slung his arm over Bonnie's shoulders, hers around his waist and got lost in the sea of bodies and began dancing.<p>

For a good hour they hardly let the other out of sight. Even when it became obvious that other guys wanted a turn to spin Bonnie around the floor. When her shoes began to pinch her toes, Damon led her off the floor, his arm draped possessively around her waist, his hand resting very low on her hip. They talked amongst themselves until she was ambushed by her giggling best friends who carried her away.

With nothing to do, Damon circled the room, keeping his hearing on all things Bonnie. Yet he ground his molars on top of one another when Bonnie began dancing with Matt.

Her eyes kept betraying her by going over to Damon although she was dancing with Matt. He was talking to one of the sophomore English teachers and Bonnie didn't appreciate the goo-goo eyes the woman made at Damon. The teacher's alabaster skin was flushed pink and if Damon noticed he wasn't making a big deal about it. Normally he would have capitalized on the fact he had knocked an educated woman stupid, but he merely stood there like a Greco-Roman statute, arms folded over his chest, eyes facing front as he talked about whatever they were discussing.

Yet the teacher wasn't the only person having a hard time keeping their eyes off Damon. Bonnie noticed that several of her classmates kept coquetting around him hoping to gather his attention, but Damon was as aloof as ever. Sure he was probably used to women surrendering their panties and virtue at his feet, but tonight for some reason Damon's attractiveness appeared to be amplified.

However it thrilled her that if she wanted to, she could summon Damon with nothing more than a single look. No one else could wield that wand of power over him except her.

Bonnie balked a bit at her possessive train of thought and turned around to snake up and down Matt's anterior. Matt for his part was trying to keep things clean. Caroline had a notorious jealousy streak and he certainly didn't want to hear her mouth as she threw out accusations about him hooking up with other girls. Most days Matt wasn't sure what version of Caroline he might be entertaining. She had had mood swings in the very early days of their relationship that made him want to keep her at arm's length, but now…

It was like her insecurity meter had been turned way up to unbearable decibels. But he wanted to have fun and didn't feel he needed stifle that or hold back, so he held on tighter to Bonnie who threw her head back and beamed up at him.

Damon shifted his attention and immediately his gaze landed on Bonnie and the precarious position she was dancing with Mutt in. He narrowed his smoldering eyes to which she picked up the signal and matched his look of contention with one of innocence. She winked at him and turned back around to face Matt and danced with him appropriately. Smart girl to correct her posture or he would have strolled right up to her and snatched her away from the dumb jock.

Yet his arms began itching and he wanted to pull Bonnie flush against him. So he moved through the gyrating crowd like a phantom and was standing behind Bonnie, wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her away from Matt. With one challenging look he sent Matt off who was smart enough to know which battles to fight and which battles he knew he would lose. This was one of them.

Bonnie made an undignified noise in the back of her throat and looked up at Damon and smacked him on the side of his head. "You are so incredibly rude that it's mystifying."

He grinned broadly and slapped her ass. Bonnie squeaked but the sting of his sharp reprimand left a slightly delicious tingling. Damon stopped moving for a minute as the music changed and the thumping beat of Jennifer Lopez's "Dance Again" began pouring from the speakers. He knew of one way to shut Bonnie up. He thrust her out and spun her around making her do several pirouettes until he pulled her flush against him where he dipped her.

Her eyes were sparkling and she was back on her feet as Damon moved them around the gym, clearing a path.

Although this was a 1920's themed dance, it wasn't like everyone knew what the popular dances from that decade were apart from Stefan and Damon. And there were only so many variations of the Charleston the young crowd was willing to do until they got bored. So to keep things from falling into a rut, the DJ had been commissioned to play songs from this century.

Damon grabbed Bonnie by the shoulders and dipped her in an arc, her hair nearly sweeping the floor as she held onto his waist for leverage. He wasn't the best dancer in the world but he knew how to manipulate his partner's bodies to make them believe he didn't have two left feet. He moved naturally with Bonnie feeding off the signals that were broadcast from her body that beamed right into his cerebellum and snaked through his system. She writhed against him like an uninhibited nymph and he definitely wanted to taste her forbidden fruit and dip himself in her fountain of youth.

He played her body like a violinist and she was so responsive. Always responsive. Even when she was enraged at him and blew smoke through her nostrils, Bonnie always needed to be close to him. Damon was sure he could feel her across the entire continental US if he wanted to, but it hadn't been like that in the past.

Bonnie sang along with the chorus. She did want to dance and love and dance again. It was amazing that anytime she was with Damon, no matter how crappy her day might have been, he blocked it out like the sun blazing over a desert. Inwardly she believed she had become his personal oasis and she could question if that's what she wanted, but she wasn't as emotionally raw as she used to be. And honestly she could credit Damon with that.

Across the gym, Stefan couldn't really understand the undercurrent that flowed between his brother and Bonnie. It was painfully clear they shared a connection which crossed several boundaries that the title "friend" didn't seem appropriate or applied. He danced with Elena yet he couldn't keep his eyes off the slightly euphoric expression marring Damon's face.

Elena with one arm draped over Stefan's broad shoulders looked up at his face. "What are you staring at?"

She twisted to look over her shoulder and saw her best friend basically dry humping Damon. A crease formed between her perfectly arched eyebrows. "I have no idea what's gotten into her," Elena murmured.

Stefan looked down at Elena. "I think she's found happiness again is what I think has gotten into her. And Damon too, which is frightening."

Elena chuckled and laid her head on Stefan's chest. "I want Bonnie to be happy, you know that, but at the same time…I only wish she had turned to someone else."

Stefan slightly pushed Elena away from him to peer into her whiskey colored eyes once more. He wanted no one to begrudge his brother happiness because it had been a long time coming. "Damon deserves a chance to be with the girl he…likes," he hedged. It was not his place to expose his brother's obvious feelings for a certain witch.

His hesitation hadn't escaped Elena and then she lightly gasped and snapped her head to stare at the two figures dressed in black, silver, and white. Sure she might have assumed Bonnie was crushing on Damon and vise versa but what Stefan had been implying…

The song was about to come to a close when Damon felt a tap on his shoulder. He pulled his lips back from his teeth. "What?" he nearly growled.

"I'd like to cut in," Jeremy said boldly and puffed out his chest.

Bonnie slid away from Damon but he pulled her back abruptly against his chest. "Down boy," she said softly and smiled at him warmly.

That smile placated his inner beast. Yet he glowered at her before doing as she said. Jeremy stared at the two of them confused as to what was going on. Nonetheless he was all smiles when Bonnie slipped her hand into his.

Damon didn't cast either one of them a backwards glance as he stomped off.

Jeremy snorted. "He needs a serious attitude adjustment. Why does he treat you like you're his property or something? He's not stable, Bonnie."

Bonnie didn't hold back her eye roll. "Either you want to dance with me or waste time talking about Damon. Which is it going to be because I'd rather much dance alone than hear another lecture about him."

Feeling chastened, Jeremy immediately shut his trap although he had a fully prepared dissertation. He didn't understand why douche bags like Damon Salvatore and Tyler Lockwood got all the girls. Well, Jeremy had to admit, even if grudgingly that out of everyone Damon knew he showed Bonnie the most respect. He couldn't say if that was due to the fact she was a witch and could kill him with a single thought or whatnot, but Bonnie was the only person other than Stefan who could talk some sense into Damon's hard head.

She and Jeremy did an awkward two-step. "Thank you for being worried about me, Jeremy," Bonnie said to disrupt the silence, "but Damon isn't the monster he used to be."

His dark brown eyes lit up with indignation. "How can you say that? Oh, sure he might not have killed anyone lately…that you know of, but Damon is a vampire," Jeremy dropped his voice and looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "And the last I checked, vampires are pretty much stuck and set in their ways."

"Not all of us, mate."

Bonnie stiffened and her eyes grew abnormally large. Jeremy tensed for another reason as he faced the man who was standing directly behind him. He quickly assessed the newcomer who looked far too old to be attending a high school dance. Like Damon.

Klaus stood there with his head cocked to the side as he kept his dark blue eyes on the human. Bonnie quickly searched the premises for Damon and couldn't find him, but she did spot Stefan who immediately stopped dancing with Elena.

Returning her attention to Klaus Bonnie couldn't help but notice he was dressed similarly to Damon wearing a black button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, suspenders, and black linen pants, but around Klaus' neck was a white bow tie that he didn't bother tying.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked through clenched teeth.

Klaus speared her with a boyish grin and extended his hand towards her. "I asked you to save me a dance, love. I'm sure you were there when I mentioned that."

"Sorry but you're going to have to wait your turn and the line is back that way," Jeremy pointed to the exit.

All signs of civility fled Klaus' face which became stone, and his eyes resembled glaciers.

Bonnie gulped and pushed Jeremy behind her. "It's all right, Jeremy."

Jeremy was ready to object yet winced after Bonnie bit her nails into his hand. He let go of her and walked away but not without pursing his lips.

Now that they were alone, Klaus circled her, reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it up teasingly to which Bonnie slapped his hand away. He whistled appreciatively before stepping in front of Bonnie and gathering her in his arms.

"You are a vision," Klaus whispered in her ear. "Exquisite. It's a shame you didn't live during the actual twenties."

"And if I did you and I wouldn't be dancing. You know Jim Crow was a real bitch back then."

Klaus smiled. "I stand corrected. But there were lots of underground clubs that allowed the races to mix."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'll bet. What are you doing here?" she asked again as Klaus began to move them across the floor. They stood practically cheek to cheek.

Damon stepped back into the gym and his eyes like sonar picked up on Bonnie's distress. His eyes widened once he saw who she was dancing with and he was moving across the room to intercept, however, his brother got in the way.

"Why are you always getting in my way, Stefan?" Damon was fully prepared to toss Stefan like a Frisbee.

"Because you have a tendency not to think. Just hold up for a minute, Damon."

"Hold up for what? For Klaus to make off with Bonnie or kill her?"

"What would be the purpose in him killing her?" Stefan countered. He liked the fact Damon wanted to protect Bonnie but his impulsiveness would only serve to put her in more danger.

Klaus listened carefully to the Salvatore brother's squabble. He smiled because in his long life he had had similar disagreements with his own brother.

"Did you deliver my message to Elijah?" Klaus asked.

"I did." Once she made it back home, Bonnie called Elijah and told him of her encounter with Klaus and the threat he made against his bloodline. Bonnie had been unsure of which bloodline Klaus had been referring to: Elijah's vampire or human bloodline. She was hoping it was the former.

Klaus bored his eyes into Bonnie. He sensed little fear in her which was slightly refreshing if not a little off putting. He was used to people quaking in their boots and pissing their pants at the mere mention of his name.

"And what did my brother have to say?"

Bonnie's eyes hardened as her voice dropped an octave. "He said to take your threat and stick it up your ass."

Klaus tightened his hold on her fingers, pinching them slightly. White-hot pain went through Bonnie yet she downplayed it by not screaming out. And just as suddenly as Klaus' anger sliced through him he laughed.

"That doesn't sound like my foolish brother at all. He's not one to be glib. So," he lifted Bonnie in the air, holding her tightly by the hips. Her heart took off because she hadn't been expecting that.

The minute she was on her feet, Klaus spun Bonnie around until her back was pressed against his front, his hand sliding across her belly, holding her tightly, "Why don't you tell me the truth."

Klaus looked across the gym at Bonnie's friends who were converging at the back of the gym. His eyes followed Damon as he went over to a tall, dirty blond-haired man. He listened very intently to hear their conversation but the music was too loud and too many other conversations were swirling around that he couldn't make out their words verbatim.

Damon needed reinforcements. He found Ric and whispered fiercely in his ear. "We need to head to your room and stock up on weapons. We got an original vampire at three o'clock dancing with Bonnie."

Alaric sat his half finished cup of punch down and searched the crowd until he found the vampire Damon had been referring to. Surprisingly the vamp was looking right at him and Damon. And Alaric wasn't sure if he had anything other than wooden stakes locked away in the utility closet in his room, but it would have to do for now. He motioned for Damon to follow him.

"Elijah wants his family back, Klaus." Bonnie's voice interrupted Klaus' conversation tapping. "That's all he wants. He doesn't want to fight with you."

"Yes, the humanitarian Elijah pretends to be," Klaus replied drolly. "Would you believe me if I said that _I'm_ the nice one between us? My brother, when provoked can have quite the temper."

"And yes you're just a boy scout," Bonnie snorted.

Klaus tightened his hold again and it was a miracle he didn't snap one of her ribs. "That delicious mouth of yours is going to get you in a world of trouble if you don't learn how to control it." He rotated his hips against Bonnie's backside and her eyebrows lifted. Either he was very well endowed or their word sparring was turning him on.

"I'm assuming you don't know much about my family, Bonnie and if you are aware I'm sure you wouldn't want to unleash them on the world."

"Of course the last thing I want is more vampires walking around, but this isn't my fight."

"Oh, but it became your fight when Elijah asked you to keep something sacred stored away."

Caroline who was watching the show and was tapping her foot against the gym floor finally lost her patience. "Are we just going to stand over here like a bunch of deer caught in headlights, or go over there and kick some ass?"

Elena and Stefan pressed her with an "are you stupid" look. No one liked feeling impotent but they were at a high disadvantage. They couldn't draw too much attention to the potential danger everyone was in, and if they tried to intervene on Bonnie's behalf it might have devastating results.

"Where's Damon?" Elena questioned and looked around.

"I'm right here," he materialized beside her. His back pockets were stuffed with stakes and he had a vervain grenade tucked in his closed fist. All he needed was an opening and he was going to take it.

Klaus had a vague idea of the mobilization that was taking place against him. He began to shuffle himself and Bonnie closer to the back of the gym.

"I must give your friends credit for attempting to come to your rescue, but if they don't cease and desist heads will quite literally roll."

"Your beef is with me and Elijah," Bonnie reminded him. "Forget about my friends and focus on that."

Klaus pivoted Bonnie until she was facing him again. The determination that washed over her face made her even more stunning to gaze upon. He licked his blood red lips. This diminutive girl was making it rather difficult for him to stay on track. There was the dominate part of him that wanted to break her, to remind her of her place on the supernatural hierarchy, but there was another part of him that wanted to lay the world at her feet.

"I have no quarrel with you, madam," he told her plaintively. "But I will if you continue to hold out on me. There is something I want and I know for a fact that you are the possessor of a very rare artifact. I simply want what belongs to me returned."

"I'm not giving you anything."

Klaus smiled evilly. "I figured you would say that."

They were now less than ten feet away from Bonnie's motley crew of friends. Klaus spun Bonnie back around so she could face them.

"Do you love your friends, Bonnie?" Klaus' lips grazed the shell of her ear. "Because the more you deny me, you will lose one. Or all."

Bonnie stiffened and Damon no longer was going to stand idly by and watch and listen while Klaus made threats and throw his power around.

He was standing before Bonnie yet his eyes, like daggers, were focused on Klaus.

"Ah, the notorious womanizing Damon Salvatore. Come to avenge your…" Klaus cocked his head to the side to peer at Bonnie's face. "What are you to him again, love? It's so hard to keep up with his romantic interests these days."

"Don't worry about what she is to me. What you need to do is take your hands off of her before I rip your damn head off."

Klaus feigned hurt. "And here I thought we could be drinking pals, Damon. Back. Off." Klaus didn't blink as he stared Damon in the eye.

An invisible force gained control of Damon's motor functions as his feet began to move backwards. The hell? Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why so surprised?" Klaus mocked. "Oh, did my brother fail to mention that we can compel vampires? My mistake. So that means the next person to approach will be compelled to rip Damon's heart out. Like this."

No one had the chance to protest as Klaus moved with lightening speed around Bonnie and burrowed his hand in Damon's chest, wrapping his cold fingers around his heart.

Bonnie screamed, "NO! PLEASE!"

Stefan grunted and, taking a stake out of Damon's back pocket quickly buried it in Klaus' heart. There was a moment of inactivity as everyone presumed Klaus' skin would begin to turn gray and scale over.

However, Klaus merely looked at Stefan annoyed as he reached for the piece of wood protruding from his chest, and pulled it out without making so much as a grunt of complaint.

"Holy shit!" Caroline murmured in excited incredulity.

"This is vintage Valentino you just ruined by the way," Klaus said as if he were addressing a small child.

Stefan looked bewildered and wondered if now Klaus in a fit of revenge would finish off his brother. Elena considered it a miracle she was still standing on her feet, but when the room stopped spinning in front of her eyes she noticed that Caroline was holding her upright.

Damon could do nothing but groan and hold his body completely rigid so that Klaus wouldn't rip his heart out.

Bonnie hadn't felt such cold helplessness since the time her own fear after Damon attacked her in the woods blocked her power. She bit her lower lip and thought rapidly what she could do to convince Klaus not to kill Damon where he stood.

She stepped next to Damon and kept her eyes on Klaus. "Let him go and I'll…give you want you want."

Klaus' eyes were the only thing to shift, not the fury that pursed his mouth. He assessed Bonnie. She was desperate. He knew that. Slowly he released his grip around Damon's heart, but his fist was still very much embedded in his chest.

"I want the moonstone by the end of the week…or I finish what I started tonight and add one more name to that list." He ruthlessly pulled his hand out of Damon's chest cavity which dripped blood. He flashed a cinematic smile. "In ninety years you haven't changed, Stefan," Klaus said cryptically and vanished.

Gravity worked against Damon who collapsed but Stefan was right there and caught his brother under the arm. He wondered very vaguely what Klaus meant by that. That wasn't important. Damon needed help. He hoisted his brother to his feet. Bonnie was right beside Damon, slinging his right arm over her shoulder.

"We need to get him in a classroom. He needs blood," Stefan said as he and Bonnie hustled Damon to the first available room.

Elena and Caroline followed.

They found an unlocked room and dumped Damon on the edge of the teacher's desk. Bonnie stood between his thighs and unbuttoned his shirt. The gruesome hole was healing but slowly. Feeling grave, Bonnie turned back around to face her frightened girlfriends and Stefan.

"Give me a minute with him."

Stefan nodded his head in understanding. He ushered Caroline and Elena out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Bonnie turned back to Damon. With one hand she unclasped her pearl necklace placing it on the desk, and then pushed her hair off her shoulder.

She angled her neck. "Drink, Damon."

Damon felt too lethargic to drink but he could sense the wild call of Bonnie's blood to his parched throat. He wrapped one arm around her waist bringing her inexplicably closer, widened his jaws and bit into the area where her shoulder and neck connected.

His fangs sliced into her and the prick felt like double bee stings. Bonnie winced only a little against the painful feeling of having her blood drawn from her body. She held on tightly to Damon as her eyes stared up at the ceiling. She focused her concentration on the sounds of him gulping her blood as if it were water. He brought her closer still until it was difficult to see where one ended and the other began.

Her blood was awakening him, healing him, sating him. Usually drinking human blood straight from the source made him horny and rock hard. And right now was no exception.

Suddenly Damon's hands dropped to contour the moons of her ass and slipped under the hem of her skirt, his fingers tracing the underside of her cheeks.

Okay, Bonnie thought and wondered if he was taking liberties, but then she gasped when his fingers brushed against her sex.

Damon stood to his feet, disengaged his fangs from Bonnie's neck and turned her around. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear, and sunk his fangs into her once more, suctioning her. His hands glided up her thighs pulling her skirt higher until her underwear was exposed.

"Damon," Bonnie said breathlessly, too breathlessly. She was feeling light-headed from his feeding and from him touching her.

"Shush," he said after pulling his fangs out of her. "This is me being nice to you for being nice to me."

Damon ran his tongue over his bite wound lapping up small droplets of blood as he inched one hand inside her panties. Bonnie clutched her thighs together but Damon was far too determined and was able to work one finger between her slit, losing it in her heat.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this to you," his breath fluttered against her neck causing Bonnie to arch against him.

She groaned loud and guttural as months of pent of sexual frustration came tumbling down like the Berlin Wall. In and out he worked his finger and slipped another inside. Her breath hitched and Bonnie had to remind herself to breathe. She worked one arm behind her, grabbing Damon roughly by the hair on the back of his neck. The more she tugged, the more he worked his fingers in and out of her slick heat. He could feel her body tensing, knowing her end was coming, which provoked him to squeeze that tiny bundle of nerves between his fingers.

"Come."

With that single command, Bonnie's orgasm knocked all the power out of the school. Sirens went off and the flood lights blinked.

Her eyes flew open and she giggled sheepishly, but her legs felt as if weights were attached to them. "Oops."

Damon chuckled darkly behind her and slid his fingers out of her panties which he quickly stuffed in his mouth, tasting her essence. He closed his eyes savoring her taste, shuddering and wishing he could bury his length in her.

Bonnie blushed profusely.

"We should probably head out," he suggested after a moment. Bonnie grabbed her necklace and took Damon's proffered hand as he led her out of the room and into the semi-darkened hall on slightly wobbly legs.

Caroline and the others were waiting at the far end. "Thank you for ending the party, Bonnie."

"Why are you automatically assuming the blackout is my fault?" the witch threw back at her blonde friend.

Caroline tapped her ear and glared at her but it dissolved into a sly smile. "I'm off to go find my boyfriend. I'll meet you all back at the limo."

Elena tugged Bonnie away from Damon, a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Not now, Elena," Bonnie said.

Elena pouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Gilbert Residence<strong>

It had been two hours since Bonnie brought an abrupt end to the dance and she still couldn't stop smiling or blushing. Right now she was slipping her discarded dress into her overnight bag, her fingers going up to caress the side of her neck that had been in Damon's mouth.

She felt a gush of wind and knew he was standing behind her. She pivoted around on her bare feet almost knocked off her equilibrium because he stood before her wearing a too tight black T-shirt, dark jeans, and his favorite biker boots. Bonnie kind of felt a little inadequate as she lowered her eyes to her sleepover attire: dark pink cheerleading shorts and a faded gray t-shirt. Bonnie's face was void of makeup but her hair still maintained some of its earlier wave.

She couldn't be more beautiful to Damon in that moment.

"Checking up on me, I assume," she said and looked back up at him. This time Damon was looming right on top of her. It only mildly surprised Bonnie that she hadn't seen nor felt him move from his prior position next to the door.

"We have a whole hell of a lot to talk about, Judgey, but all of that can wait until tomorrow. I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Good night," she said and tried to curve her lips into a smile but the muscles in her face weren't working. Her heart beat was slowly speeding up the longer Damon continued to stare at her as if he were reliving that moment back in that classroom. Which knowing him he was.

"And…" Damon added. "I want you to know that I'm slightly pissed you had eye-sex with Klaus tonight."

Her jaw dropped. "I didn't have eye-sex with him," she flat out denied and folded her arms over her chest.

Damon cocked a dark eyebrow in the air. "Stop lying to yourself and then stop lying to me."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I didn't…okay maybe a lil bit. But he's hot."

Damon placed both of his hands on his chest feeling aggrieved. "He nearly killed me tonight. Have you forgotten about that?"

"I haven't," Bonnie shook her head. "But you're alive."

Damon's face turned serious again and he cupped her cheek. Bonnie nuzzled into his touch. "I can't lose you, Bonnie."

The girl in question grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding her cheek prisoner. "I'm not going anywhere, Damon."

"Good because…I realized something tonight."

Bonnie stared up at him expectantly.

There was a huge pregnant pause before Damon took a deep, unnecessary breath. "I love you, Bonnie."

She froze yet her eyes widened and her lips slightly parted. Damon stepped closer to her, still maintaining intimidating eye contact.

"And something tells me you love me, too. Do you? Do you love me, Bonnie?"

Her mouth opened wider to respond…

Chapter end.

**A/N: I know such an evil thing to end the story right here, but once again, I've written far too much. More was supposed to happen but I'm just going to siphon that off to the next chapter. I didn't include the Martin's and what they might be up to this chapter because I need a break from them. And a few wanted to know if Bonnie can still hear TV Damon's thoughts. For the sake of argument let's say she can but she's choosing to block them. But Damon has declared his feelings, feelings that were so plainly obvious to everyone else. How will Bonnie respond? Stay tuned. Thanks for reading! Love you guys!**


	35. Let Me Hold You

**A/N: I have to thank everyone for the reviews for the last chapter! Love you, love you all! This chapter does feature another flashback, and I've channeled Julian McMahon to play a younger Giuseppe Salvatore. If you don't know who he is he played Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck, or Victor von Doom in the Fantastic Four movies. Hope that helps. This chapter is what I'm calling a "filler" to my own story or like a one-shot because there is no talk of the ongoing plot, only certain characters are mentioned. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

That here-in-the-moment, but not really here feeling had returned magnifying the silence in Bonnie's ears until she could hear her own heart beat pound. One part of her felt trapped in a situation that if she said the wrong thing it might have damaging results which in the long run could be beneficial. However the other part of her that was healing and now viewing the glass as half full instead of half empty wanted to reveal what had been brewing inside of her heart for months.

She bravely held Damon's stare that was full of candor and expectation. She slid her tongue across her bottom lip effectively drawing his attention, albeit briefly yet it gave her just a nanosecond more to prepare her answer.

The anticipation was off the charts and making it rather difficult for Damon not to start tap dancing in his boots to speed this moment along so he could get to the inevitable rejection. His face darkened for just an instant before his cool, open gaze returned.

Bonnie's mouth parted to form the words she was about to speak. "I…do," tumbled from her nude lips.

The phrase she spoke startled Damon a bit because if they had been standing in front of a minister in a church filled with family and friends, now would have been the moment to start grinning like a certifiable loon. As it was, he processed her confession, stored it away so that when he was alone he could analyze and over analyze what she just said.

However, that tension-filled bubble which was lodged in the middle of his chest hardly moved. Damon's cyan eyes crinkled around the edges. He knew more was coming.

"But?" he prompted.

Her eyes dropped down to examine her fingers. Bonnie raised her head again getting lost in a sea of sapphires. "I'm…not over him."

Damon didn't move a muscle. His face was impassive yet on the inside his inner beast was thrashing wildly at the cage he kept it barricaded in.

"It's only been three months since he left, Damon. And as much progress as I seem to be making in moving on, not a day goes by where I don't think about him. He was such a big part of my life and…there's this part of me that doesn't want to let him go, even though I know I have to."

Bonnie paused and studied the way Damon's lips were pursed and a very noticeable tic was thrumming in his jaw. She didn't want to hurt him, and she was hoping he wouldn't see this as some sort of rejection. It wasn't. She very much did love Damon but she suspected—no she knew—that brotherly love wasn't what he had been referring to upon asking her if she loved him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Intuition is telling me you want more than friendship, and I can't give you that right now. I want to be fair to you, Damon."

He nodded his head, stared down at the floor trying his best not to feel or show his disappointment. "This isn't about being fair," he said lowly.

"Then what's it about?"

Damon stared at her again. "It's about admitting how you feel about me. Now that I know…"

Bonnie blinked and he was gone. She took a deep, shuddering breath, listening to the silence of Elena's bedroom wondering if she just…she wasn't sure what she may have just done. Upset the balance of nature, inadvertently signed some poor woman's death certificate because Damon had a reputation for lashing out with violence when things didn't go his way? She had a mind to throw on some clothes and go look for him, but two figures moving into the bedroom squashed those plans.

Caroline entered with a sympathetic look on her face. She had heard their entire conversation, and judging by the slightly apprehensive look on Elena's face, Caroline had filled her in.

Wordlessly the girls approached Bonnie and engulfed her in their arms. Sometimes Bonnie didn't know if telling the truth was worth the anguish and heartache it caused. However, she wasn't the one who needed comforting in this moment. And what she said, Damon could either take it as a good or bad thing. She didn't shoot him down. She just implied she needed more time. Whether he had the patience to wait was entirely up to him. That was something she couldn't hold his hand on.

"Do you want to talk?" Elena pulled away and studied the lost look mirrored in Bonnie's eyes.

Bonnie shook her head. "Talking isn't going to solve anything."

Caroline rubbed Bonnie's arm. "We know you weren't trying to be mean but honest, and in the long run I'm sure Damon will appreciate that, and you guys can pick up where you left off."

Bonnie's brow furrowed as she stared at Caroline. Only days ago she had expressed her discontent with the idea of Bonnie having any type of involvement with Damon. Maybe she figured he was only chasing after her to get in her panties as Caroline so crassly suggested at The Grille. And maybe now that she knew the extent of Damon's true feelings for her she was willing to take him seriously.

"What?" Caroline asked after growing a bit uncomfortable by the way Bonnie was perusing her as if she were a foreign object.

"I thought you of all people would be jumping for joy that I just didn't immediately fall on to Damon's dick after hearing his confession."

If Caroline still had the ability to blush she would have been beet red. "I was hard on him because of what he did to me in the past. My personal feelings about him aside, Damon is a professional bullshitter but even I could hear the honesty in his voice when he said those three little words. Most importantly you're my friend, Bonnie, and just like you supported me after I became a vampire, I'm going to support you in your romantic life."

Bonnie allowed a tiny smile to grace her face before it fell. Now more than ever she _did _want to talk, but to Damon, maybe Stefan. Stefan could help her because he knew his brother best.

Elena tucked a few strands of Bonnie's hair behind her ear. It was still a little tough to digest that Damon had fallen for her best friend after the centuries he spent pining over Katherine, and then the months he wasted chasing after her. But she had seen proof enough that Damon was in love with Bonnie, and like Caroline, she'd have to put her personal feelings about him aside and be there for her best friend because that's a real friend does.

"My advice," Elena began, "is to take as much time as you need to sort out your feelings for Fell's Church Damon. Because right now, Mystic Falls' Damon is nothing more than the rebound guy. And everyone knows that the rebound person doesn't last long."

Bonnie never thought of it that way and felt as if a switch had been flipped and she could see the light. Elena was right. Damon, the one with the blue-eyes had been filling a void. He had become her friend and she cherished their friendship, but that didn't always translate into having a romantic relationship with that person. Although the thought of him being with another girl did something uncomfortable to her insides.

"Elena's right," Caroline concurred. "Give things time and in the interim you should date some really hot guys."

"What?" Bonnie squeaked and moved over to the bed and flopped on it. Caroline and Elena soon followed. "Is that your solution to everything, Care? Had a crappy day, lost a loved one, your dog ate your homework, go out and date a hot guy?"

Caroline shrugged. "It always worked for me."

Elena and Bonnie could do nothing but exchange looks before bursting out into laughter. Bonnie loved her friends, she really did, but sometimes she questioned their sanity.

Caroline jumped up from the bed. "Hold up. This conversation is missing the following: chocolate, soda, chips, and cheese whiz. I'll be right back."

She zoomed out of the room and returned before Bonnie and Elena could have a mini-conversation. Caroline dumped the assortment of junk food on the bed. Bonnie reached for the Oreos, Elena—the chips, while Caroline cracked open a bottle of Coke.

"Well," Elena picked up their original conversation. "Dating other guys might not be such a bad idea, Bonnie. If I had met Stefan right after breaking up with Matt…"

Caroline tensed for a second to which Bonnie felt.

"Stefan would have been the rebound guy. I'm not saying we still wouldn't be together, his being a vampire aside, our relationship might not have been as meaningful if I got with Stefan the following week."

"But it's been three months," Bonnie reiterated. "Shouldn't I be ready to move on?"

"You can't exactly put a time frame on getting over an ex, and you and Damon didn't 'break up' in the traditional sense," said Caroline. "He had to go back to _his_ dimension. Otherwise if he were here you'd still be together. Am I right or wrong?"

Nibbling a corner of her lip, Bonnie twisted an Oreo apart. "No, you're right."

"The question you should ask yourself is: can you really see yourself with Damon…the one with the blue-eyes," Elena prompted.

Bonnie didn't really have to think long. "I can…with time. We get each other. He can make me want to blow his damn head off and smile at the same time. And he's so intense it's intimidating at times, but I like it."

"Okay," Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulder. "So you know how Damon makes you feel, that's always important. But I still think you should explore other options because in all fairness you didn't date much before hooking up with dark-eyes."

Bonnie shook her head. "That's what you called him?"

The blond ambition vampire shrugged. "I had to call him something to differentiate between the two. And since I know how much you like being fair and doing what's right, you should sit down and examine if what you feel for Damon is genuine or just a byproduct of losing dark-eyes. In a lot of ways they're alike but in a thousand other ways they're miles apart. Okay?"

"All right," Bonnie agreed quietly. She had a lot to think about, but the long night was catching up to her. She yawned which set off a chain reaction which caused all the girls to giggle.

"Now on to another serious matter," said Elena who pointedly looked at Bonnie. "Are you really going to give Klaus the moonstone knowing what it can do?"

Bonnie shrugged and licked cream frosting off her finger. "I don't have much of a choice, E. If I don't he'll make good on his threat to finish off Damon. I'm going to call Elijah in the morning and tell him what happened. I don't want to insight another pointless battle where a lot of people stand to get hurt."

Hearing this brought something else to Caroline's mind. She faced Elena. "And what did Klaus mean when he said that Stefan hadn't changed in ninety years? That implied he knew your boyfriend."

Elena gathered her long hair and pulled it behind her neck in a ponytail. "I asked Stefan about it, but he says he has no memory of ever meeting Klaus. And since Klaus can compel other vampires I guess it's safe to assume he wiped Stefan's memory of him."

"Sounds plausible," Bonnie sighed. "In any case, whatever beef has been going on between Klaus and Elijah needs to stay that way. I want no part of it because I'm tired of fighting. After dealing with Katherine's madness and werewolves, if I can stop an ensuing fight, trust me I will."

Conversations dulled a bit until Caroline peeped up. "I want to watch a movie."

Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes knowing exactly which movie Caroline would suggest they watch.

"No _Notebook_," the two brunettes said in unison.

"You two always gang up on me. Okay, so you don't want to ogle Ryan Goslings abs, that's fine. Can we watch _Ever After_?"

Bonnie frowned. "Suffering through Drew Barrymore and her horrible English accent…I thinks not."

Elena got up from the bed and pulled out what she thought would be the perfect way to end the night. Her two friends eyed the DVD case and grinned. It was going to be a night of getting lost in Paul Walker's baby blues and Vin Diesel's brawny arms.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

It was a good thing he was a vampire and not a door-to-door salesman because Damon was having a hard time trying to convince himself to buy the truth that he hadn't been overtly rejected tonight. When asked if she loved him, Bonnie's answer had been simple: I do. However, her slightly crooked mouth didn't form the works "I love you, Damon." And that was the part that bothered him the most.

It wasn't enough that he knew Bonnie loved him. It was the fact she couldn't outright _say_ it. Damon didn't have an optimistic side or it worked when it felt like operating. He could take tonight as a starting point in moving towards his ultimate goal, but then he replayed the rest of their conversation in his mind, and that's where his thoughts began to go downhill.

Essentially he had Bonnie all to himself and only had to ration her when her demanding little girlfriends began pouting that she was neglecting their sisterhood or whatever. Everyday he woke up knowing he would see and get to interact with Bonnie in some capacity—alone and uninterrupted, however none of that seem to matter because yes, she might have been with him physically, mentally she was still with the other Damon.

His heavy boots stomped upstairs, heading in the opposite direction of his bedroom, traveling to a part of the boardinghouse he rarely visited. Damon opened up the door to what could be considered the music room. Inside there were chairs, a chaise, paintings that hung forgotten on the paneled walls, medieval weaponry, and sitting in front of the gothic window hidden under a tarp was a 19th century walnut grand piano.

Flicking on the light, Damon approached the instrument and pulled the tarp off. The dark wood glinted in the muted light. He lifted the hood and plucked a few of the strings. It was still in tune. Truthfully the last time Damon touched a piano was back in 1912 where he and a fellow vampire entertained a family and then afterwards drained all the pretty daughters of the affluent banker.

That had been a fun night and just days before he went back to Mystic Falls for a funeral where he ran into Stefan.

Pulling out the stool, Damon sat down and tested a few notes, listening to what sounded too sharp, ascertaining which keys would have to be tuned.

Things sounded well enough and he began to play the first piece he ever learned, Beethoven's "Sonata al Chiaro di Luna", aptly known as Moonlight Sonata.

His fingers moved over the keys, music flowed and filled the silence of the room, and Damon closed his eyes. He found himself being hurtled back to when he was ten years old sitting on the hard piano bench with his tutor watching him with a hawks eye…

Little fingers stumbled over the keys, as the tip of a tiny pink tongue stuck out the side of his mouth while his eyes were glued to the sheet music before him. Damon had been practicing all week and already several of his fingers were a bright red after getting a nice slap with the correcting rod from Mr. Devonshire, his music instructor.

The pain didn't really bother him but mostly annoyed him and he couldn't wait to kick the man in his shin once his lesson was over, but he had a few more lines to play before this torturous moment drew to a close.

Whack! His index finger suffered the brunt of another blow when he went sharp when he should have hit a minor key. Damon growled lowly in the back of his throat and stared at Mr. Devonshire askance yet he continued playing because that was expected of him.

"You have not practiced enough, Damon." Whack! Yet another blow. "Start again."

Damon stopped playing and slightly balled his hands into fists. He flexed them back out hoping to relieve the pain and stiffness out of his joints but it didn't help. He took a deep breath and began playing the sonata once again, sometimes deliberately messing up while other times playing beautifully and masterfully.

Mr. Devonshire tapped the bottom of his cane against the floor signaling Damon's hour of tuition was up. The man rose from the bench.

"You must work on your timing if you are ever to be a proficient, Damon. I know you have the potential but for some unexplainable reason, you prefer to doddle. That is not acceptable behavior of a gentleman. I expect that piece to be perfected before our next session. Understood?"

Damon rose from the bench and slightly pulled down his beeches. He nodded once—curtly. "Yes, Mr. Devilshire…I mean Devonshire."

The ancient man grunted as he collected his bag and swept from the room, ignoring Damon's nurse who curtsied in his wake.

Damon dropped his eyes to his pale hands and noticed that nice angry red welts were looking back up at him. Philippa approached Damon and fell before him until she was eye-level with the little boy with ink-black hair and piercing blue eyes. She grabbed Damon by the bottom of his chin, lifting his head. Remarkably there weren't any tears in his eyes. Damon was a hard boy. He showed emotion sometimes at the worst time, but then there were many more times where he was closed off and distant. Like his father.

"You played very well today, Damon," Philippa complimented and kissed his rosy cheek. She took hold of his hands and felt her own outrage at seeing his reddened skin thinking it a sin to treat an innocent child this way. Although most people might find fault with calling Damon innocent. Philippa pressed kisses to his aching hands, hoping that might be the balm to soothe the storm she knew was brewing on the inside of him.

Damon sucked in a deep breath, letting the praise sink in, but not enjoying it too much. "I must tell Father," he said resolutely and left the room. It was custom that after each of his lessons, Damon was to give a report on his progress and behavior, mainly his behavior. He would have to show his father his hands and of course get another reprimand to which he wasn't looking forward to.

Moving quickly through the estate, Damon was sure he'd find his father in one of two places: his private study or the parlor. He decided to check the parlor first. It was mid-afternoon and usually Giuseppe could be found reading the newspaper or a book while waiting for one of his business associates to come by.

Damon was perhaps thirty feet away from entering the parlor when he heard something clamor to the floor. He stilled and listened and followed what sounded like soft murmurs down an adjacent hall that led to the servants' quarters.

The Salvatore's like every other family in the south owned slaves; those who worked in the field and those who worked in the big house, but they also employed servants who were immigrants from Ireland, or some other Anglo-Saxon country. Their plantation might not be the biggest in the county, but Giuseppe had a slave or servant for everything so Damon was very rarely ever alone in the house or unsupervised.

At the far end of the hall, the noise of two hushed voices intensified and Damon very lightly began walking on the tips of his toes to catch the two people unawares. The door was partially open and he peered one blue eye inside and gasped sharply as he saw his father's naked backside with a pair of legs wrapped around his middle. He got the mechanics of what they were doing. His face puckered with hatred.

Damon backed up warring with if he should charge inside and defend his mother's honor or leave well enough alone. He did ball one of his sore hands into a tight fist, spun, and ran as loudly as he could down the hall, up the staircase to his mother's end of the house.

He had a feeling his father was being unfaithful to his mother. He never would have imagined that Giuseppe would have no couth and do so in their family home while his mother fought for her life everyday. For months she had been battling consumption and grew weaker by the moment. In public, Giuseppe painted himself as the concerned husband who doted on his ailing wife and sought out the best physicians in the state to help cure Isabella. But his philandering was having the opposite effect and was killing his mother faster than the disease that raked her body.

Damon burst into his mother's room just as she was being helped back into bed by two maids. Surprised eyes flew to him and Damon ignored their reproachful stare. He kept his eyes on the woman who was as white as the bed sheet she was being stretched out on. Isabella Salvatore's once luminous caramel hair now hung down to her sides like sodden ropes. Large, dark circles were under her eyes, eyes as blue as his. Her lips were nearly purple yet she offered him a warm smile that instantly made him want to break out into tears.

Her physician, Damon forgot his name because so many came to see Isabella it was hard to keep track, placed his medical instruments back in his bag.

"Rest now, Isabella. I'll be back in the morning."

The physician inclined his head at Damon who kept his gaze locked on his mother. He didn't move a single muscle until she was cushioned against the pillows, the action seeming to rob whatever energy she had left until she stared listlessly up at the ceiling.

Damon crossed over to her bed and climbed beside her, taking her hand. It was cold to the touch.

"Ma_ma_," he almost wailed but reached down and remembered he was a Salvatore and Salvatore men—at heart—were brutes.

Isabella brought her eyes to her first born son. "How was your lesson today, Dommi?"

Damon shrugged. He didn't want to talk about his lesson. He wanted his mother to know what a real bastard she married.

"Something is wrong," she said. "What is it, Dommi? You can tell me anything."

And just as he was about to answer, someone entered the room. Damon looked over his shoulder and narrowed his gaze on his father who looked the picture of cool innocence. Giuseppe Salvatore stood tall and lean against the threshold, wiping his fingertips with a handkerchief, perspiration made his shirt stick to his chest. Assuredly it wasn't the result of working in the fields. Giuseppe pushed his black hair off his forehead as his obsidian eyes first appraised his wife who offered him another warm smile, before going to his son.

"I told you not to disturb your mother while Dr. Linacre is with her. You may come later to visit with her, Damon, but right now you have your French lesson with Pierre."

"I'm staying with mother," Damon muttered defiantly. "_One _of us has to."

A tic began to hammer in Giuseppe's jaw. "I will not repeat myself again, _boy_."

"Giuseppe, Damon abbastanza!" (enough) "All the two of you ever do is argue and fight. I want peace among the men of my house. Understand?"

Neither son nor father acknowledged Isabella's wish.

"Where's Stefan? Bring him to me," Isabella commanded softly.

Giuseppe was the first to look away and motioned to one of the maids to do as her mistress had bid.

"I would not quarrel with that man so much, ma_ma _if he lived by the words that came from his mouth. Especially the promise he made before you and God about forsaking all others."

Taking that as a direct insult, Giuseppe crossed the room in three strides and grabbed a hold of Damon's ear and pulled him up from the bed. Isabella cried out and began coughing until blood spurted from her mouth. That effectively stopped the brawl that was about to start. Giuseppe rushed to his wife's side while Damon stood there in horror and watched.

Two weeks later Isabella succumbed to her illness and Giuseppe carried out his affairs in public. Seeing his father cheat was the day he lost respect for the man and stopped believing in love. Damon remembered that his mother, when she was healthy, drowned Giuseppe in her love. He was handsome, rich, came from a seemingly good family, and he was good to her for appearances sake. From that moment on, Damon vowed to butt heads with his father at every twist and turn, defy him as his own way of paying back the broken heart he was convinced his mother died from.

Damon began playing "Greensleeves" a song rumored to have been written by King Henry VIII to his mistress Anne Boleyn.

It would be over ten years later that Damon began to believe in love again, because his inspiration came by way of Katherine Pierce.

Katherine was the first person who told Damon he was beautiful, not just his physical appearance but whatever it was that made him, him. She was the first woman he allowed himself to be totally open and honest with, and the first woman to tap into the darkness that hid deep in his soul. He hated that he had to share her with Stefan, but Katherine made him believe that he was the man she wanted by her side for all of eternity. And Damon had been looking for an escape, maybe it was more like an excuse to say f*ck it all and f*ck shit up. He wanted to live in a world where the only rule was there were no rules, and Katherine presented that like the serpent presented the forbidden fruit to Eve.

In many ways, Damon could say he had been Katherine's experiment. She tested the limits of what his body could handle, how much blood she could drain from him without killing him. She tested the limits of his jealousy as she flirted with Stefan and every other able bodied man back in those times. She laughed when he tried to assert his authority as being the man over her, and easily smacked him down, denied him the company of her presence knowing it would drive him insane. Sometimes he'd purposely do something to anger her so that way she'd direct her attention to him. They would fight, argue, she'd treat him like a rag doll, he'd rough her up as much as he could, and then they'd collapse into a ball of lust and would remain that way for days on end.

The cycle of abuse started and continued to this very day only he had become Katherine. Inflicting pain because it was fun; treating people like objects, like toys, lying everyday through his teeth.

But he hadn't lied tonight. He loved Bonnie. Wanted to have something with her but Damon came with a shitload of baggage and Bonnie didn't suffer fools lightly. So far he hadn't had to change who he was to be with her. He realized in hindsight that he had changed drastically for Katherine thinking that she needed someone as insane and amoral as her, and Damon had enjoyed his tuition into debauchery. And if he had remained on the course to steal Elena from Stefan, Damon would in essence have to neuter himself in order to be with her. Stefan was the Rumpelstiltskin of vampires where Damon was not. With Bonnie he could be who he was, with some slight adjustments here and there, but otherwise he could still be himself.

That was the most important thing. He stopped playing and slipped his cell phone out of his pocket. It was a little after midnight and he quickly typed her a text message. He waited.

A minute passed. Five. Sixteen. Half an hour.

Boiling mad, Damon sent another text. She might be sleeping or she might be avoiding him. In any case, he waited again but this time he warmed up a packet of blood in the microwave, filed his nails, and wondered if he should get a facial. He checked his phone again. Still nothing. Growling, Damon sent her one last text message and took what was left of his dignity up to his room.

Damon landed backwards on his bed and covered his belly with one hand. He sighed. "Are you getting a kick out of this, Emily?" he asked the still air of his room.

He waited for her to show some sign and when she didn't, Damon could do nothing but snort derisively. "Looks like I'm being ignored on all fronts by you Bennett women."

Checking his phone one more time which mocked him by showing nothing but the time, Damon closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Tysons Corner, Virginia<strong>

"Happy Birthday, dad," Bonnie stretched a gift bag over the white linen cloth table towards her father with a huge smile on her face.

Thomas Bennett accepted the proffered gift from his only child feeling slightly embarrassed. He wasn't one to make a big deal out of his birthday, but Bonnie insisted he needed to celebrate each one since tomorrow wasn't promised. Sitting the gift down on the table, he pushed around the tissue paper extracting a wrapped box in the shape of a book. He tore open the wrapping paper to reveal…

"An iPad! Bonnie how could you afford this? I know I pay you an allowance but not _that _much."

Bonnie took a sip of sparkling water. She had whisked her father away to have lunch at Margiano's an Italian restaurant in northern Virginia. She remembered almost at the last second it was her father's birthday had it not been for the reminder she plugged into her phone. She spent most of the morning scrambling to make last minute dinner reservations after dancing around Elena's kitchen as she, her friends, and Jenna cooked breakfast. She also ignored the three text messages Damon sent, and didn't check the voice mail he left. Bonnie wouldn't say she was ignoring him, she just needed a little breathing room to process the fact he loved her and the fact she loved him but still loved the other Damon, too.

Switching off those tumultuous thoughts, Bonnie addressed her father. "Well, you trust me to pay the bills when you're out of town, and you usually leave me too much money. So what was left over, that's how I was able to buy you Apple's latest gadget."

Thomas pulled out the device that had been the talk of the town for months. He didn't really see the point or the appeal, but once doodling around with it for a few minutes, utilizing some of the apps that were already downloaded, he was already hooked.

"Thank you, baby girl," he leaned over the table and kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome. You can download books, music, movies, shows, play games, check email, record videos…the possibilities are endless."

"This will certainly come in handy," Thomas flashed his dark brown eyes up at his daughter. "This brings something to mind. Your Aunt Vee called me. She wants to register you for a southern belle cotillion."

Bonnie's eyebrows lifted off her forehead. "A cotillion?"

Thomas nodded and forked more spaghetti in his mouth. "I was actually a southern beau and was introduced into society when I was seventeen. It was…an experience," he mumbled somewhat dryly.

"Wait, Grams signed you up for that?" Bonnie felt bemused. For as long as she knew her grandmother Sheila never really followed tradition. Bonnie knew very little about cotillions other than what she saw on television. It was a coming out celebration of the who's who in whatever community you lived in. Bonnie lived under the assumption it was nothing more than a ploy for wealthy families to intermarry with other wealthy families through their offspring. How _she _could qualify was a mystery.

"No, it was my grandmother who did the honor. Her family came from a long line of doctors, professors, lawyers, and she wanted me to experience how the affluent side of the African American community celebrated achievements. I had to learn how to waltz, had to take etiquette and public speaking classes. Your Aunt is apart of the planning committee and she wants to sign you up."

Bonnie wiggled nervously in her seat. "What would be the benefit of me doing it?"

Thomas shrugged and sliced a meatball in half with his fork. "I guess the opportunity to meet other people, possibly get sponsorship for a scholarship, network…feel like a princess for a night."

Upon hearing that word, Bonnie's stomach tightened.

"You should call your Aunt when we get back home. She'll be able to give you more details about it; that is if you're interested."

Bonnie nodded and went back to shoveling penne pasta into her mouth. She thought over what she just learned about her father and sadness washed through her because there was still so much about Thomas Bennett that she didn't know.

Where most people could probably sprout off the most basic facts about their parents, Bonnie could only answer with "My dad works a lot." If she did the cotillion it might create a bonding experience between them since he participated in one. Yet, there was something else she was doggedly curious about.

Her friends wanted her to possibly date other people to help her officially flush Damon out of her system, but Bonnie wasn't one to play games or lead someone on. Logically it would be better if she dealt with her issues on her own rather than dragging some "hot" guy into the mix. So she wanted to know why her father never tried to find love again, and perhaps pick his brain, so to speak.

Bonnie twirled the stem of her fork in her hands. "Dad?"

Thomas looked at Bonnie expectantly.

For her part she took a deep breath. "Why did you never remarry or date after mom left?"

Immediately Bonnie watched as her father emotionally shutdown. The boyish glint that was in his eye evaporated, and was replaced with cold formality. The shift was so quick that it left Bonnie feeling dizzy.

"I don't think that's proper dinner table talk, Bonnie," his voice flat.

Bonnie bit her bottom lip and released it. "I just want to know why you decided that being single was better than trying to find another wife…another mother for me."

Thomas dropped his fork on his plate and leaned back in his chair. He rolled his eyes heavenward because he had had this conversation over a hundred times with his own mother.

"Bonnie…you have to understand you were terribly young when your mother left. Having a personal life wasn't important but taking care of you was tantamount to everything else."

When he didn't elaborate, Bonnie pressed for more. "So it wasn't because you never found someone else to love…you just kept your focus on raising me?"

Thomas didn't look at her or answer her question. When he did make eye contact, Bonnie couldn't name the expression on his face. "Why are you asking me questions about my personal life and your mother?" He thought for a minute and remembered that young man who showed up on his door step looking for her. His eyes widened slightly. "Are you involved with someone, Bonnie?"

The question sounded more like an accusation. "Was," she admitted softly.

Face grim, Thomas reigned in his anger that he didn't know his seventeen year old daughter had gotten involved with anyone right under his nose. He knew he raised Bonnie to be responsible, but kids still managed to do stupid things despite the lessons you taught them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone?"

Bonnie shrugged. She knew if she went with her formed response of "you're never around" that it would only serve to piss her dad off more.

"That's not an acceptable answer," Thomas bit out and then sighed heavily. "Why did you break up with…?"

"His name is Damon and we broke up because he had to…go back home. He was from out of town." More like a different dimension, but her father didn't need to know that.

The first name registered and Thomas felt like he was having a heart attack. "Damon? Damon Salvatore?"

Bonnie shot her head up and balked at her father. "How did…?"

"A Damon Salvatore came knocking on my door one day looking for you. He said that you go to school with his younger brother…ah Stefan was his name. Please tell me you didn't get involve with some older man, Bonnie?"

She wanted to laugh. If Thomas knew exactly _how _old Damon was, he'd have a stroke. However, Bonnie felt they were talking about two different Damon's. Her Damon, the one she dated never met her father and if he did he would have told her, so that meant her dad met blue-eyed Damon Salvatore. What in the hell had he been doing at her house?

"I didn't and it's over."

"Are you sure? I've been looking for a reason to pull Reba out."

Bonnie laughed. Reba was her dad's shotgun. "I'm sure, but I wanted to know why you just for lack of a better phrase, checked out in having a personal life."

"The years just flew by and what used to be important took a back seat to providing for you. Look, I know we don't really have the usual daddy-daughter discussions because I know you have a level head, but if you need to talk about…" and he was trying very hard not to cringe, "boys, periods, and whatnot…"

Bonnie blanched and dipped her head but not without chortling.

"I'm here," Thomas finished.

Feeling thoroughly mortified, Bonnie mumbled, "I'll keep that in mind, dad."

* * *

><p>Saturday came and went and now it was mid-afternoon on Sunday. Damon had to make an emergency trip to the AT&amp;T store after his phone accidentally went sailing towards the fireplace after his texts and calls went unanswered by a very specific person. This was his second phone in a three month time frame and he was sure the phone retailer wasn't tired of taking his money. Paying full price for a phone because he didn't qualify for an upgrade was a bitch, but Damon took it all in stride.<p>

Placing his new iPhone on the bar top at The Grille, he sat down on his favorite stool and ordered three shots of bourbon.

The dulling burn of the alcohol did little to scrap the chip that grew to a plate on his shoulder. He knew he should have kept his damn mouth shut since it was apparent his confession was having the negative effect of repelling Bonnie away. Now correct him if he was wrong, but didn't girls lose their shit when a guy dropped those three words? So what gives?

All day Saturday, Damon tried to go about his day as normally as possible. He washed his car, got a hair cut, did a bit of window shopping though he much preferred to shop in New York and Los Angeles. Yet no matter the activity he engaged in, Bonnie was heavy on the brain. It irritated him and he wondered why he was behaving so devoted to a girl who obviously didn't know what the world it was she wanted.

Damon had tried cornering Elena after paying a not so surprised visit to her humble abode.

"Where's your midget friend?" he asked trying to sound bored and unaffected by the fact Bonnie was being elusive again.

Elena had maintained eye contact with him. "Today is her dad's birthday so she's with him. And Bonnie is not a midget."

When she refused to elaborate he had to resist not wrapping his hands around Elena's slender neck.

"She'll call you when she has the time, Damon. Bonnie's just really busy today."

Yeah, real busy making herself accessible to everyone else apart from him.

Damon tossed back his drinks in quick succession and flagged down the bartender. The scent of expensive perfume tickled his nose and standing beside him was the mayor.

"Mayor Lockwood," Damon flashed a smile before resuming his impassive expression.

Carol slid carefully on the stool next to Damon and positioned herself so he could get an eyeful of her thigh in the pencil skirt she was wearing. He didn't take the bait.

"Damon, fancy meeting you here. But I'm glad to run into you. I want to thank you for your generous donation to the Wickery Bridge Foundation."

Damon held up his shot glass. "Glad to be of help."

"Well, I was wondering if I could proposition you for something."

"Oh," inwardly Damon pictured tying a noose around his neck and happily jumping off a chair.

"Each year the state recognizes delegates who have trimmed spending costs or best utilized funds and well…I was selected to represent the southeast region."

"Hmm," Damon murmured and snickered. Apparently the frequency of homicides wasn't taken into account in recognizing delegates of doing a good job policing their jurisdiction.

"There's going to be a banquet and I was wondering if…you're not busy would you mind being my escort? I mean it would only be fitting since you are head of the Council."

Damon swung his gaze over to the interim mayor, looked at those huge blue eyes of hers, ignoring the crow's feet that were singing a melody around her eyes and the fact that gravity was beginning to be unkind to her. If he were in a better mood he would have taken Carol Lockwood up on her offer, but then he rudely reminded himself that she sired a werewolf—a potential threat if Tyler didn't learn to control himself or failed to keep his mouth shut about certain secrets. Nonetheless, he was fully prepared to turn Carol down when he felt the shift in the atmosphere.

Infinitesimally he looked over his shoulder and saw Bonnie enter the restaurant rocking a turquoise sheath that hugged her curves intimately.

Their eyes met across the restaurant, probing, testing, seeking a crack in the other's resolve. Bonnie waved and made a beeline for the ladies room.

"Damon?"

He snapped his head back to Carol who was no longer trading flirty looks with him. She looked downright pissed that he would allow a teenaged girl to come between their bonding time. Carol still considered herself a beautiful, sensual woman, and Damon had flirted with her in the past. Yet it seemed he had a taste of the forbidden and was making it a practice to chase girls a third his age.

Well, was she hoping to become a cougar? The jury was still out.

"Sorry," Damon replied contritely. "When do you need an answer by?"

"The banquet isn't for another month, but let me know in the next two weeks. It's a two-day event which means hotel rooms will have to be reserved."

Damon's face didn't move a muscle upon hearing that.

Carol figured she had taken up enough his time and Damon wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to agree to be her escort. She smiled and then rose from the bar. "You know where to find me when you come to a decision."

It wasn't five minutes after Carol departed that another warm body occupied the stool beside him. However it was the one person he wanted to talk to who had been ignoring him.

"Hi," Bonnie said.

"Hey," Damon kept his eyes locked on the bottles stacked behind the bar.

"I'm sorry I was out of touch yesterday. It was my dad's birthday."

"So I heard."

Bonnie ran her pea green eyes over Damon. She could see he was angry and it was nearly palpable. "Damon…?"

He snapped his head to look at her and leaned closer until his arm brushed up against hers. "That being said you couldn't inconvenience yourself to send me back one single text telling me to buzz off or return a phone call? I thought we were better than that, Bonnie."

Ice dripped from his words and Bonnie swallowed thickly. She knew it was wrong to avoid Damon the way she had knowing he didn't deserve it. But even if she did tell him to leave her alone, Damon had a penchant for violating people's wishes. He would have demanded details and her time with her father was sacrosanct because it was so rare to spend an entire day with him.

"You're right," she agreed. "I could have but my dad's birthday is the one day I have him all to myself and I just wanted to keep my focus on him."

Damon leaned away from her still not feeling completely placated. There was a weird vibe strumming between them and he resented it.

"Just tell me one thing, Bonnie. Are you going to deliberately put up walls between us because of what I said to you the other night?"

This wasn't a conversation they needed to have here. "I don't want to."

"Yes or no, Bons."

"No matter what I say it's not going to be something you want to hear, Damon. Besides, it's not a conversation we need to have here, and there's something far more important than what's going on between us that we need to talk about."

He sneered at her. "Like what?"

"Like the moonstone."

"Throw that piece of shit in the bottom of the gotdamn ocean. Problem solved."

"Yeah, and have Klaus make good on his threat? Get real."

"I can take care of myself, Bonnie."

"You believe you can, Damon. Look, just meet me at the boardinghouse in twenty minutes. Please."

Bonnie was off, strutting towards the exit, turning heads in her wake. Damon scanned the room, locking into memory every since prick who couldn't keep their eyes off Bonnie's ass. Scowling, he reached for his money clip and withdrew a twenty. He slammed it on the counter and took off.

Damon entered his house with a full blown attitude and found Bonnie making small talk with Stefan. Oh, she could be all carefree and smiley with Stefan, but with him treated him like he had Ebola.

Bonnie and Stefan ceased their conversation and saw the poignant irritation marring Damon's face. She didn't say a word but headed towards the library. Damon and Stefan followed after her.

"I spoke to Elijah," Bonnie said and walked down the short steps leading to the library. "He wants me to give him the moonstone and he's going to talk to his brother. Hopefully they can come to some sort of agreement that will leave the rest of us out of it."

Stefan folded his arms over his chest. "Where do you have the moonstone hidden?"

Bonnie didn't answer. She raised her hands and books from various shelves flew across the room and began to form steps which Bonnie used to climb all the way up to the paneled ceiling. Two sets of jaws dropped and watched as Bonnie made her way to one of the panels and pulled it aside. She reached her hand inside and pulled out the moonstone.

"You hid it here?" Damon was astounded and more than a little impressed.

"I figured it would be safer here than it would have been at my house. And if anyone in Elijah's camp turned on him like Trevor, they would assume I would have kept it at my place."

Using the levitating books once more, Damon was beside her in an instant offering Bonnie a hand down. An inescapable spark zapped the both of them causing their eyes to narrow at one another. Why she wanted to fight what was so obvious between them was puzzling to Damon.

Bonnie for her part cleared her throat and examined the opaque object.

"Do you think it's a good idea to give that to Klaus?" Stefan questioned.

"That's not my decision to make," Bonnie answered plainly. "Klaus has already shown us how ruthless he can be, and something tells me that was just the tip of the iceberg. In any case, we'll have to think of a lot of contingency plans if Klaus is meaning to use this to lift the spell and make hybrids. That means Elena's life and possibly Tyler's life is in danger."

Stefan's face turned grim at that unhelpful reminder.

"And what about you, Judgey?"

Bonnie forced herself to make eye contact with Damon. "What about me? I'm sure Klaus has plenty of witches in his back pocket."

She didn't see the way Klaus drooled over her. That vampire was a long way from being done with her and it made his inner beast howl at the thought of someone trying to take Bonnie away.

Stefan studied the way Bonnie and Damon were eyeing one another. He figured it was a fine time to make an exit, so he did.

Damon couldn't help himself. He ran the pad of his thumb over her warm cheek. Like clockwork her eyes drifted close to savor his touch. He shifted until he was standing in front of Bonnie, and wrapped an arm around her waist drawing her closer, pulling her flush against him until her breasts were crushed against his hard chest.

Damon cupped her cheek, tipped her head up, lowered his and sealed his mouth over hers. Bonnie gasped and fought against the instinct to pull away, but she gave into Damon's kiss, melted into him like butter in a hot pan. She lost several fingers in his air, and squeezed herself tighter to Damon. She groaned when he shifted and his hardened member twitched against her belly. Bonnie dropped the moonstone.

He backed her up against the nearest bookshelf and took over the kiss, delving his tongue deep inside, swallowing each and every little moan that escaped. Damon's hands traversed down the curvature of her spine and he grabbed her backside. For only a second he relinquished her lips to drop kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

This was insane how one minute she wanted to put the entire world between herself and Damon and the next she simply wanted him to handle her like this. Was she weak? Ruled by her hormones, or was she simply giving in to what her inner goddess wanted? Bonnie felt it was safe to assume it was a mixture of all of those factors.

"Spend the night with me," he whispered against her neck.

Bonnie shook her head. It was too soon for sleepovers after his declaration.

"I just want to hold you, Bonnie, just let me hold you."

He was practically begging. Bonnie pulled away so she could stare into his eyes. They were smoldering, searing her skin. She reminded herself that they had shared a bed before. In Atlantic City after she had had that nightmare about the other Damon.

"Okay," she gave in.

Damon refrained from doing the Wobble, took Bonnie by the hand and moments later they were pulling back the covers to his massive bed, kicked off shoes, and climbed under the covers.

Bonnie pressed her back to his chest as Damon held her around the waist, tucking his chin on her shoulder. She started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm laughing at the fact that no matter how many times I claim I'm not going to end up in bed with you, I somehow always do."

Damon thought for a minute and chuckled. "That's just the power of my dick."

Bonnie slapped his arm. "Ass."

Damon kissed her cheek. "You love my ass."

"So true."

Chapter end.

**A/N: I know the Vampire Diaries has a lot of characters and I'd love to do everyone justice but at the same token I'm trying to keep this as a love story as well, so in the future you'll see certain characters more than others. But I also want to get more into the "human" side of Bonnie's family. All we know, according to her is that they are boring, but I'm going to make them as exciting as I can, so I have some things lined up for her. I also want to get more into the traditions in the African American community as opposed to the founder's events surrounding Mystic Falls because the show is only focused on advertising Bonnie being a witch. We get that so let's move on to something else. And I especially love writing flashbacks featuring Damon and Stefan when they were human so I might have a few more lined up. **

**I was trying to keep this story at a certain length but if you guys want to keep reading, let me know because otherwise I might be wrapping this sucker up in the next 8 to 10 chapters. But I'll keep going if you want to keep reading because I have too many ideas for this and I'm trying to avoid a sequel because I know me, it just won't get done. Hoped you liked it. Love you guys!**


	36. Mr Vain

**A/N: Hi everyone! Must celebrate over 900 reviews! Whoop-whoop. You spoil me you really do and here is my gift to you all. Enjoy! **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sleepovers were becoming a recurring practice. And it wasn't exactly something that was done intentionally. The one thing Bonnie feared—becoming too dependent on Damon to keep her ongoing misery at bay—was becoming a reality as each day passed. Yet the one thing she wouldn't allow to tumble from her lips was regret. Not saying her actions were shameful. Damon had been behaving himself far beyond her expectations. He never tried to do anything more than kiss her until her lips were swollen and leave her panting and wanting more. He'd roll over to his side of the bed and stay there slumbering away happily while Bonnie stared petulantly up at the ceiling until finally she dozed off.

It didn't seem fair that he would appear not to be affected by their close proximity to one another, and perhaps just having her near was all he needed. Bonnie on the other hand felt like she was coming down with a hard case of spring fever.

There was an outbreak going on if she wanted to be technical about it. Every year around the end of the school year, hormones would start raging as people exposed more skin. Girls would happily prance around in mini skirts and tight shirts with titillating necklines, while the guys lost their shirts the minute they hit the parking lot after school to expose the muscles they spent the winter months perfecting. Usually Bonnie was one of the few to remain immune. Sure she checked out the male real estate because she was a young teenaged girl and needed some eye candy to ogle, but her new arrangement was one night out of the week she would be sleeping next to the ultimate eye candy.

And there was very little she could do to quell the storm that was brewing inside. Bonnie couldn't say that Damon knew exactly the effect he was having on her. He never brought it up, which was already suspect because he liked drawing attention to his manly assets, but maybe he was ignoring the vibes flowing between them for her benefit because she wasn't ready to take that step.

In any case, Bonnie felt like a can of soda laced with pop rocks and she was seconds from exploding.

Yet she tempered herself because she didn't let her hormones rule her, and she wasn't one to ever give herself over to lust. In reality she was still a novice in the sex department. Damon, the one with the black eyes had been a wonderful teacher and she missed his lessons _a lot _but that part of her life had ended abruptly and she hated it.

However she was glad for the reprieve from wanting sex because she had been too busy lamenting the loss of her first love.

Now that clearly wasn't the case.

Deep, deep down in her subconscious Bonnie wondered why she was thinking about this. She was in that gray area of sleeping yet becoming cognizant of her surroundings. The last visages of her dream about being in a bakery ordering a slice of cake where fading until she was forming coherent thought patterns. She could hear her belly growling, felt her bladder telling her to wake up before she burst, and then that's when she heard pounding bass and a nasally voice.

"_Come and put your name on it…It's not even my birthday but he want to lick the icing off. I know you want it in the worst way…"_

Bonnie sat up in bed, her eyes barely open as she wondered if she had fallen asleep in some hedonistic club or something. Pushing the covers away with her legs, she fell out of Damon's ridiculously huge bed only noticing at the last second that he wasn't asleep beside her. She heard some type of commotion coming from the bathroom. She identified it as water sloshing against the rim of the tub.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, yawning and stretching, Bonnie stumbled her way to the bathroom and skittered to a stop.

Sleep gone. Tiredness flew from her body. Her mouth dried up and Bonnie was sure she forgot that blinking was necessary to keep her eyes from turning into dust. Paralysis had set in as she watched Damon grip both sides of the tub lifting himself to a standing position. Rivers of water ran down his porcelain chest, gliding down his abs, sinking to that inverted V, smoothing over his impressive…_woooowwwwww._

And this moment wasn't helped as Chris Brown sung, _"Ooh, girl I want to f*ck you right now. It's been a long time and I been missing your body." _

Sex? Yes, please I'll take two servings, thank you, Bonnie thought while her facial cheeks pooled with blood.

Should she apologize? Cover her eyes? Offer to towel him dry? Or something else? Bonnie didn't know what to do, felt like a deer stuck in headlights unable to dash to the other side of the street or lest be turned into roadkill.

Damon held Bonnie's gaze and smirked when her eyes dropped to the python that was nestled between his legs.

He didn't utter a single word, instead, he let Chris Brown and Rihanna fill the dialogue between them.

Bonnie watched as Damon stepped out on the tub and moved towards her like a panther that had been displaced in this domestic domicile. Her cheeks were aflame. Her heart was a persistent bang against her ribcage. It was far too late for her to admonish him and make a towel appear around his waist because he had caught her staring and she wasn't done staring.

He was on top of her in an instant, smelling fresh and clean, dazzling like a mirror ball, smirking like the presumptuous sumabitch he was.

Damon tilted her chin farther up with his index finger. "Good morning," he pecked her lips.

A peck? Bonnie's mind roared. You're standing in front of me in your birthday suit with "Birthday Cake" blasting in the background, and that's all you're gonna do is peck me?

Bonnie was outraged and then outraged that she was outraged. She hadn't told Damon in so many words that sex between them wouldn't happen…for a while. It had been implied and not really enforced because, like she reminded herself, he had been nothing more than a gentleman. But now he was playing dirty, trying to tip the scales in his favor. Make her crack.

Yet could she really find fault in that? In this moment, Bonnie didn't think so.

Damon didn't wait for her to respond before shuffling into his room. Bonnie followed him with her eyes, and her jaw dropped again once his glorious backside was revealed. Sensory freaking overload! Was there a square inch of this motherf*cker that wasn't borderline perfect? Damon didn't have the typical white guy ass, completely flat with a round curve at the end. He had proud cheeks that stood high and mighty waiting to be spanked and/or bitten.

Damon grabbed a towel and dragged it down his belly before boldly cupping himself. _CAKE, CAKE, CAKE, CAKE_!

Bonnie was proud of herself because she was still standing on her feet. However, walking was proving to be a bit more difficult as she headed towards the toilet. Left foot, right foot, then left foot again.

He could have shown her a little mercy but Damon didn't feel like being merciful. Damon wanted Bonnie to see what she slept next to and what she could have if only she said the word.

Damon headed to his closet where he cut a jig as he selected his clothes for the day. Standing naked in front of women was common place with him. He much preferred nudity over anything else, however standing in the buff in front of Bonnie while her eyes took a private tour of what God had blessed him with…

Damon held on to a wall to support himself. Walking away from her and not throwing her on the bed was the hardest thing he had to do. Especially when she was dressed in one of his T-shirts with bare legs, exposed feet, and wild hair. Sure there had been plenty of girls in his past who wore his clothes and looked as bedraggled as Bonnie. They, however, meant nothing to him. Seeing the young woman he did love donned in his clothes, made Damon feel as if she belonged to _him_, and he liked the feeling.

Damon wanted Bonnie so much he was pregnant with need. No other woman in all the hundred and seventy years he walked the earth had reduced him to….he felt like Tickle Me Elmo because that's how much he was trembling and warring with himself not to step foot back in his room. The temptation to cross that precarious line of friends and lovers was too great and years of instinct instructed him that Bonnie wasn't ready. She was getting close but Damon wanted _her_ to come to_ him_.

It would be the only precursor that she had finally obliterated the other Damon out of her system. Until then he was a sitting duck with a hard on the size of Texas.

Damon quickly toweled himself dry and then pulled on a pair of jeans sans underwear yet he left them unzipped and unbuttoned. He stepped out in the room and found Bonnie brushing her teeth. He joined her at the sink and noticed that she stiffened and refused to make eye contact with him in the mirror. So they went about ignoring the other as they took care of personal hygiene.

The lust in Bonnie was slowly dissolving into anger. For so long it felt good to be immune to the powerhouse of manliness that was Damon Salvatore. Sure he could hold her prisoner with his direct, glacial stare and she often fantasized about his lips and hands, but so far all those things and secret yearnings had been manageable. Seeing him, _all _of him and knowing she could access it whenever she wanted napalmed the remaining walls that surrounded the very female part of her that wanted carnality.

"You should hurry because you have school," Damon reminded her because he felt her stalling. Inwardly he grinned.

Bonnie blinked. She had forgotten that today was only Tuesday and she did have school. More to the matter she had three finals today.

However, leaving this bedroom would prove to be the ultimate test. She wanted him to touch her. Hell, she'd take a handshake, _something _because otherwise she didn't trust her concentration to be focused on passing her final exams.

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do," Bonnie retorted and ran a wide tooth comb through her hair.

Damon cleared his throat. "What are you accusing me of now, Judgey? I can't sneeze without you thinking I'm trying to cop a feel or something."

Bonnie pursed her lips and continued with grooming herself. "First of all I've never heard or seen you sneeze so that argument is irrelevant. And you know what I'm talking about, Damon. Something tells me you planned this morning right down to the song."

Damon moved until he stood behind Bonnie. He wasn't standing close enough to touch but she did feel the tepid heat from his body against her back. She didn't move a single muscle to close the gap which separated them.

"I know I have a colorful past, Bons, but not everything I do is calculated. Here's the question you should ask: why would I do something so suggestive to get the both of us hot and bothered knowing nothing will come of it? You don't have a dick so you can't possibly understand how uncomfortable it is walking around _hard _all the damn time."

Going into politics should have been his career path instead of being a vampire because only politicians and lawyers could lie with such a straight face. Nevertheless, there was a small, minute part of Bonnie that wanted to take his words into consideration and give Damon the benefit of the doubt. However, she knew better.

She turned around and faced him. "You want me to crack."

Damon shrugged.

"You want me to be the one to give in first and plead for you to take my ache away."

Damon gulped a bit.

"You want to be the one to make me crave…sex again."

Damon cleared his throat and shifted a bit on his feet. His erection was beginning to press against the zipper of his jeans.

"And you'll do whatever it takes to get me on my back, naked and spread eagle, and remember Damon I'm _very _flexible."

His nostrils flared and something dangerous glinted in his eyes. But Bonnie refused to back down.

"I'm glad you know me so well," his voice was gravelly and deep.

They held challenging gazes with one another before Bonnie slid her tiny hand up his pectoral. Her touch made him fully, painfully erect and in two quick movements he could have her bent over the sink with his shirt cinched around her waist and his girth sheathed in her heat.

"I need a minute," Bonnie said softly. "I'd like to shower if that's all right with you."

Damon sucked in a massive breath, held it before releasing it. The desirous expression that was on his face evaporated as if the small seduction never took place. Although it took a gargantuan effort to step away from Bonnie to give her some breathing room. This slip of a girl shouldn't have this much control over his reactions and emotions but she did. He couldn't pinpoint when he gave Bonnie free license to toy with him like this and not make her eat her words or actions.

"Do you need help? I could wash your back," he offered in an equally small and soft voice. Come on man, grow up!

"No, I don't need help with my back, but my hamstring has been kind of bothering me since I took up running again. Do you think you could massage it for me once I get out of the shower?"

A slow, telling smile traipsed on his face as he cupped Bonnie's cheek. "Anything you want you got it."

"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore."

Ooh, shit, Damon thought and felt his burgeoning erection come back full force causing his toes to curl against the floor.

Bonnie pivoted on her feet and headed towards the shower. Damon kept his eyes on her as he walked back into the bedroom but not without tripping over something, his shoe, and landed face first on the ground.

Bonnie rushed back out and saw Damon pushing himself up. "Are you okay?"

"Just ducky," he said. It was a good thing he was too smooth to be embarrassed.

* * *

><p>Elena took the stairs two at a time, walked down the familiar semi-darkened hallway and entered the last room on the left. She came to an abrupt stop as her eyes briefly took in the scene before her.<p>

She slapped a hand over her eyes, "Oh my God!"

Heart slamming in her chest Elena wanted to erase the image of seeing Bonnie sitting on the edge of Damon's bed, her foot propped on his thigh with Damon's head between her legs.

The two other occupants of the room stared at Elena as if she morphed into Sarah Palin.

"Elena, what's wrong with you?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled and made a slit in her fingers to eye her best friend. When she did she saw that Damon was now standing no longer resting on his haunches in front of Bonnie. Elena dropped her hand and wondered…

"What did you think we were doing?" Bonnie queried and reached for her cerulean blue cardigan to go over her summer dress.

"I just saw…" Elena stammered, "It looked like you two were in the middle of…" her cheeks were a bright red as she lowered her eyes to her sneakers.

Damon snorted and looked at Bonnie to explain the situation in only the way he could. "Elena thought I was eating your pussy."

Elena sucked her teeth. Bonnie made a face, but it was Elena who said:

"Damon, do you have to be crass all the time?"

He shrugged unapologetically. "It's apart of my charm, Elena."

"Well," Bonnie interjected. "We weren't doing…that. He was helping me with my shoe."

Relief flooded through Elena's circulatory system and came out as a sigh through her pulmonary system. "Sorry for overreacting."

"You came all the way up here looking for Bonnie, I presume," Damon said and moseyed over to his bureau to collect his money clip, cell phone, and keys.

Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I did. Elijah…he's downstairs."

Bonnie nodded.

Damon stared pointedly at Elena wondering if now she was going to make her grand exit. However she didn't budge.

"We'll be down in a minute," he told her bluntly.

"Okay," Elena murmured and left the room.

The minute she was gone, Damon was back standing in front of Bonnie. "Are you sure you're making the right decision in handing over the moonstone to Elijah?"

She shrugged and then pulled the object out of her purse, examining it. "Trust me, I've consulted with the spirits of Christmases past about this thing and all I got were mixed signals. But I know this much: Elijah's family feud with Klaus is just that _his _feud."

Damon took the moonstone out of Bonnie's hand. "To me this symbolizes leverage and I don't think we should turn it over so easily. Not until certain parameters are in place."

"Like what?"

"Like your safety for starters. I don't want anyone coming after you."

Bonnie smiled up at Damon shyly. They have certainly come a long way since that night at Elena's dinner party where he said that her life meant nothing to him. It was amazing that that event took place only nine months ago. Not a full year had passed and the two of them had learned to trust one another, in their own way became friends, and now they loved each other.

"That's a good place to start. But what about Elena? If Klaus has intentions of creating hybrids he'll need her."

"Then she'll just have to go on Elijah's long list of people he's sworn to protect. Without this," Damon held up the moonstone, "he doesn't get the location of his family, and he knows that. That's how you play this game."

"Yeah," Bonnie said, "I just don't want to be the player who loses everything in the end."

Downstairs they found Elijah sitting on the couch, legs crossed elegantly, twiddling his fingers together. He immediately rose the minute his Hershey's chocolate eyes landed on Bonnie.

"My beautiful niece," he held open his arms. Bonnie casually strolled into them hugging Elijah tentatively before pulling away and stepping back to Damon's side. Elijah narrowed his eyes only infinitesimally towards Damon who glowered at the man.

"Elena and Stefan have already gone to school. I told them this was a meeting where their presence was not needed."

Bonnie nodded. Damon was stoic.

"I'm sorry for my brother's impulsivity," he spoke to Damon. "He is quite the barbarian."

Damon accepted Elijah's apology on his brother's behalf with the same joy as receiving a colonoscopy.

"I'm sure it's a trait that runs deep in the family," Damon winked.

Elijah said nothing but planted his eyes back on Bonnie. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with young Mr. Salvatore. I know entrusting me with the moonstone seems as if you are giving your leverage away, but be assured Klaus would have stopped at nothing to get it back."

"I gathered that much during our encounter with him," Bonnie said. "The last thing any of us needs is a thousand year old vampire throwing a temper tantrum because he's not getting his way. I want to trust you'll do the right thing with this, Elijah. I know how important getting your family back is to you. But you don't know what your brother plans to do with the moonstone."

Placing a hand in his pocket, Elijah pulled his lips back from his teeth. Damon noticed it was something he did when Elijah was unsure of someone's intentions or the outcome of a situation. He was just as much in the dark about why Klaus wanted the moonstone as the rest of them were.

"You're right, I don't know if he intends to lift the spell or not. Understand I haven't kept company with Niklaus for half a millennium. And though he never expressed an interest in removing the spell, people's ideals do change with time." He stepped a hair closer to Bonnie.

Damon instinctively wanted to tug Bonnie closer to his side, but he didn't.

"But I give you my word that you and your friends are under my protection from Niklaus."

"How?" Damon asked brusquely. "I hate to remind you of the botched up job you did with Katherine."

Bonnie grabbed Damon's hand tightly.

Elijah stepped to him, standing toe-to-toe. "My niece cares a great deal for you. I can see that, so I'm only extending my protection to you as a favor to her. Make no mistake, Damon, you are expendable to me, and when I say that you are under my protection, you are just that. Nevertheless," Elijah moved even closer making Damon want to lean back a bit, "just as Bonnie has made her peace with losing one Damon Salvatore, I'm sure she can do so again." The implication weighed heavily in the air.

No sound could be heard in the room. Damon blinked. "Wow. I think this is a first for me. Having someone promise to protect my life and threaten to kill me in the same breath."

"And I'm sure this will be the first and _only_ time someone _promises_ to protect your life, Damon," Elijah replied succinctly. He returned his focus back to Bonnie who was looking extremely tense.

"Bonnie, may I have a word with you in private?" Elijah requested.

She nodded her head and the two of them stepped out to the back patio. Damon watched them like a hawk through the glass listening to every word that was spoken.

Bonnie walked next to her uncle as they lost themselves in the woods surrounding the boardinghouse.

"I didn't want to do this in front of Damon because he has a reputation for acting rashly," Elijah sighed. "Summer is approaching and you'll be done with your lessons soon, yes?"

"Yeah. I'll officially be out of school in three weeks."

"And three weeks is exactly how much time I want to spend with you."

Bonnie blinked. "Hun?"

Elijah smiled which made the lines around his eyes more prominent. "I have several houses that I want to visit this summer. There's a villa in Barcelona, another in Larissa, Greece, and my house on St. Thomas island. I'd love for you to accompany me."

This information still wasn't computing for Bonnie. "Hun?"

Her dubiousness amused Elijah. "Will you agree to accompany me as soon as your schedule allows?"

"Ah," Bonnie ran her thumbnail back and forth across her forehead. Hell yes! She wanted to go to all those places. Yet she had to play this cool, not appear to be so eager. "I promised my dad I'd spend at least half the month of June with his relatives in Alabama." She made a face as if she swallowed castor oil. "Not my idea of a raging good time."

"Perhaps if I spoke with your father it might ease your hesitation?"

Bonnie quickly bobbed her head up and down.

"Then it's settled. I'll give you more details when they're available." He held out his hand expectantly.

"I want to give you the moonstone yet there's a part of me that's screaming not to, and it has everything to do with protecting the balance. I would be aiding in the creation of hybrids if that's why Klaus wants this rock. And I can't let him do that."

"I understand your hesitation, Bonnie and I commiserate with it, but I have far more experience with my brother than you do. He will not stop until he gets this. Please?"

Seconds ticked off the clock and very reluctantly Bonnie handed the moonstone over.

"You can trust me, Bonnie. You are my family and I don't betray my family."

She didn't say anything to refute his claim. Bonnie knew all she could do was wait and see.

Damon was standing on the patio, arms folded. He kept his gaze locked on Bonnie trying to ascertain her mood. Elijah had walked them to a part of the woods where their conversation was muffled due to their distance from the boardinghouse, so he really had no idea what the old bag could have said to Bonnie. Yet judging from the sort of overwhelmed expression on her face, nothing too horrid took place between them.

When she was in reaching distance, Damon took Bonnie by the hand and pulled her in front of him. "You okay?"

She nodded and couldn't get her face to work because she wanted to smile yet she couldn't give anything away. Damon had their entire summer mapped out, but once she spilled the beans about her pending three-week siesta with Elijah, happy camper he would not be.

Elijah observed them for a moment. "I'll call you, Bonnie."

The young woman in question shifted until her back was being supported by Damon's chest who had his arms wrapped around her waist. "Okay. Keep me posted on what happens with Klaus."

"I told you not to worry. I know the best way to deal with my brother." Elijah reached for Bonnie's hand, kissed it, and said to Damon, "Take excellent care of her. Otherwise there's plenty of room left on the wall above my fireplace for one more head."

"Dually noted," Damon deadpanned. "I'm sure you can see yourself out."

"I can and until next time."

He was gone in the span of an eye blink.

Alone, Bonnie stared out into the yard. "I hope I just didn't make a colossal mistake."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours earlier…<strong>

There were certain times of the day that were sacred to a warlock. Since many drew their power from the earth, celestial events were like their version of Christmas. During these events things that were once impossible to do became possible, and magic ran deep and pure. Jonas Martin was one such person who followed the rules of nature, yet on occasion broke them to serve his own purpose. He was a strict man. He went to bed every night at the same time without fail. Rose in the morning at the same time. And he performed the same ritual before stepping foot outside of his home. He carried special herbs in his pockets for his own form of protection. He didn't need a semiautomatic pistol to walk around feeling safe. He was a walking arsenal of weapons of the magical kind.

This morning was no different from others except, instead of swimming a hundred laps at the local pool, he was driving to a remote part of Mystic Falls. Cutting the engine of his Range Rover, Jonas looked around his surroundings before crossing over to the front door of the ranch style property.

He didn't bother knocking. He had been instructed to come inside as soon as he arrived. So Jonas did so ignoring the wealth and opulence which saluted him upon entering. Because he was an academia, he noted briefly that there were three rare paintings hanging from the walls, their combined worth probably close to fifteen million dollars, but he didn't care about that. This was about business and business only.

Jonas made his way through the labyrinth of vaulted ceiling galleries until he came to the private den where he sensed Elijah.

Pushing open the dark cherry wood door, Jonas kept his eyes on the back of the man draped in a European cut suit. Inwardly, Jonas snorted. Elijah always dressed as if he were about to head to a boardroom. He didn't think the man owned a pair of jeans, sneakers, or flip flops.

Elijah turned around to regard his guest. "Thank you for getting here swiftly."

Jonas didn't acknowledge Elijah's words, but merely folded his hands on top of one another. "Klaus is here."

Elijah nodded his head. "Yes, I've been made aware of that by my niece."

Jonas' jaw twitched involuntarily. He hated when vampires tried to act like they were human and claim humans as family. Bonnie was no more Elijah's niece than Jonas was Bill Gates. Vampires were nothing but vicious manipulators, in his opinion. There might have been a select number of few who were tolerable only because they had been turned against their will and never gave into their innate natures, still, Jonas would never call a vampire—friend—no matter how long he knew one. Vampires had done nothing but turn witches and warlocks who were supposed to be servants of nature into indentured servants, slaves if he wanted to be real about it, to carry out their sadistic orders.

It was time he shift the balance of power back to its rightful owners.

But first there were several things he needed to cross off his very long To Do list.

"If I have his blood," Jonas said, "it would strengthen the locator spell and could expedite finding your family."

"I was thinking the same thing. My brother must have employed a witch to put in very strong wards that's impenetrable by you and your family's power, Jonas. It's the only plausible explanation I can think of for why using my blood has rendered the standard locator spell useless."

Jonas waited a beat before speaking again, and he ignored the implication about his family. His family wasn't weak! The Martin's were one of the strongest bloodlines on the planet. Elijah must have missed the memo. "I think Klaus may have a weakness that we could use against him."

Elijah perked up a bit as he stood a little taller. "A weakness? Enlighten me."

"My son recently attended a dance where Klaus showed up unexpectedly and danced with Bonnie."

"Yes," Elijah mumbled flatly. "She told me everything that took place between herself and Niklaus."

"So don't you think we should use Bonnie to get to him?"

Anger marred Elijah's too-hot-for-TV face. "Absolutely out of the question! I want Bonnie to have nothing to do with Niklaus. Leave her out of it, Jonas. I mean it."

For his part, Jonas pursed his lips.

"I will get the blood you need for the spell. Be ready to go when I call you. You may go."

Again, Jonas hesitated before leaving. He was no one's dog and would be spoken to like the grown ass man that he is. However, even he knew not to push Elijah. Elijah might seem like the coolest thing walking since slice bread, but there had been a few incidents where Jonas saw Elijah cleave off heads with a single punch, and dismembered bodies as if he were pulling apart chicken bones.

Elijah didn't move a muscle until he heard the mortal exit through the front door. Walking over to a bookshelf, Elijah pulled down a small mosaic jar. From the breast pocket of his suit jacket, Elijah removed a long crude dagger. Opening the top of the jar, he stuck the tip of the dagger inside swirling it in white oak ash.

"Sorry, brother but you brought this on yourself."

* * *

><p>"I can vouch that I have partied with the royals. And uptight they might appear, get a few glasses of champagne in their systems and watch because they will be swinging from the chandeliers."<p>

Jenna laughed and wiped the corner of her eye. "I don't believe you."

"Why not, love? Don't I have the face of a man worthy of trust?" the stranger smirked.

Jenna sat across from a man with curly blonde hair, blood-red lips, and dark blue eyes, laughing until her belly jiggled. His face certainly didn't scream trustworthy but more like virtue stealer. He was probably the Hamburgular of young women's panties.

"My mother said you should never trust a handsome man because the devil was God's most beautiful angel. So…" she hunched her shoulders. "Chuck it up to years of bias being hammered into my head."

"And what a pretty head it is," Klaus said and picked up his cup of coffee. He took a sip. "So Jenna…you're a graduate student studying psychology. May I inquire what you plan to do in that field?"

Pushing a strand of curly strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, Jenna made a steeple of her fingers around her coffee cup. "I've thought about counseling disillusioned youth, or athletes who can't let go of the game. I haven't really made up my mind yet."

"Before you settle on a career in which you'll slave away for the next forty years of your life, perhaps you should see the world."

Jenna looked down at the grooves in the table. Yeah, that would have been possible if she weren't the guardian for two head-strong teenagers. And traveling the world over only happened to those who didn't have a whole heap of responsibility on their shoulders. Not for struggling graduate students pretending to parent.

"If only that were possible," Jenna flashed her earnest cornflower blue eyes back at Klaus. She tried to think back to how she ended up in conversation with the strange British man. She had dropped her book on the floor and he seemed to materialize out of nowhere, holding it out to her. And acting spur of the moment, Jenna invited him to share a cup of coffee while she waited for Jeremy and Elena. Tuesday was their official eat-out night.

Klaus slid to the edge of his seat, sliding his elbows across the table top, entrapping Jenna with his serious gaze. "Why is it not possible? You're young-stunning. You should have the world at your feet. I can see you now enjoying a myrrh bath in Jerusalem, or eating pomegranates in Greece."

The apples of her cheeks reddened. God, she had forgotten what it felt like to flirt with an attractive man. Don't get her wrong. Things were great with Ric, but he had the charming grace of a gorilla on roller skates sometimes. It was enduring but a bit frustrating at times.

Jenna appeared sheepish before answering his question. "I have…certain responsibilities."

"Like? Forgive me. I'm prying. Naughty boy," he grinned.

She chortled. "I have guardianship of my niece and nephew. And though they are more than capable of watching over themselves I just wouldn't feel right leaving them while I go off to explore the world."

"Hmm," Klaus responded noncommittally. "Family…they _do _have a way of cramping ones style. But I believe it's admirable the sacrifices you're making so that your niece and nephew want for nothing. And as such you should treat yourself."

"Jenna," a startled voice said over Klaus' shoulder.

Jumping in her seat, Jenna pulled her eyes away from Klaus to stare into Elena's enlarged and slightly terrified orbs. She frowned.

Elena dropped her gaze to Klaus who smiled jovially before his lips shriveled.

"You need to leave," she said as threateningly as she could.

"Elena!" Jenna was shocked by her niece's rude behavior. "Who gave you the right to speak to him like that?"

"Trust me, Jenna when I say he doesn't deserve civility or contact with humanity."

Klaus shifted back in his seat and reached into his pocket. He slipped a hundred on the table and gracefully stood. "That is my cue to leave."

"No, my niece is being unbelievably _rude._"

"It is all right," Klaus smiled towards Jenna. "I have another appointment I must be getting to." He approached Elena who stood as rigid as a piece of plywood. "One word…and your beautiful aunt will be vampire before the night is over."

Elena stiffened yet held his challenging gaze.

"Ladies," Klaus acknowledged them both and casually left the restaurant.

Elena sat down in the booth staring at Jenna earnestly. "That man is…he's bad news, Jenna. Please, just stay away from him."

"What has he done to be labeled as being bad news? He was perfectly nice to me, Elena."

Running both hands through her hair, sometimes Elena could really beat her own ass for promising to keep Jenna out-of-the-know when it came to vampires. Especially original vampires that couldn't be killed with a wooden stake through the heart.

"He showed up uninvited to the 20's dance and he…he hurt Damon. Unprovoked, I might add."

"Hurt him how? You're going to have to give me more details than that. Damon isn't one of my favorite people especially since I caught him kissing you so sorry if I'm not going to automatically jump on his bandwagon."

Elena blew air through her mouth. That was another thing she had to take the heat for because she couldn't use the excuse as Katherine being her mysterious look-alike cousin from Bulgaria. That lie wouldn't have flown.

"Things are really complicated, Jenna." Elena spent the next twenty minutes talking in circles, barely touching the truth, throwing enough fabrication in to make Jenna promise that if she should encounter Klaus again that she should remember he's a stranger above anything else, and trust shouldn't be given easily just because he had an accent and dimples.

Jeremy joined them looking slightly happier than he had recently.

"What is your face doing?" Jenna asked.

"What?" Jeremy proceeded to wipe at his face thinking remnants from the candy bar he just attacked was stuck to it.

"You're smiling," Elena clarified.

Jeremy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You are two are weird. Yes, I'm smiling because I aced two of my finals which means I dodged the summer school bullet."

Jenna reached over and rubbed his back. "I'm proud of you, Jer. You know what that means…you can supersize tonight."

"Your generosity astounds me, Jenna," said Jeremy as he reached for a menu he knew by heart.

* * *

><p>It took manhandling replays of Damon exiting the bathtub into her fantasy file in order for Bonnie to dedicate her concentration on her finals. Calculus had been no friend to her and she felt she had done well enough which meant she probably failed. History was a breeze, and the paper she wrote for English Literature would probably make Maya Angelou cry. Probably not, but in her humble opinion it was an excellent character analysis of Medea from the tragedy <em>Euripieds <em>not the Tyler Perry movies.

All of her friends had prior plans. Elena and Jeremy were doing family night with Jenna at The Grille. Matt had taken Caroline out on an actual date and they were having dinner in the next county over. Stefan more than likely would be at the boardinghouse, writing in his journal or reading, or whatever until he went over to Elena's.

So that left her with absolutely no distractions. Until of course Luka tried to entice her with some rooftop channeling. She was about to agree when Damon sent her a text asking if she wanted to take a ride with him.

That's where memories from how their day started plagued her. She apologized to Luka and asked for a rain check which he accepted though she could tell he was growing increasingly frustrated by her constant rebuffs.

Damon picked her up from home after she changed into another summer dress with spaghetti straps and sprayed perfume behind her ears. They rode listening to Anthony Hamilton in Damon's convertible. He drove out to the marshlands, parked and then taking Bonnie by the hand, he pulled her out and sat her down on the hood of his car.

"I wonder if Elijah's given Klaus the moon…"

Damon silenced Bonnie by placing his index finger against her lips. "I don't want to talk about originals, nosey doppelgangers, vampire brothers in need of a face lift, or hyperactive blondes whose jaws should be wired shut. Listen to the music."

Bonnie pinched her lips and did as Damon instructed. "The Point of it All" was streaming from the speakers. And the lyrics definitely fit with Damon's personality. He had a problem with staying away from her, from those he loved period, yet the point of it all was because he loved her.

The impact of that realization would never cease to knock her off her feet.

"You've been communicating with me through song all day," Bonnie observed.

Damon shrugged and grabbed Bonnie by the knees, wrenching them apart. She gasped a little and said nothing when he jerked her closer until her legs were almost wrapped around him.

"Kiss me," he commanded.

Bonnie tightened her mouth. "Make me."

That dangerous glint returned to his eyes and the smile he flashed was not friendly at all. He lifted Bonnie until her butt cleared the hood and she had no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist. He grabbed her chin, holding her head complacent before kissing her with a bruising intensity that made Bonnie feel like she had been sucker punched. She imagined herself stretched out on the ground with birds chirping over her head and X's over her eyes.

Damon could never get tired of kissing her, smelling her, feeling her hot tight body against his, or drinking her blood. Every fiber of his core throbbed with need, but this wasn't the total elixir Damon craved or wanted to sustain him. The beast inside him wanted to _claim _Bonnie as his rightful mate, saw it as his duty to protect her and no—he didn't trust Elijah to come through. However, there was something he could do. Believe it or not there was a code that even vampires had to adhere to.

Yet he put all his concentration on kissing Bonnie, on taking her mouth, darting his tongue in and out to simulate what he _really _wanted to do to her.

She moaned, pressed her body as tightly to Damon as she could and yet this wasn't feeling like it was enough. Bonnie wanted to be closer to him and she knew how to achieve this, but she just wasn't ready. And then she began to question if she ever would be.

In certain situations you just had to grab life by the horns and have at it.

Damon wasn't done drinking his fill of her, yet he released her lips only to lick a trail beginning at the base of her throat and working his way up to her earlobe where he teasingly bit it. Her thighs reflexively tightened aroung him and she felt the center of her body growing warm, taut, and pooling with liquid. Her arousal snaked up his nose as if a genie had been released from a bottle and the scent was so potent that his fangs descended and his eyes turned red.

He pulled back to catch his breath, the red haze of blood lust and carnal lust warring with his already cynical mind. Bonnie could feel the vibrations in Damon as she pulled back and saw he was wearing his "happy" face.

Damon looked away knowing it made her uncomfortable when he vamped out, however, something remarkable happened. Bonnie's lips very tentatively kissed the corner of his mouth and then she licked his fang from pointy end to gum.

"If I'm going to be with you then I have to accept all of you, Damon. You can't help what you are anymore than I can."

The air between them shifted and Damon could do nothing but breathe in copious amounts of air despite the fact his body didn't need it. The emotions that took residency on his face were so raw and unguarded that Bonnie wanted to look away.

"I want to make love to you," he blurted.

Whoa! She thought and then smiled secretively. "I have it on good authority you don't make love you fuck…_hard_."

He had the good grace to look contrite but then indignant. "Eavesdropping is a federal offense in some foreign country."

"This is America, baby," Bonnie told him haughtily. "And…I want you too, Damon…sooner than you think."

His eyes widened a bit. "When?"

Bonnie laughed. "Not in the next five minutes."

He pouted.

Bonnie kissed his pouting mouth. "In the meantime there are _some_thing's we can do."

"Like what?"

"Like what we were doing before."

And before she could utter another word, Damon covered her mouth with his and didn't stray to far from his original target until the wee hours of the morning.

* * *

><p>Elijah arrived at the address he was given right at dusk. The house was in the middle of renovations. The smell of plaster, dry wall, and paint were heavy in the air. He pushed all of that into the back of his mind as he entered the living room and eyed his brother whom he hadn't seen in close to five hundred years.<p>

That euphoric feeling of being reunited with his brother didn't go through Elijah. In fact he felt nothing. As always Klaus appeared smug, arrogant, and as if he were enjoying a private joke at your expense. Like Elijah he had adopted a contemporary style to fashion having donned a gray long sleeved t-shirt that he left open at the neck and black jeans.

"Elijah," Klaus greeted, carefully enunciating the correct pronunciation of his name.

Elijah slipped a hand into his tailored pant pocket. "Niklaus," he said just as coolly.

"What? No hug?" Klaus smiled, showing off his dimples. Elijah did not share in his mirth.

"Lets cut to the chase, Niklaus…the location of our family for the moonstone."

Klaus seemingly ignored Elijah's proposal as he took the time to pour himself a drink at the wet bar. "Would you care for one? It might be useful in getting that stick that's been lodged in your ass for the last thousand years."

"If I have one its only because you put it there."

"Sounds kinky and morally wrong, Elijah."

"I don't have all night."

Klaus stared at Elijah—speculating. "Have a hot date, lad? I doubt it."

"Klaus," Elijah's face was completely impassive, carved from stone. "You and I both know I get more ass than a toilet seat."

Upon hearing that Klaus roared with laughter. He held up his crystal tumbler. "Cheers to you, little brother.

"And unlike most men I don't have to broadcast my conquests."

Klaus conceded this round. He had kept tabs on his little brother throughout the centuries and yes Elijah was something of a Casanova but all of the lovelies he had been with, they all meant something to Elijah. He wasn't one to just hit it and quit it as the young people of this day and time would say.

"What's the rush, Elijah? I know you have been parted from our family for…" Klaus waved a hand in the air, "I've lost count of the centuries, but need I remind you we were not exactly the Brady Bunch."

"Be that as it may they are still my family, Klaus and you had no right to entomb them and then keep them from me. I've barely forgiven you for what you did to _mœðr._" (Old Norse meaning mother(s))

Klaus' face mirrored his brother, it became immovable stone. "If only you knew…hate me all you like for mother, but she's not the woman you think she is. Trust me on that. I've seen her true colors."

Elijah's patience was about to expire. "The location of our family," his voice was clipped and succinct.

"The moonstone," Klaus countered.

The brothers were stepping closer to one another without realizing it. "I didn't want to do this, Niklaus but you've left me no choice."

Elijah flew after Klaus who had been expecting him to lash out in anger. He was able to deflect Elijah, throwing him into the wall effectively punching a hole in it. But Elijah was back on his feet, his hand jammed under Klaus' chin. He raised Klaus up and then slammed him down on a table shattering the poor piece of furniture to smithereens.

Then it was nothing more than a blur of movement as furniture paid the price for two brawling Originals. Fists connected with cheeks, jaws, eye sockets, knees were rammed into abdominals, but no matter what the other did it was never enough to gain the upper hand.

Until Klaus tried to make a grab for the fireplace poker. Elijah took out a switch blade and jammed it deep in Klaus' belly. It burned because Elijah had dripped the blade in vervain.

With Klaus down and only momentarily weakened, Elijah, jaw opening, fangs lowering, plunged his teeth into his brother's forearm until he bled crimson. Taking out a small vial, Elijah collected Klaus' blood who looked horrified.

"What are you doing?"

"Thanking you for making a charitable contribution," Elijah replied smartly and capped the vial. "I'm sorry things had to end this way, Niklaus. I had hoped that we could be brothers once again, as we were before Katerina came between us."

Klaus laughed maniacally. "I should have killed her when I first met her. But I hear she's dead so…"

"So it is," Elijah agreed, held Klaus down and pulled out the one weapon capable of stopping an Original.

"The fu-," Klaus could barely finish before the dagger was plunged into his heart.

Elijah watched dispassionately as Klaus's skin turned gray and desiccated before his very eyes. Slipping the blood into his pocket, and rubbing dirt and debris off the sleeves of his jacket, Elijah flicked the tip of his nose and sauntered out of his brother's house like a boss.

Chapter end.

**A/N: This chapter pretty much speaks for itself. Oh, if you're wondering why Klaus didn't try to overpower Elijah in the end, it's because the blade that was tipped in vervain was still plunged in his belly, weakening him, and for plot purposes we'll just leave it at that. And another reminder, Klaus is not a hybrid in this story. But thank you guys for reading and for the feedback. This story will continue until well… Love you!**


	37. Mamma Mia

**A/N: Here is the latest and the greatest. There's some lemony goodness. You've been warned. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is not intended.

What was the law on public intoxication? Bonnie couldn't form the brain cells necessary to remember, but she was sure that swinging on a tax-funded stop sign was probably a good cursor that she was much more inebriated than she should be.

Caroline sighed as she saw her diminutive friend grinding against the inanimate object drawing a crowd of guys her way.

"Clear out of the way. Nothing to see," Caroline barked as she pushed through the pack of steroid infested meatheads. Clamping her iron fist around Bonnie's wrist, Caroline plucked Bonnie off the stop sign and began to drag her back in the direction of her car. Bonnie frowned and blew a raspberry at Caroline's head, while winking at a buff guy who tried to capture her attention.

"Cock blocker," Bonnie said in a singsong voice before giggling.

Caroline grumbled under her breath as she towed Bonnie behind her who constantly tripped over her own feet on the flat surface of the road. She turned sharply to face her friend. "I know you're pigeon toed and you can't help that, but could you _please _try to walk straight."

Bonnie laughed and tossed an arm over Caroline's shoulder, almost losing her balance in the process. "I love you, Caroline," she breathed in her friend's face. The blond vampire turned her head away from Bonnie's hot, alcohol laced breath and continued down the street. Her car was only a few feet away.

"There you guys are," said Elena as she jogged up to her two friends. She took one look at Bonnie and covered the giggle that wanted to explode from her lips. "How much did she have to drink?"

"I wasn't her bartender, Elena. I have no idea," Caroline snapped.

Elena held up her hands. "My bad. It's just…Bonnie can usually hold her liquor."

"Yeah, well it's been a rough few months for her and now that the school year is over, I guess she figured she'd let go of her inhibitions. She almost began her career as a stripper up against the stop sign, but I got to her in time before she lost her clothes."

Elena approached her friends and wrapped an arm around Bonnie to help steady her.

"Eeelllennnaaaa…." Bonnie drawled before cackling uncontrollably. "I love you guys!"

"Bonnie, you love everybody tonight," griped Caroline. She unlocked her car with the electronic remote. "Here hold her while I scoot up the front seat." Caroline passed Bonnie's weight over to Elena who struggled to hold her upright. She was small but heavier than she looked.

"The plan was to get plastered," Bonnie complained sloppily. "And have some ridiculously hot guy in spandex and a mask rescue me, but they have been thwarted by Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde. You evil vixens," she cackled again.

Elena looked up at Caroline. "Who the heck is she talking about?"

"She's comparing us to the X-Men. She's three sheets to the wind all right if she's reduced us to comic book characters. Let's get her in." Caroline reached for Bonnie, and pushed her into the back seat ungraciously. The back of her head thud against the door.

"Dang it, Caroline," Bonnie hollered and grabbed her aching head. "I'm a delicate flower."

"Yeah, well you're going to be mulch if you so much as puke in my car. Now sip on this until I get you home," Caroline thrust a bottle of water at Bonnie and climbed behind the wheel. Elena got in on the passenger side. The Fiesta roared to life and Caroline sped away.

"I don't want to go home," Bonnie whined from the backseat. "It's so boring and lonely there. Can't I stay at your place?"

"Hell no!" replied Caroline. "Have you forgotten who my mother is? I've barely escaped being put on her shit list because I have to go to summer school for stupid Spanish Two. The last thing I need for her to do is throw us in jail for underage drinking."

"Hey Caroline," Bonnie said.

The girl in question flicked her eyes to the backseat via the rear view mirror.

"Yo quiero Taco Bell," Bonnie laughed boisterously. Even Elena had to snicker at that yet kept her gaze directed outside the window.

To show her appreciation for Bonnie's sense of humor, Caroline deliberately swerve the car left from right catapulting Bonnie from one end of the backseat to the other.

"Stop it!" Bonnie screeched.

Caroline began driving normally again.

Pulling herself up, Bonnie laid her chin on Elena's shoulder. "Elena…?" she said softly almost pitifully. "Can I stay over?"

"Alaric is spending the night with Jenna. Do you want your favorite teacher to see you drunk?"

Bonnie frowned. Why would Alaric care she was drunk when he was banging one of his students' aunts? And what was he going to do? Give her in-school suspension? The school year was over and it was now officially summer vacation. So she was virtually untouchable.

Elena passed Caroline a look who pursed her lips together. The purpose of tonight was to keep Bonnie away from a certain vampire in order to remind her she had other friends. However, it was becoming more and more apparent that their plan of Bonnie's trail separation from Damon was becoming null and void.

Sighing, Elena whipped out her cell phone and called Stefan. He answered on the first ring and she quickly explained the situation. "Is Damon home?" she asked.

"No, he's still out…oh wait, nope he's back."

"Perfect," Elena mumbled sarcastically. "We'll see you soon."

After ending the call, Elena shifted in the seat to face her friend who was slowly losing her battle with consciousness. "BONNIE!" Elena yelled startling her friend. "We're going to the boardinghouse."

"Yeah!" she said sarcastically prior to her head lolling to the side. Seconds later she began snoring loudly.

Caroline flicked her eyes to the backseat once more. "He's going to have his hands full with that one," she snickered and took the proper streets to the boardinghouse.

"I don't think he'll mind too much. He was against Bonnie going with us to the party anyways."

To that, Caroline rolled her eyes. "Who does he think he is? Her father? Better yet her boyfriend? Nothing has been set in stone yet he acts like his has full rights to Bonnie because he was nice to her after the other Damon checked out."

Propping her arm up on the door, Elena looked across the console at Caroline. "Please don't start anything when we get there."

Caroline was affronted. "I know I might not speak with a filter but I do know when to keep my mouth shut. And if Damon can't handle me then he has a shitload more growing up to do."

Elena thought it best not to comment.

Fifteen minutes later Caroline pulled up in the brick laid driveway of the Salvatore boardinghouse. With Elena's assistance, they hauled Bonnie's dead weight out of the car and up the short path to the front door. Elena didn't have to use her key to let them in because the front door flew open.

Soft rock music could be heard coming from one of the upstairs bedroom. Caroline recognized the tune but she ignored the vampire who was barring the way.

"Are you going to move?" she asked.

"Give her to me," Damon commanded and reached beyond Elena and Caroline, took Bonnie by the waist and carried her bridal style up to his room.

Elena had moved into the house, walked up to Stefan and kissed him leaving Caroline the daunting task of closing the door.

"Me Tarzan you Jane," Caroline mimicked in a deep, monotone voice. "Doesn't he know the basic ways in greeting someone when they enter your home?"

Stefan reluctantly pulled his lips away from Elena to look across the room at Caroline. Lately she had been more, what was the word, irritable, hormonal where the smallest thing was liable to set her off. Stefan recognized the signs because he had to battle his inner blood lust time after time again. On most days he felt like the Hulk. The Hulk was always angry, Stefan was always hungry. So apparently hunting the occasional a rabbit or deer wasn't cutting it for Caroline anymore, and it wouldn't be long before she began to crave the _real _thing. He'd pull her aside and speak with her later.

However, there was one thing Stefan was tired of doing and that was making apologies for his brother. Damon was grown and he could speak for himself, but the main thing to learn when dealing with Damon was take his words with a grain of salt and not let him get to you.

"Ignore him," Elena took the words right out of Stefan's mouth. She laid her head on his chest with her arms wrapped around his waist. She could never get tired of kissing or hugging Stefan. She drew as much of his affection when they were together as she could that most days she felt like a succubus.

"Whatever," Caroline dismissed. "Well, I have to get home. I have an early day tomorrow. Oh, Elena don't forget we have that Miss Mystic Falls photo shoot coming up."

"Right, thanks for the reminder."

"No problem," Caroline beamed, her emotions switching from anger to happiness in the blink of an eye. "See you guys later."

Two seconds later Caroline flashed out of the house. Elena went back to snuggling with Stefan who rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"What photo shoot?" he asked.

"Oh, every year the Virginia Gazette composes a list of high school queens and certain members of their court to be featured in the magazine. Caroline is automatically in it and I was chosen to represent the court."

There was something else Elena was omitting for the time being because she wasn't sure how to broach the subject and she wasn't too sure about Stefan's reaction when he found out. She moved out of his arms and took a seat on the couch, her gaze betraying her and moving upstairs wondering what was taking place behind a certain closed door.

Stefan joined her on the couch and fingered the necklace around her neck. "Is that all?" he queried and swooped down like a hawk to pepper kisses along her neck.

"Ah," she said arching into him while her corresponding words tumbled off the tip of her tongue—forgotten.

"I have it on good authority that the organizers confused _Damon _as your escort because he danced with you at the pageant," Stefan murmured. "And as a resort _he _will be featured in the magazine with you."

Elena gulped and stared at her boyfriend sheepishly. "I tried to explain the situation but…"

Silencing her with a single finger pressed against her lips, Stefan offered that smile which usually put her at ease but she could see the storm brewing in his eyes.

Grabbing his hand, Elena tugged Stefan's arm until he got to his feet. "Let's continue this conversation upstairs."

"Nah, nah, nah, you aren't going to seduce me into being okay with his," said Stefan. When Elena looked at him she noticed he was trying very hard not to smile. Yet he followed her obediently to his room.

* * *

><p>Upstairs in Damon's room, he stripped Bonnie of her stilettos and debated for a second whether or not to peel her out of her dress. But she squirmed, groaned, and then her eyes fluttered open halting any further actions from him.<p>

He slid on the bed next to her, lying on his side, propping his head up with an elbow. "What are you doing up?" he questioned and pushed several wayward strands of hair behind her ear. "I thought you were pissy drunk."

Bonnie smacked her dry lips together. "It's wearing off obviously. How did I get here? Did you pick me up?"

Damon shook his head and traced her bottom lip with his finger. Bonnie looked around his room as if she had never been inside it before. Or maybe she was only making note of how massive and masculine it was because everything was inlaid with silver and wood. And it smelled of leather, old books, Damon.

She snuggled up next to him, curling around Damon like a contented kitty cat. "You have a nice room," she said.

"Thanks," he replied bemusedly.

"What were you listening to when I first got here?"

"How is that you can't remember how you got here but you can remember hearing music?"

"I always keep my ears open on my surroundings."

He swooped down and stole a kiss. "I was listening to Bon Jovi, 'Wanted Dead or Alive' to be specific."

Bonnie smirked and rolled until she was on her back. "How apropos."

"It is fitting now that I think about it. It's a commemorative album with all the members signatures," Damon boasted and then proceeded to pull out his record collection. He slapped a crate on the bed. Bonnie leaned up and began to finger through his collection. Hmm, he had some of everything from Beethoven to Ray Charles.

"My Grams…she had a record collection. I used to rag on her all the time and say she needed to upgrade to buying CD's since she refused to download music off the net like any normal person."

Damon's eyebrows lifted as if to say "I know, right."

"But I could always tell what kind of mood she was in just from what she had playing on the stereo. When she was happy, she'd play The Supremes or The Delfonics. If she was pissed, she'd listen to Aretha Franklin. And when she was having a particularly bad day, she'd listen to Sam Cooke or Billie Holiday."

That was the most Bonnie ever shared with anyone on her grandmother. Mostly she kept recollections of Grams based on her stint as a witch, not delving into deep and personal information. A part of Damon felt seeing into her grandmother he was also seeing a little into Bonnie, the parts of her personality she had yet to share. And there he was desperate to know something about her that no one else knew, but Bonnie was pretty much an open book with her friends who had known her since infancy.

"I can respect a woman who has great taste in music," he said. "I think the fifties was probably my favorite decade," he confessed.

"Really? Why?"

"Because it made corrupting the youth that much sweeter," he wiggled his dark eyebrows up and down.

Bonnie reached over and slapped him on the chest with the back of her hand. "You really are a demon," she said without a hint of malice.

Damon graced her with his notorious one-sided smirk. "One, ow and two don't knock it until you try it."

"Damon?" Bonnie looked at him. She didn't continue until he was staring at her doing his level best to knock her off her equilibrium by trying to look so devastating disarming. "At any time since becoming a vampire, did you want to be good?"

He snorted. "Why when I'm perfectly good at being bad?" Pause. "Do you miss your grandmother?"

Bonnie wasn't surprised by the question but from who it was coming from. "I do. Everyday, but it gets a little easier because I know she watches over me."

Damon nodded and averted his eyes.

"Is there anyone from your past that _you _miss?" Bonnie asked.

A person did pop into his head, an image really of a sad, dying woman with his eyes and long caramel hair. "My mom," he said after a brief hesitation. Damon was fully prepared to tell a joke, but decided against it. Bonnie was being candid with him, he could certainly return the favor.

Intrigued, Bonnie slid closer to Damon. "What was she like?"

"She was one of the sweetest women I knew. She didn't tolerate bullshit but she was a fairly amazing woman. Ahead of her time which is probably why my dad treated her like crap."

Bonnie blinked. She knew that marrying for love was extremely rare in those times, and that arranged marriages were all the rage, which sparked her curiosity about something.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Well, my mom wasn't exactly in a position to do anything about it," he shrugged. Yet Bonnie could tell that bothered him immensely.

"Did you have an arranged marriage?"

Damon thought back for a moment. He was sure he might have been betrothed to some chick but he couldn't exactly recall her name or face. "Maybe. I purposely blocked a lot of memories from the good ole days."

"There was nothing good about them if you weren't a certain race," Bonnie quickly refuted. There was tons more she wanted to know about Damon's life growing up in 19th century Mystic Falls, but if she wanted to avoid her mood deteriorating she could hold off on asking those questions.

"Bon...my family owned slaves. I didn't."

She wasn't looking at Damon finding it hard not to find fault with him. "And I'm sure you led a rebellion and freed all of them. Let's...just not talk about that right now."

For once, Damon wouldn't argue a point with Bonnie.

She went back to looking through his collection until she came across an album that made her burst into laughter.

"What the hell is so funny?"

She held up the album in question. "I just realized you kind of favor Freddy Mercury except you don't have buck teeth."

Damon snatched the album out of her hands and studied the dark features of the lead singer of the musical rock group Queen.

"Hmm," he mumbled before taking out the record and putting it on the turntable. Soon his room was flooded with the sound of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Damon began lip syncing and jumped back on the bed, pulling Bonnie to her feet. The two began dancing. With her partially distracted, Damon slipped off his shirt, grabbed Bonnie hoisted her up until she wrapped her legs around his middle and he fell right down on the bed.

He changed their positions until her back hit the mattress with him still securely locked between her legs. Bonnie laughed and giggled and pushed his hair off his forehead. Damon covered her neck with sloppy, wet open mouth kisses that caused Bonnie to attempt to squirm away, but Damon being much stronger kept her prisoner under his weight.

"Do you really have to spend two weeks in Alabama?" he questioned.

A nervous bubble got lodged in her stomach making her feel as if she came down with a horrendous case of gas. Bonnie hadn't told him about Elijah's proposal about her spending three weeks with him traveling to Spain, Greece, and St. Thomas. When it came to handling news that didn't work in his favor, Damon could be worse than a three year old who was denied a new Barbie.

He stared down at Bonnie, eyes partially narrowed while her silence continued. "Bon?"

She motioned that she wanted to get up, but Damon kept her pinned to the bed. "I do," she finally answered. "It's kind of tradition, sorry. I couldn't get out of it even though I tried. My dad wants me to do this cotillion thing and my aunt who's organizing it will be there. He thinks it will be good for me to get an inside perspective of what it will entail and what will be required of me."

"And she can't give you that information over the phone or through email?"

It was hard to miss the edge in Damon's voice. "Plus, he wants me to spend sometime with my cousins. Sure, my dad's side of the family might not be vampires, werewolves, and witches, but they're pretty awesome people and I miss seeing everyone."

Familial sentiment, ugh, Damon hated it yet he could tell it was important to Bonnie. Two weeks wasn't that long and he was sure he could find _something _to do during that time.

Her little fingers traced shapes over his exposed chest. Damon felt goose bumps rise over his flesh. Her touch was so delicate it was more than a bit distracting.

"I was thinking you could come down one weekend," Bonnie suggested.

Damon cocked his head a bit to the side. "You want me to meet the human side of your family?"

She nodded.

He could question why but why bother. If Bonnie wanted him around he'd be there and it was as simple as that.

"Alabama," he enunciated every syllable of the word. "Can't say its some exotic place like Paris or India…but it might be one of the few states I haven't traveled to. Count me in, Judgey."

Okay, Bonnie thought. Since Damon's spirits seemed to be placated by her invitation to join her in Alabama it was time to bring out the big guns and tell him about her trips with Elijah. She would extend him an invitation but common sense told Bonnie that Elijah wouldn't appreciate it, and she didn't want to be put in the middle of a power struggle between two head strong vampires.

"There something else," Bonnie began tentatively. She maintained eye contact with Damon which had never been difficult in the past. "Elijah has invited me to travel with him to Spain, Greece, and St. Thomas for three weeks, and I said yes."

Glowing in her post-coital bliss, Elena utilized Stefan's chest as a pillow yet nearly fell out of the bed when she heard:

"WHAT?"

Damon paced back and forth like an angry lion intermittently staring at Bonnie before ripping his gaze away. She remained on the bed watching his every move feeling her own ire about his reaction pricking her last nerve.

"I can't believe you're acting like this," Bonnie said. "It's just three weeks."

"Five," he reminded her.

"And I invited you to spend a weekend with me in Alabama."

He rolled his eyes. "And you can't do the same when it comes to Elijah?"

"He's covering the cost of everything and its not my place to extend an invite."

"Oh, because I can't possibly afford my own damn plane ticket and hotel room," he growled at her, still pacing. "And what's the damn difference between you inviting me to Alabama and not Spain and those other damn countries you mentioned? I can answer that…because Elijah plans to seduce you with his money and knowledge about the world. That's why he doesn't want me around because he knows I will break that shit up in a heart beat."

Bonnie climbed off the bed and approached Damon. She caught him by the arm halting his progress. "Elijah isn't _trying _to seduce me. I'm his niece for goodness sake."

Damon leveled her with an unforgiving glare. "Bon, you're as much his niece as I'm the love child of Charles and Camilla. When did he ask you? I can answer that, too. When he came here for the moonstone and pulled you aside. If everything is as innocent as you're trying to make it out to be, why couldn't he ask you while the both of you were standing in front of me? Why be so secretive about it?"

Even Bonnie could concede he had a point. "I'm not going to defend Elijah's actions and motives but I will say this, he knew you wouldn't like it and figured you'd get mad for no damn reason."

"Damn right I'm mad. You're _my_ girl."

Was he intending on dropping a bomb on her every week? Bonnie certainly thought so. Her chest tightened a bit, and she found it a bit more difficult to swallow.

"I made plans for us, Bon," Damon continued, cupping her face. "We were going to hit up Vegas, Martha's Vineyard, and South Beach."

"And we can still do those things, just not when you were expecting."

Damon engulfed Bonnie in her arms, bringing her closer. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"

She sighed. "You know I do. I love spending time with you but I need a balance, Damon. We've pretty much spent every day together for the last two and a half months. Aren't you sick of me?"

Damon boldly grabbed her ass and brought her closer to where she felt the stirrings of an erection in his pants. "Does that feel like I'm sick of you?"

Heat slashed through her and her womb felt heavier. "No," Bonnie replied and came down with a full body blush. It was jarring how quickly Damon could control her emotions and responses to him. She was ready to have a verbal sparring match with him and now all she could think about was his dick. Why lie?

Damon began to shuffle her back to the bed. "If you're going to abandon me you're going to leave me with something."

Bonnie didn't like the undercover threat she heard in his words. She detached herself from his chest but didn't have time to question anything before her back hit the bed. Damon soon joined her, climbing her over her body. He ran a hand along her leg, until his fingers brushed the hem of her dress. Slowly he began to push the material up exposing her thigh to which he covered with kisses.

Keeping herself propped up on her elbow Bonnie had a mind to question what Damon thought he was doing but she had visual confirmation of what his intent was.

When her dress teased the apex of her body, not exposing her underwear, Damon locked eyes with her and then reached for the waistband of her panties.

Bonnie hesitated for a second before lifting her hips to accommodate Damon pulling them down her legs.

"Damon…I…"

"Shush," he told her and then brought her underwear up to his nose to sniff. Bonnie's eyes popped out of her sockets as her jaw went slack. And of course Damon had to stuff them in his pocket.

"Lean back," he directed.

She didn't want to miss the show but her body was doing too many things it was hard to keep up, and Bonnie figured it would be best to just follow his lead and do what he said.

With her eyes plastered on the ceiling, her legs began to tremble as her heart thumped against her ribs. Blood rushed to her ears, her toes and fingers tingled as if the circulation had been cut off.

Damon cupped her knees and pushed them apart until they were at a distance which met his satisfaction. "Don't move."

He was off the bed and back before she had the chance to exhale. Damon was looming over her again.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"About as far as I can throw you," Bonnie replied.

He smirked. "I figured you'd say something like that."

Bonnie returned his smirk. "You're judging again."

He chortled. "Wouldn't want that now would we? Close your eyes."

"Da…"

He kissed her, _hard _to silence her. "I. Said. Close. Your. Eyes."

Bonnie did so and lowered her lids. Suddenly a silky material was tied around her head and covered her eyes. The closing off of one sense made her amplify her other senses. Bonnie could hear the quiet hum of the air condition system. She could hear the flicker of the candles. But the one sound that was absent was Damon. Good gawd what was going on? Her mind wondered as she felt Damon move back between her legs that were really trembling now.

Her dress was then pushed higher until it cinched her waist. Well, her biggest secret was now exposed, and there was little she could do about it. Bonnie wasn't given much chance to think about her choices in life before Damon began his assault. She giggled and squirmed while he blew on her stomach, and across the springy curls that covered her mound. She swallowed hard and then her back arched off the bed the minute his tongue made contact with that special bundle of nerves.

Bonnie didn't know what to do with her hands. So they settled with clutching the sheets until she nearly ripped them to shreds as Damon lapped his tongue around her clit and then darted it in and out at a speed that was of course inhuman.

The veins in her neck were protruding beautifully as she squirmed, bucked, and thrust her hips against his mouth. And he swallowed every delicious drop of her nectar becoming addicted to her essence. He parted her folds with his fingers, probed her, and flicked his tongue back and forth, up and down, and then he bit her.

Bonnie screamed to the ceiling stretching out the word "Yes" like Beyonce did at the end of her song Speechless. She needed to bust that nut more than anything.

Riding her high like she was in rodeo, Bonnie refused to come back down to earth. Damon didn't let her off the hook or give her the chance to catch her breath for he plunged back in starting the frenzy up until his bed was actually levitating off the ground.

The next time she came the force was strong enough to conjure a gale wind which shattered little knick knacks and picture frames.

Panting and convulsing, Bonnie wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep. Damon allowed her a five minute reprieve before starting all over again drawing out her pleasure to where she cursed him in Latin, praised him in English, and came in a language not known to any man walking the earth.

Spent and devastated because her bones felt like jelly and she was sure she was probably paralyzed from the waist down, the blind fold was removed from her eyes that were stained with tears.

Damon pulled her exhausted body next to him. What Bonnie didn't get to see was that while he was pleasuring her, he had taken care of himself rubbing one out while he made her body cum over and over again. He was sated but not satisfied but even he, while looking at the destruction of his bedroom, had to admire his handiwork.

"I hate…you," Bonnie panted and then smiled at him dreamily.

"Then I'm terrified to see how you love me."

"Are you…okay?" she asked.

Damon merely blinked. "Why are you asking me if I'm okay? I'm great."

Her cheeks reddened. "Well, you know you haven't…" she implied unable to finish her thought. Bonnie wanted to get a grip on herself. The man just finished eating me for dessert and I can't say he didn't get the chance to bust one.

"I'm fine," Damon reassured her. "While you weren't looking I took care of myself."

She snorted upon hearing his irony and then the strangest thing happened, she was getting horny again. That shouldn't have been possible. "You did?"

Damon merely nodded.

Her mind began racing and Bonnie bit her lower lip wondering if she had the guts to make this request. She used what little energy she had left and shifted on the bed until she was next to Damon's feet.

"I want to you to show me what you did."

His eyebrows got lost to his hairline prior to his eyes darkening. "Come again?"

"With pleasure. Now show me."

Damon grinned mischievously. He crooked a finger at Bonnie prompting her to get closer. "This might be a little messy," he warned her. Bonnie shifted until she was now at his knee caps. "I'm going to need some lubrication." And before she could make a suggestion, he reached between her legs, causing her to gasp, as he coated his fingers with her essence and then pulled out his fully erect member. "Ready?"

Her tongue was not cooperating at the moment so Bonnie nodded and then watched the greatest show on earth.

* * *

><p>Contrary to popular belief witches and warlocks were not omniscient nor were they omnipotent. They drew their power from the earth and from celestial events. The deficiency with relying on celestial events was that they occurred within hundred of years of each other, making it impossible to eradicate or override something. So that meant Jonas Martin had to go where a celestial event was happening in order to gleam instructions from <em>Her. <em>

Which explained why he was sitting on a mountain in Montana waiting for the sun to cross over the horizon. Doing the locator spell with Klaus' blood had been nothing more than child's play, and he was able to point Elijah in the right direction. Klaus had his family stored away somewhere off the coast of Madagascar. He probably chose such an obscure location for various reasons, whatever they might be, so that was one less obstacle in the way, and one more vampire off his back.

Jonas had hoped that the locator spell would also lead him to Her, but Klaus had been smart not to keep his mother locked away with the rest of the Mikaelson clan, and the wards protecting her location where much too strong for him to penetrate. If he could find her, he could free her, and then with her help Jonas would single-handedly return the balance of power to its rightful owners. That's what this was all about. He could really give a damn about reuniting a single vampire with his lunatic family. But the one person on the planet he was looking for was trapped somewhere and it was his duty to find her.

Too bad Elijah subdued Klaus in order to protect Bonnie. Not like Jonas had enough power to lead an interrogation on a thousand year old vampire, not one that would be truly effective. Nevertheless, while he continued to search for the matriarch of the Mikaelson clan, Jonas would collect the keys necessary to unlocking her tomb.

It was through these celestial events Esther, the matriarch of the Mikaelson family and the unfortunate creator of the vampire bloodline first made contact with Jonas. Their window of communication never lasted longer than seconds, only long enough for her to drop a breadcrumb with nothing of substance to follow. Nevertheless, Jonas had one of the ingredients necessary to free Esther and that was a powerful witch bloodline.

Needless to say he had that in the bag.

His alarm went off on his watch and Jonas peeled open his eyes as the sun broke over the horizon. As the rays of sun raced over the land, a reflection began to blind him as if the sunlight was bouncing off of metal. The reflection grew until it was about two feet in diameter.

Jonas listened closely. If a hiker happened to come upon him he or she would simply think he was meditating, and in a way he was. Jonas was in a deep trance listening to her carefully worded directions.

And as soon as the reflection appeared it disappeared into nothingness. His eyes opened. He had an answer. The other thing needed to free Esther was her talisman.

And he had a vague idea on where to find it.

* * *

><p>Caroline stretched her arms above her head and arched her back as she unearth herself from the sheets and blanket she was buried under. Waking up in Matt's bed instead of her own was extremely domestic causing her to smile at the four walls of his room. As she sat up her eyes looked around and noted that he was in serious need of an interior designer. Caroline couldn't believe he still had a Bart Simpson poster hanging on the back of his door. Then something else caught her attention.<p>

She sniffed the air and scented fried eggs, toast, and coffee. He cooked. Getting out of bed, Caroline padded barefoot to the kitchen and came to an abrupt stop.

She crossed her arms over her chest because the nightie she was wearing was showing more skin than she cared to show to none other than Matt's mother.

And just exactly where was Matt? Caroline listened intently and she couldn't hear him rummaging around anywhere in the house.

Kelly Donovan turned around after sensing someone was standing behind her. Seeing that it was Caroline dressed like a call girl and not her son, she couldn't hide her displeasure if you paid her.

"I thought my son would have seen the light but I guess the mold build-up around here has affected his brain cells."

Caroline felt her cheery attitude delve to the bowls of hell. She braced one hand on her hip. That woman better watch who she's talking to. She might look like a wallop of a girl but she could bitch smack Kelly across the face without moving from the spot she was currently standing in.

"And here I thought Matt had gotten rid of the trash. I guess the garbage man must have skipped this house."

Anger flared in Kelly's washed out blue eyes but then she nodded her head, not in agreement to what Caroline said, but in acknowledgement of the fact Caroline wanted to address her like she was a grown woman.

"Where's Matt?" Caroline demanded.

Kelly ignored the question and dumped slightly burned eggs on a plate. She had arrived in the middle of the night, technically early morning all to avoid running into her son. She was taking a big chance showing up unannounced, but it was time she stopped behaving like a teenager with no responsibilities, return home, and be the mother to Matt that he deserved. Kelly might have given off the impression she cared more about partying and running off with the next deadbeat loser, but she loved her children. She already lost Vicky to an early grave. She simply didn't want to lose Matt either because he was all she had left and he was the best part of her.

Not that she needed to explain any of that to anyone and hoped the town would learn to mind its business for once.

Caroline sighed when it became apparent that Kelly wasn't going to answer her question. Oh, but she would answer this one. She stepped fully into the kitchen yet kept the table between them.

"Why are you here?"

"That's none of your business and I'd really appreciate it if you stayed out of my private affairs."

Of their own volition, Caroline's hands gripped the back of a chair, denting the wood. She'd have to cover that up later.

"Look, Kelly I know you don't like me and the feeling is mutual. I've never seen more of a piss poor excuse of a mother, but if you've come back to embarrass or hurt Matt to the point he wants to disown you for good, then you should pack up and leave before he gets back."

"I'm sure you're taking great joy in laughing at my failure as a mother. But let's get this one thing straight, this is my house and I won't tolerate you disrespecting me in it."

"No," Caroline held up a finger. "This is _Matt's _house and it takes giving respect before it's earned."

The two women faced off but then broke their challenging gaze when the back door flew open. A sweaty Matt walked inside taking out the earbuds to his iPod. He saw only Caroline standing in the kitchen and graced her with a smile, but when his eyes shifted to the other occupant in the house who looked nervous and anxious, he inadvertently slammed the door shut.

"Mom? What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded sharply.

Kelly maneuvered around the table and approached her son. She wanted to lean in and hug him but she didn't want to be rejected especially not in front of Liz Forbes' daughter. She wouldn't give that girl anymore knives to throw at her.

"Matty," she swallowed hard studied the fury lining her little boy's eyes and chickened out on delivering the speech she had prepared. Instead she went with deflection. "I made breakfast."

Caroline snorted, looked away, and folded her arms.

A myriad of emotions washed over Matt's face. On the one hand he was glad to see his mom. It was nice to know she was still alive. However he questioned her timing. Matt kept how much money had been placed into a special account for him to use towards college a secret, and he didn't want to accuse his mom of showing up out of the blue because he was no longer struggling financially, that he now had a little money. However, her arrival here was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

He looked back at Caroline. "Can you give us a minute?"

She nodded and walked back to his room, shutting the door after her.

Mother and son eyed one another wearily before Kelly went back into the kitchen. She said sheepishly, "I burned the eggs a little but they should still be edible."

"Cut the crap, mom and tell me why you're here."

Kelly licked her lips and sighed. June Cleaver she wasn't. "I'm here for you. I never should have left. I needed to get myself together and I want to try…and be a family again," she stared at her son earnestly.

Matt snorted and unzipped his hoodie. He had gone out on an early morning run with Tyler and few other guys from the football team. It would be their new tradition until they went to camp at the end of July. He sat down at the table. Kelly joined him.

"I haven't always been the mom you needed because you've always been independent and I guess, no I know I used that to my advantage," Kelly went on to say. "If I had been around more maybe Vicky wouldn't have gotten caught up with the wrong crowd…and…" she didn't finish her thought. "I know I have a lot to prove, but I'd like the chance to make things right."

Matt strummed his fingers over the Formica table top. "I don't know. Do you have any idea how hard it was going to school, walking around town knowing that everyone knew my mom made out with my _best_ friend? That she got drunk at a social function, and busted her ass? It was a miracle I wasn't ostracized because of that, mom. And then Vick…" Matt swallowed the rock that formed in his throat anytime he stopped long enough to think about his sister. "My life was thrown upside down and you didn't do a damn thing to help. Just made everything worse."

"I know, Matt. And that's why I'm going to do everything in my power to fix it."

Matt wanted to believe his mom. Wanted to believe she had cleaned up her act, changed her stripes, but he couldn't. They had been down this road before too many times and he was sick of the cycle. Kelly was going to have to do more than burn breakfast to prove she really had changed.

He stood up from the table. "You know, mom, there are just something's that can't be fixed." He stalked off to his room where he found Caroline making up the bed. He walked into her arms.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked softly.

"Put some clothes on because I want to go out."

* * *

><p>She said her last goodbye's after she was dropped off back at home. If she didn't know it then she knew it now, Bonnie had amazing friends. They surprised her with an intimate dinner at a new restaurant in the next town over in celebration of her last night in Mystic Falls. Bonnie slipped off her ballerina inspired loafers and padded barefoot to her room.<p>

Flipping on the light she took an inventory of her room.

Her bed was perfectly made up. All her framed pictures were aligned on her dresser next to her Mac computer. Nothing lied on the floor save the small area rug located at the foot of her bed. Her suitcases were packed and ready to go.

Bonnie reached inside her tuxedo jacket to scratch her shoulder the one that had been bitten by a werewolf, and that's when she saw it.

A black box sat perched on the middle of her bed.

How could she have missed it? Approaching the object tentatively, Bonnie was relieved to find it was only a gift. Quickly ripping the wrapping paper away, Bonnie squealed when she opened the hood of the box.

An insane pair of sky high studded heels with the infamous red sole was cushioned in white tissue paper.

She continued squealing before realizing she might have scared her father out of his sleep. Slapping a hand over her mouth, Bonnie searched the bed for a card or note. Overturning the box, a folded piece of paper floated out.

Picking it up, she read the words.

_Sabrina,_

Bonnie rolled her eyes yet kept reading.

_Every Cinderella needs her crystal slipper. This is yours. Enjoy yourself in Alabama. HA!_

_DS_

Bonnie smirked but then felt herself melt just a little. Putting the Christian Louboutin shoes carefully back in the box, Bonnie grabbed her car keys set on her mission.

Instead of literally drinking his weight in alcohol, Damon locked himself in his room and pulled out his record collection.

Bonnie would be leaving for the airport in the few hours with her father. She turned down his offer to drive her himself because she wanted to spend that time with her dad since it was tradition so Damon reluctantly agreed to adhere to her wishes. Still he fully intended to sneak over to her place later.

However, when he thought of Bonnie leaving for two weeks and then for an additional three weeks with Elijah, his blood would roar and demand he make her stay. If not there would be hell to pay.

Didn't she know he needed constant supervision? With her gone there would be no telling what kind of mischief he might deliberately and by default get himself into.

Whatever happened in her absence would be her fault.

Damon had spent so much time thinking about Bonnie that when he inhaled deeply he thought he smelled her.

He laughed and shook his head and in the motion he caught a figure standing in the threshold to his room.

Speeding over, he stopped himself from reaching for the intruder's neck. Damon relaxed; his eyes glancing over her to make sure she wasn't hurt or bleeding. She was still dressed in the dark blue jeans, white graphic T-shirt and tuxedo jacket with those oversized shoulder pads from dinner.

In her hand she clutched her reason for breaking into his house.

They really needed to start locking the front door.

"Couldn't stay away?" he grinned.

"I came here…to thank you." She took a breath. "Thank you."

"You're. Welcome."

Bonnie took a step inside his room. "I think you can say it nicer than that."

Damon heard the flirtatious inflection in her voice. One eyebrow rose and then another as Bonnie approached him and stood so close he felt her body heat.

Gripping him by the back of the neck, Bonnie brought Damon down to her level, sealing her mouth over his. Their lips meshed together, tongues teased one another, and when they parted, a small line of spit still connected their lips.

"You didn't have to do this," she whispered in his ear before letting go. She hopped up on his bed, sliding to the center and crossing her legs at the ankle.

Damon braced his arms on both sides of her hips, looming over her. "After being kissed like that those shoes were worth every penny. It would have been a crime for you not to have them on your gorgeous feet."

"You have a thing for feet?"

"No," he shook his head, cocky smile in place. "I have a thing for you."

He took one shoe out of the box, grabbed the appropriate foot, took her ballerina loafer off, and slid the Christian Louboutin heel on.

Bonnie's Cinderella moment.

"Perfect fit," he said a dangerous glint to his eyes. Wordlessly he placed the other heel on and tugged Bonnie off the bed. The heels put her at just the right height that he could almost stare her straight in the eye.

The energy around them buzzed in climatic anticipation.

She didn't hesitate when Damon's cool mouth slanted over hers, and she opened her jaws wider as he fed her his tongue. The kiss wasn't careful or exploratory; he had too much experience for that and things shifted yet again since he knew what Bonnie tasted like. His hands weren't idle. They rubbed her thighs, tugged at the hem of her shirt, buried themselves in her hair.

For her part, Bonnie bit his lip and ran her tongue over the corresponding wound. He tasted like the whiskey he had been drinking all night, followed by a noticeably pleasant taste that reminded her of sugar, highly addictive, and then there was the taste that was Damon altogether.

Their lips folded over one another's repeatedly. Their tongues circled and dueled like hockey players. All the blood was rushing in Bonnie's body heading to several erogenous zones, hitching her breath and doubling her excitement. She had to be careful because things could so easily escalate between them _and_ she was currently next to his bed.

Damon moaned into the kiss and soon his lips wanted to taste other delectable morsels of her body, particularly the chocolate peaks of her breasts. His hands molded to her ass, and he lifted one leg to wrap it around his lean waist. One, because he liked that position and two, he wanted to feel her heat.

Bonnie wasn't shy about touching him. Her fingers ran over the muscles jutting from his neck, over his pectorals, slightly teasing his nipples to stiffen, and finally down his abs. Lord have mercy he had a body!

Damon wanted more but Bonnie's tiny hands pushed at his chest, though her mouth was still glued to his.

Nevertheless he got the message and slowly ended the kiss. Besides, she needed to breathe whereas he did not.

Bonnie's skin was flushed and beautiful. Her increased blood volume called to his inner beast and he struggled to keep it in control.

"Do you want to ride me home?" Damon asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

He smacked her bottom. "I certainly hope so."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Is anyone else curious about where Kelly Donovan has been all this time? And how was Matt not thrown into foster care after his mom left? Hmm. This show has so many holes its nothing but Swiss cheese, but it is what it is. I for one am interested in knowing what happens beyond the insipid triangle. Well, people Bamon is getting there steady but surely but will things remain to be this good? Stay tuned. Love you babies! **


	38. Sweet Home Alabama

**A/N: I had the hardest time writing this chapter. That's the problem when you have too many ideas in your head, and that is probably why this story is going to be long as all get out. And I want to give a special shout out to ****lluviaalamancecer**** who made an awesome gif of Bonnie with Book! Damon. Love you honey, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the visual. Now, on with the show. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Bayou La Batre, Alabama**

Daredevil she was not known as. Bonnie played it safe only when she was sure of the outcome, and despite her otherness even she knew that she had a shelf life that she had to respect. Nevertheless she stood on the edge of a precipice staring down at the murky waters below waiting for her body to slice through like a laser burning through steel. She took a deep breath, several deep breaths, and quelled the shaking in her palms by balling her hands into fists. She hated heights with a passion although she loved flying, which made no sense. But at least in a plane she couldn't exactly see the ground. She saw nothing but clouds, but this was far different in that she knew exactly what was waiting for her down below.

A gang of her cousins were treading in the water below, staring up at her, egging her on to jump. Bonnie resolutely shook her head back and forth, furiously biting her lower lip.

Naturally she was being called all sorts of names that made a girl feel good about herself. In reply, Bonnie flipped them the bird and then took a few steps back from the cliff, and ran at full speed launching her body in the air.

She didn't scream although she very much wanted to. Instead she pierced her eyes closed and then, took in that last massive deep breath, and seconds later, her head made contact with the water. No matter how many times she did this when she was younger, it was still a shock to the system. The heat in Alabama was its own entity and was oppressive, so diving head first into a cool lake made her feel as if someone dumped ice over her.

Bonnie quickly doggy paddled her way back to the surface, and pushed her hair off her forehead. She smiled brightly and then floated on her back admiring the blue sky.

Across the private lake one of her cousins was doing something interesting with his girlfriend. Bonnie observed them for a moment before looking away. There were ten of them total all raging in age from sixteen to twenty-one. Bonnie swam over to her cousin Melanie who was sitting on a rock that looked like an iceberg in the middle of the lake. Melanie scooted over to make room for Bonnie who sat behind her and rested her chin on Melanie's shoulder.

Melanie was seventeen like Bonnie and could speak three languages fluently. Her mother was Bonnie's Grams' younger sister, and they had lived for a while in Germany because Melanie's father served in the Air Force. When they went places together everyone assumed Bonnie and Melanie were sisters because they were the same height, same complexion, but where Bonnie's eyes were green, Melanie's eyes were jet black.

Currently Melanie was texting her boyfriend who was three years older and of course her parents didn't approve of her relationship, but ask Melanie if she cared. Darren, when he was in the mood, treated Melanie well enough, however her parents thought she could do much better.

"You better lower your caps when you text me," Melanie said to the air and began pecking away.

"You two are fighting again?" the exasperation was heavy in Bonnie's voice. Since she got here which was about a week ago, Melanie had been in the middle of some argument and was rarely separated from her smartphone for longer than ten minutes going back and forth with Darren.

"He's being a punk bitch," Melanie said and pressed heavily on the SEND button on the touch screen.

Shauna, the eldest of the cousins and also the daughter of the aunt who Bonnie was staying with, swam over to them. "So dump his bitch ass," she retorted. "The boy is too possessive and treats you more like some toy or prize he won at the fair. Dump _him._"

Bonnie frowned as she looked at Shauna.

Melanie sucked her teeth and looked away. "He doesn't treat me like I'm a toy. And what's wrong with being with someone who wants to know where you are and doesn't like it when other guys try to push up on you."

To this Shauna rolled her hazel eyes. "Sweetums, most guys throw an arm over their girls shoulders when they are about to stroll past a group of guys. They don't start swinging for no damn reason only because he 'thought' someone was going to try to holla at his girl. There's a big difference between the two."

"Are y'all gossiping hoochies talking about Darren's bitch ass again?" Mike, another cousin asked as he joined the threesome.

Melanie having heard enough about the objections to her relationship, jumped into the water, mindful to keep her arms up so her phone wouldn't get wet. She swam back to shore, grabbed her stuff, and stalked off.

"Was it something I said?" Mike said dubiously and then shrugged.

"Are you ready to go, NiNi?" Shauna addressed Bonnie by her nickname. "I promised mamma that I'd get you back in time to help her out with the party."

"Yeah, I'm ready to go."

The two girls swam back to shore, saying goodbye, which Bonnie would see everyone later. Since arriving in Bayou La Batre it had been nothing but nonstop, continuous activity. Bonnie was sure she had been to enough cookouts to last a lifetime. Every night she was kidnapped to go to some club, or blues bar. Bonnie wasn't a blues or jazz fan but she liked the atmosphere because it was sophisticated and catered to a certain clientele.

Her cousin Clint celebrated his twenty-second birthday and did so by renting a stretch Hummer that took everyone to his favorite hole-in-the-wall seafood joint, and then that night Bonnie ventured to her first strip club.

It was…an experience to say the least.

She wasn't sure what tonight might bring, but she was open to new experiences. She never really had any dull moments in Bayou La Batre. Sure things were quiet during the day because of the excessive heat, but at night that's when the city became alive buzzing with activity like a beehive, and Bonnie soaked it all in.

Shauna dropped Bonnie off after declining to make a quick stop at the mall. Bonnie wanted to shower, wash her hair, and maybe get a quick nap in.

Since being here she had had very little contact with anyone outside of her father from Mystic Falls. When she went on break, she meant that—a break. Of course she let everyone know she had arrived safely, but that was about the only time Bonnie went out of her way to contact everyone. She did wonder what Damon might have been up to in her absence, but she didn't dwell on it for long. Besides he would be here at the end of the following week. She'd see him soon enough and then after that she would be gone for an additional three weeks, touring the world with Elijah.

Being here in Alabama made Bonnie mourn the loss of her "normal" life. The only problems her cousins and other family members had to face was worrying about which bill would be paid, what to cook for dinner, and who they would go visit. Simple. Easy. Uncomplicated. Bonnie wanted real life problems, not supernatural problems. And since she had been here no one muttered any of these words: witch, vampire, or werewolf.

The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon casting shades of rust, orange, pale yellow, and azure across the sky. Shipping boats floated by lazily as fishermen drew up their nets for the day about to head home. Bayou La Batre was peaceful, had been dubbed the seafood capital of the south and was a quaint place that was nestled between the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Her aunt's home was what Bonnie like to call a floating palace since it was surrounded by small lakes and streams with large trees covered with Spanish moss.

Entering the house, Bonnie tensed once the air conditioning hit her skin causing instant goose bumps to appear. She heard her aunt dictating orders to her household staff. Aunt Deloris was a very well-off woman and employed about five people to keep the three story mini-mansion in tip-top condition. Bonnie traipsed unseen upstairs to her room to shower and change and join her aunt in the parlor.

Thirty minutes later she took a seat on a floral print couch in the parlor next to her Aunt Deloris tucking her legs under her. Aunt Deloris smiled at Bonnie as she inspected a head shot of a prospective model before flicking her eyes to the man standing in the center of the room.

"He looks like he took a bath in coffee," Aunt Deloris said almost reverently.

Bonnie who had been in the middle of taking a sip of her Arnold Palmer nearly spit it up as a result of laughing. She had been asked to assist Aunt Deloris chose the eye candy that would be serving the crowd at the bi-weekly pleasure party she was throwing.

"What do you think?" Aunt Deloris asked in her signature Creole accent.

Bonnie titled her head to the side and agreed that the chocolate Adonis in front of her certainly did appear as if he bathed daily in black coffee. His skin was smooth and unblemished. He was clean shaven, with straight white teeth, and had a pair of bedroom eyes that could incinerate the panties off an unsuspecting woman. There was nothing disagreeable about the specimen in front of her. So Bonnie winked at her aunt and kept mum about everything else.

Aunt Deloris wasn't satisfied with merely looking. Nope she wanted to _touch_ the merchandise as well. "Would you mind coming just a little closer?" she beckoned.

The man was only too happy to oblige. Bonnie tensed for a moment because she noticed the predatory way the man's eyes zeroed in on her aunt. She wasn't sure if she was about to be privy to the opening act of a porno, but she directed her attention elsewhere, admiring the Tiffany blue painted walls of the parlor, the cinnamon scent that wafted from the kitchen, a kitchen that would make Paula Dean drool.

She heard fabric being removed and turned back slightly only for her eyes to bug once seeing the upper torso of the prospect server. He was cut in all the right places, and probably had a bigger bust size than Bonnie.

"Turn around, please, honey," Aunt Deloris said sugary sweet.

The man did so revealing a toned back that bespoke of hours spent slaving away in a gym, and a backside you could bounce a quarter off of. Aunt Deloris cleared her throat and slightly fanned herself.

"Thank you, Alonso. Take this card and go 'round back. Show that to my assistant Kyle and he'll get you set up with a uniform."

"Thank you, Miss Rhodes."

Bonnie felt the room vibrate at Alonso's deep voice. She and her Aunt Deloris had a very hard time tearing their eyes away from his impressive backside.

"Lord, give me strength," Aunt Deloris muttered and then bellowed, "Send in the next one!"

The next guy up for bat was Native American with a shocking pair of bluish-green eyes. He had long curly hair that brushed his shoulders. Once again he like his predecessor before him was asked to remove his shirt revealing that his entire right pectoral was covered with some kind of tribal tattoo. It didn't take Aunt Deloris three seconds to hire him. She had a weakness for men with tattoos.

Bonnie nibbled on an oatmeal and chocolate chip brownie in order to keep her thoughts from tumbling to that special place that was designated for the hours of ten to six in the morning. Currently it was a little after seven p.m. and her earlier activity was beginning to catch up to her. Coupled with the heat and humidity she was ready to fall into bed, but she gulped more of her drink hoping a sugar high would help her make it through the next few hours.

Aunt Deloris Bennett-Rhodes was a twice divorcee who had utilized her settlement money to start an adult toy and lingerie enterprise, making her even more well-off than she was while married. Deloris had two daughters Michelle and Shauna who were around Bonnie's age. Michelle was currently doing a residency in Mobile, Alabama, whereas Shauna was the undisputed party girl of Bayou La Batre.

Anyone else might be a little embarrassed that their aunt sold adult toys for a living, but not Bonnie. She didn't look at the industry her aunt was insomuch as she did the fact her aunt was an entrepreneur and helped put kids through college. She had established two foundations that raised money for at-risk youth and had several scholarships in her name. Deloris gave until there was nothing left and there had never been any shame in her game. She sold items to keep married couples from divorcing and which bolstered the sexual prowess of the insecure. She would not apologize for how she made her money, and no one complained when she spent her money paying off their debt or buying them lavish gifts.

Deloris took a sip of her lemonade and made notations on a clipboard. She loved throwing these parties because she was sure to see a new face, make a new acquaintance, and double her clientele. And she kept things fresh by having a theme for each party.

Tonight's theme was a Midsummer's Night Dream. The men commissioned to serve drinks, give massages, and maybe test out a few of the less, how do you say, risqué toys would be wearing tights that left little to the imagination. All of them would be topless and more than likely sprayed down with bronze glitter dust.

"You still with me, chere?"

Bonnie snapped out of her reverie and looked at her aunt. Deloris probably favored her grandmother the most but she was heavier set than Sheila with russet skin and shorter hair.

"Yes, ma'am. I just think the day and the heat is catching up to me."

"You can go and lay down before the party starts. I'm sure if your père was here he'd have something to say. Would probably accuse me of trying to corrupt you."

Bonnie grinned. "Are you?"

Deloris looked at her niece askance. "Only a little. You're about to be a senior in high school, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you can handle staring at half-naked men. I operate a clean and classy business so things won't be getting out of control, and I always provide security in case some who have no house training do stop by and start some ruckus. But you gon' on up and rest a while. I will suffer through looking at these fine men on my own for a lil while," Deloris smiled.

Bonnie rose from the couch and heeded her aunt's words. She found her way to the second floor bedroom she would be lodging in for the next two weeks. She loved her Aunt Deloris' house. It was a sprawling three story colonial painted white with black shutters. Like most houses in the south it used to be a plantation but was converted into a restaurant at the turn of the century. Deloris when she had been married to her first husband fell in love with it, and had first husband buy out the business. The front yard was practically the size of a football field, and later would be filled with cars from all parts of Alabama.

Entering the room, Bonnie fell on the bed and only woke up because of the noise of the party that was in full swing. Swinging into action herself, Bonnie tried to tame the frizz to her hair. Shauna had advised her to either get her hair braided or locked before coming down. And Bonnie was glad she listened. She fingered her corkscrew curls until they formed a bushy halo around her heart shaped face. Bonnie reapplied her makeup and slipped into a one shoulder linen sheath that she paired with gold T-strap sandals and gold jewelry.

Downstairs was bustling with women who stood in large and small groups, eating, sipping signature drinks, and ogling the half naked men who walked around with trays balanced on their fingertips.

Bonnie tried to find a familiar face in the crowd and couldn't spot anyone.

"NiNi!"

Bonnie swung around upon hearing her nickname and found at least six of her cousins standing off to the side in the dining room. She made her way over to them. Everyone started talking at once.

"Gurl I like your hair."

"Gurl where you get this dress from."

"Gurl where you get them shoes from."

"You eat anything?" Shauna asked and handed over her glass tumbler to her diminutive cousin.

Bonnie took a tentative sip and shook her head. "I fell asleep upstairs and probably would still be sleeping if it weren't for the noise."

Shauna took Bonnie by the arm and began to tug her through the crowd. Over her shoulder she said to the others, "Come on y'all lets get something to eat."

The girls elbowed their way to the kitchen. Bonnie picked up two plates and handed one to Shauna. There was so much food Bonnie had no idea where to start. She saw everything from grilled and fried shrimp, catfish, crawdads, lobster tails, chicken wings, roasted lamb, pork chops, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, lentils, fried zucchini, squash, custards, pies, cakes, just endless, endless food.

Shauna began piling on the seafood. Covertly Bonnie looked at the various topless men walking around. Almost every single ethnicity was being represented. One guy who might be Greek or Italian caught Bonnie's eye. He winked at her and served drinks to a group of blushing women. Bonnie shook her head and then following her cousins once more they huddled in a corner to wolf down their food. Bonnie listened to the playful banter between her cousins, commenting when necessary, laughing nonstop.

Once their bellies were full they ventured from room to room, staring at the various products, testing out some of the devices. Distractedly listening to the tutorials that were being given on certain products. Bonnie had never seen so many silicone dildos in her life. Some glowed in the dark, vibrated, played music, or did a combination of all of those. Bonnie was sure she'd never get seeing half of this stuff out of her head: butt plugs, nipple clamps, pleasure beads, lubes, special lotions and potions that had been formulated to give a woman a heightened sense of pleasure.

Hmm, Bonnie thought, maybe Damon could get a special cast of his tongue made and sell it. He certainly didn't need any of these devices to give her a mind blowing orgasm. She felt her body warm at the thought.

"Shauna, your mamma is freaky as hell," Yolanda chortled and picked up a flogger giving it a sideways glance.

"You don't know the half of it. She says the secret to why she looks so young is because of this crap. There are just certain things a child need not know about their parent."

It didn't take long for them to be surrounded by rippling muscles. Pat, who was probably the most outspoken out of the bunch, had been selected by the Adonis from earlier, the one her aunt said bathed in coffee for a special massage that were being given on the back screened in veranda. Out of curiosity everyone followed and Bonnie didn't think that watching someone receive a foot massage could be so damn erotic. It was like Alonso was making love to Pat's feet.

Pat certainly was enjoying herself. She couldn't stop moaning, giggling, squealing, and asking Alonso to marry her and have her babies.

When one of the idle servers who kind of resembled Mehcad Brooks tried to proposition Bonnie she was quick to throw out her age hoping it might act as a deterrent. It didn't. In fact he became even more adamant to work the kinks out of her muscles.

"Well," the man whispered in her ear, "If I can't interest you in a massage maybe I can interest you in something else."

"Like what?" Bonnie craned her neck to stare up at the bald-headed specimen of fineness.

He grinned. "I'm sure there's a nifty little toy I could…demonstrate its usefulness."

Bonnie was sure he could, and as tempted as she was to take him up on the offer, she declined and then went outside to get some fresh air. Besides she needed a break from the sexually charged atmosphere. Some women were beginning to get grabby hands now that they had a few drinks in them.

If anyone said nothing interesting ever happened in Alabama, well Bonnie had incontrovertible proof that was a lie. And as much fun as she had been having, now that she could take a step back and really examine her life without any outside interference, Bonnie slowly began to realize how much this place reminded her of Damon, the one from Fell's Church. It was beautiful, it was mysterious, it was seductive and ancient with a rich history. Like him. She missed him more than she had in weeks past and she could account for that because here she was alone, but in Mystic Falls someone who knew her history inside out was always around to distract her. Bonnie looked up at the sky remembering the request Damon asked of her. She had no idea what he could have been doing. Time probably travel differently in his dimension and years could have passed where on her end only months had crept by since his departure. In this moment if she had the power to conjure him into existence she would have.

But then her thoughts shifted to Damon, the one from her world. Yes, she missed him too, and if she picked up the phone and told him to come to Alabama right this second, Damon would drop whatever he was doing, and he'd be here. She couldn't do that with dark-eyes because he was gone. The pang in her chest was still there, smaller, but there nonetheless. Maybe she would never fully be over him but the only way to test that theory was to immerse herself in something else. It was funny how days could go by and then all of a sudden Bonnie would stop whatever activity she was doing to realize she hadn't thought about dark-eyed Damon. And then, there were moments like this where he'd be heavy on her brain and she'd want nothing but to hear his voice or stare into those unfathomable eyes.

She was months away from starting her senior year. That meant filling out college applications, planning her future, and of course dealing with whatever nuisance might attack her town. But she could really careless about any of that because all she wanted to do was see Damon just one last time. However, it wasn't possible and logic was telling her it was time to let him go. She wanted to, more than anything, but at the same time she wanted to hold on just a little while longer. Yet even she knew she couldn't have it both ways. Either hold on and compare every guy to approach her to Damon, or finally let him go and move on with someone who was in the here and now.

Bonnie sighed. Her load was light and heavy in equal measure.

_Damon, I miss you. _

* * *

><p>Her days and nights were running together. Sleeping until noon wasn't permitted in her aunt's household, so that meant her long nights were costing her precious sleep. Bonnie was expected to be seated at the formal dining room table for breakfast promptly at seven. If you were late or didn't show up you either had to cook for yourself or go out to eat.<p>

After breakfast she had two options: work in the greenhouse or volunteer at the Boys and Girls club for a few hours. Bonnie always chose to work in the greenhouse because children required far more energy than she presently had to keep them entertained. After lunch she was pretty much free to do what she wanted.

Today Damon was coming and she was a bucket full of nerves. She worried if he would behave himself, wondered if her family would accept her "dating" someone outside of her race, and prayed no one would figure out what he was and spill the beans. She doubted that would happen, yet one could never be too sure.

She joined her Aunt Deloris for breakfast as usual and picked over her veggie omelet, home fries, and link sausage.

Deloris observed her niece from the far end of the lacquered table. "What's wrong, chere?"

Startled, Bonnie snapped her attention to Deloris and tried to smile. "Nothing…another late night is all."

Deloris sat her coffee cup on the saucer. "You must have forgotten I was seventeen once. You have the jitters and since you've been here you've been completely fine. So what gives? It have anything to do with that special fella you got coming?"

Bonnie ducked her eyes a bit and forked some egg into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed before addressing her aunt's question. "Maybe. It's just…he's probably not what everyone will expect."

"Most of the time no one is, chere. Just so long as he minds his manners we won't have a problem."

If only things could be that simple.

The back door to the property opened and Deloris who didn't like uninvited guests in her house, immediately reached for her paring knife she kept handy. When she saw it was her sister, she rolled her eyes.

"Next time come through the front door instead of through the back like some hoodlum. You almost got shot," Deloris chastised her younger sister Vanessa.

Vanessa rolled her toffee colored eyes at Deloris before going over to Bonnie who had stood up from her seat to greet her aunt.

"Hi, baby," Vanessa crooned and then held Bonnie out at arm's length to inspect how much she had changed since the last time she laid eyes on her.

"Hi Aunt Vee."

"I see that nephew of mine has been feeding you. The last time you were here you were as skinny as a rail."

"Go get your eyes checked, Vee, that girl is still skinny as all get out," Deloris said from her end of the table.

"Not everyone wants to tip the scales at two hundred pounds, DeeDee."

"And no man wants to hug a woman he might break, VeeVee."

"And not everyone wants to be with someone who looks like a walking heart attack."

"And not everyone…"

"Ladies," Bonnie interrupted her aunts sparing match. Those two had a rivalry that started from the time they hit puberty. Deloris and Vanessa were only ten months apart in age. Some considered them twins others called them oil and vinegar. They talked so much trash about each other you'd think you were standing in a landfill, but they loved one another fiercely. If you messed with one you messed with them both, and trust you did not want to be on the receiving end of their wrath or fists.

"Sorry, baby," Deloris and Vee said in unison and then frowned at each another.

Vee turned back to Bonnie and eyed her plate. "You almost done with breakfast?"

"Yes, I'm finished."

"Harrumph," sounded from the other end of the table.

"Ignore that old coon," Vee said. "I'm sure she's made you eat every part of the pig since you've been here."

Bonnie felt that round two was seconds from starting and grabbed her Aunt Vee by the hand. She knew why she was here and that was to go over some of the requirements of the cotillion.

"Aunt Vee, you said you wanted to talk about the cotillion."

"Yeah, chile. Come help me carry some stuff in the house."

"Bonnie don't forget to carry your plate back in the kitchen," Deloris reminded her niece. She didn't run a restaurant but a household.

Picking up her plate, silverware, and glass, Bonnie carried everything into the kitchen and dumped the remnants of her breakfast into the garbage disposal, washed her dishes, and then joined Vee outside.

They carried several photo albums into the house where they settled in the living room. Together they flipped through photo album after photo album some dating back to the Civil War. Bonnie's eyes traversed over aged black and white snapshots of unsmiling faces of families standing in front of shack houses, to those posing in front of historical black colleges, and some of the first automobiles.

"Our family has been made up of carpetbaggers, soldiers who fought and died in the Union Army, bootleggers, singers, doctors, and yes senators."

"Really?" Bonnie didn't know any of this information and found herself drinking it all in.

"Oh, yes during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War, three of my great-great-great-great uncles served as US senators. There were more black senators and representatives who served in congress back then there are now, which is a sin and a shame.

"And one of my great something or another aunties was even rumored to be a direct descendent of Queen Ranavalona III of Madagascar, the last reigning monarch of that country."

Again, Bonnie's eyes bugged. Was that even remotely possible? That she could someway be tied to actual royalty? Aunt Vee read the question and disbelief on her face.

"Like I said it's a rumor, but I've been pouring resources into tracking down our family tree, filling in several blanks. All of that being said, participating in the cotillion has been done for many generations in our family. My organization is willing to nominate you if you want to participate. And I'll get into more of that later, but I wanted to lay down the groundwork for our family first because you'll need to know who you are before you can figure out who you're going to be."

Bonnie never really looked at her life like that before. She knew what she was, a descendent of a powerful witch bloodline, but there was so much more to her than just the supernatural. She listened intently as Vee spent the next few hours talking about the people staring at her through the photos. She learned that certain family members had been trailblazers, decorated war veterans, started businesses, participated in freedom marches, gave up their lives so that Bonnie could enjoy the rights she and many took for granted.

"Wait, go back," Bonnie said because a photo caught her attention. When the page turned back, a crease formed between Bonnie's eyebrows and her jaw dropped.

"Goodness, NiNi she looks just like you," Vee gasped.

Yeah, that caught Bonnie's attention but not so much as the man in the photo.

"Elijah," Bonnie whispered lowly so Vee wouldn't hear her. The black and white photo might have been taken in the early 1800's, of that Bonnie wasn't sure, and the woman standing in front of her uncle did in fact _look _like Bonnie which caused a shiver to rundown her spine. Elijah was dressed in dark suit his hair parted in the middle and gelled down to the sides. The woman was dressed in a white gown with a beaded headdress adorned on her head. This might have been a wedding photo. "Do you know who they are?"

Vee studied the photo for a moment. "Now I remember. I think the woman was called Tatia and the man…Elijah. My grandmother told me this photo was taken in Paris during the 1800's. They were engaged, but Tatia died of Influenza, and Elijah," Vee shrugged. "No one really knows what happened to him. He may have died with Tatia."

"Who was Tatia?"

"I think she might have been an opera singer. She couldn't find work here, for obvious reasons, so she caught a boat to Paris. She met Elijah, they fell in love, and then she died. So sad."

Bonnie couldn't unlock her gaze away from Tatia and Elijah. They looked happy. Seeing someone with her face smirking at the camera almost in the same way Bonnie did, creeped her out. So that explained why Elijah claimed her as being his favorite because for all intents and purposes she was the doppelganger of Tatia.

Bonnie abruptly rose from the table. "Excuse me, Auntie I need to use the bathroom."

Getting lost in the bathroom, Bonnie was tempted to call Elijah and put him on blast, but at the same time she didn't want to do that. She could interrogate him in person, but now traveling with him didn't seem right anymore. She didn't think he was trying to relive his prior love vicariously through her, but once again she wasn't sure about that either. Elijah had been nothing but kind, courteous, and generous to her. And sure he had a tendency to stand too close to her, yet Bonnie noticed it was a trait all vampires carried. However, none of that equated that he would try to seduce her on their travels.

If she told Damon he would only shout in her face "I told you so". Bonnie sat on the closed toilet lid nibbling her thumb. She wished Grams were still alive so she could talk to her, and get her opinion not just about this, but about several things. Getting off the toilet and washing her hands, Bonnie rejoined her aunt downstairs.

Hours passed and Bonnie was once again off to get dressed for a cookout her great uncle was throwing. She opted not to go out on his catamaran with her other cousins in order to spend time with Aunt Vee and learn more about her family, now she kind of wished she had taken him up on his offer. Bonnie donned her black sleeveless cotton dress that swept the floor. She paired it with metallic silver gladiator sandals, doorknocker earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet. Her phone vibrated against the bathroom sink. She smiled at seeing who the caller was.

"About time you showed up," she said and brushed bronzer over her cheeks and T-zone. "You should have been here two hours ago."

"Don't ride me, Judgey, in fact do but not about being late. There were several delays and then I got stuck in traffic behind a truck filled with chickens. I'm picking feathers out of my dashing locks as we speak."

Bonnie snorted and dragged her lip gloss applicator across her bottom lip. "I'm about to head over to my Uncle Jericho's house. You still have the directions to get there, right?"

"Yes, woman. And knowing you I'll probably beat you there. Will I be accused of being apart of the clan if I show up in all white?"

"Get off my phone, Damon. I'll see you later," Bonnie chuckled.

"See you soon, Bon."

Bonnie's earlier trepidation began to ebb away after hearing Damon's voice and knowing that he was near. Twisting from side to side admiring her reflection, Bonnie gave herself the seal of approval and left the confines of the bathroom.

She rode to the cookout with her Aunt Deloris and Aunt Vee and laughed the whole way there since Aunt Vee did nothing but criticize her sister's driving. If Bonnie had had siblings she wondered if she would have bickered with them the way her aunts battled it out. More than likely since it seemed all the females on both sides of the coin had fiery personalities and spoke their minds regardless of who they were addressing.

The house was bursting with people by the time they arrived. Little children ran around in bathing suits chasing each other before heading to the moon bounce. At least five grills were going simultaneously, and no matter which corner of the enormous backyard Bonnie's gaze landed on, she saw nothing but tables and tables piled with food.

Bonnie quickly joined her cousins who were standing near the DJ booth. When her Uncle Jericho threw a cookout it soon transformed into a block party. Later tonight, a distant relative of Bonnie's who was the lead singer of a cover band would be performing.

Since she didn't finish her breakfast, and deliberately skipped lunch knowing she would be attending a cookout, Bonnie was ravenous and didn't waste a minute before dressing a plate. Of course that was after greeting the elders of her family, conversing with them, and putting a few of the smaller children in line.

She just started in on her ribs when she got a tap on the shoulder. Bonnie looked up.

"There's some white dude named Damien out front looking for you."

Bonnie shook her head and rose from her seat. Bunching up her dress so she wouldn't trip over the grass, Bonnie made her way out front. There standing across the street leaning against a black Cadillac CTS Convertible dressed in all black in spite of the heat was Damon Salvatore.

He was…without a doubt the sexiest thing Bonnie had seen and that was saying a lot considering she had been in a house crawling with half-naked toned bodies just last week. Damon never really had to do much outside of stand still to draw attention to his lethal handsomeness. Though it had been no more than twelve days since the last time she saw him, seeing him still made her feel as if she had been blindsided by a truck.

Damon pushed away from the car and approached her full of bravado and swagger. If there had been any activity happening on the street it stopped so everyone could marvel at the unnaturally striking man headed towards little Bonnie Bennett.

When he loomed over Bonnie Damon made it no secret he liked what he was seeing. Damon had never seen Bonnie with her hair in its natural curly state. She either wore it pin straight or in waves, and though she did look younger, she was still a knockout. And if he weren't mistaken she may have gained some weight but only in the right places. Her boobs looked bigger, and though the dress she was wearing didn't hug her curves, even he could see as if he had x-ray vision that her thighs were thicker. And her skin was the color of toffee.

The sun was hitting Damon at an angle turning his blue eyes into silver daggers that pierced her deep in her feminine core. His eyes were nearly transparent that she saw nothing but his pupils. His hair was black as night but upon closer inspection she saw some red undertones, and of course his skin was the color of milk.

"Got_damn_," someone said.

Bonnie briefly looked to her right and spotted one of her uncle's neighbors nearly drop her child because she couldn't stop gawking at Damon. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Let's take this to the back before you send some poor woman into cardiac arrest," Bonnie reached for Damon's hand to tug him after her, but he didn't move a muscle. She pivoted on her feet to stare up at him.

"Don't I get a hug or kiss or something?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a quick peck and attempted to dart out of the way knowing he would grab her, which he did. Damon brought her flush against him, buried one hand in her thick hair and clamped his mouth over hers claiming her like a knight after slaying the dragon and climbing the tallest tower of the castle to rescue the damsel.

The burn and the sizzle that started in her core began to fan out increasing the heat. Damon's tongue brushed against hers, the spongy texture of it causing her to hold him tighter and consume every last drop of him. Damon lightly nipped her lip, pulling it between his teeth before releasing it.

"Now I'm convinced that you missed me," he winked at her and then linked their fingers together. He purposely eyed passing females with that notorious come hither look of his causing people to stop dead in their tracks, or to walk into objects.

Bonnie's heart began to speed more than it currently was the minute they made it to the backyard. Naturally gazes swung their way, necks craned, and it seemed the noise level dimmed down to a soft murmur. Bonnie's cheeks began to burn as she tugged Damon behind her and began introducing her to her aunts, cousins, saving her overprotective uncles for last.

Damon was in his element. He hadn't met a crowd he couldn't charm yet. He kissed hands, cheeks, gave dap, shook hands, even talked the lingo and made himself right at home. Naturally he got the third degree from her Aunt Deloris and Vanessa but Damon took it all in stride and won them over easily.

Bonnie stood next to yet another aunt who couldn't tear her gaze away from Damon while he held some kind of conversation with three locals from the neighborhood as he fixed himself a drink.

"You done good girl," her Aunt Shadie elbowed Bonnie.

"You think he's pretty you should see his brother."

Shadie's eyes widened. "He got a brother?"

Bonnie nodded and pulled out her phone, opening up her photo album and showed her aunt a picture of Stefan.

"Good _gawd_!" Shadie exclaimed. "You gotta hook a sistah up."

"Sorry, Auntie but Stefan is taken. And aren't you married?"

"Married, not dead, gurl. Even they names exotic. Damon, Stefan Salvatore…hmm," Shadie shivered.

Bonnie pinched the bridge of her nose.

Rejoining her cousins and finishing her food, Bonnie fielded nothing but questions about Damon. How long had they been together, which was tricky to explain considering Bonnie and Damon hadn't made anything official between them. But she simply introduce him as her guy friend though no one had been able to accept Damon would come all this way to see her and meet her family if they weren't in a relationship. And of course Damon soaked up all the attention and praise for being so devilishly good-looking, along with threats to treat her right or he'd turn up missing.

But she was asked about all sorts of things, even about his penis size to which Bonnie replied was none of their damn business so stop asking.

Damon joined her at the table sometime later, picked Bonnie up and placed her on his lap eliciting a chorus of sighs and aww's.

He spoke into her ear. "See I told you, you had nothing to worry about, that I would fit right in. I can officially say all the ladies love me and the guys," he shrugged, "some of them want to shoot me but I can't really blame them for that. I am a panty dropper."

Damon earned himself a Bonnie eye roll. He kissed her shoulder and began to engage her cousins in conversation. Some of them had minor difficulty in forming coherent sentences. And while Damon conversed with her cousins they ate off the same plate. Then he was gone yet again, off to go play spades with her some of her male cousins all of them were ex-military. And armed.

And with Damon busy doing that, Bonnie danced and gossiped with her cousins who had become the sisters she needed while growing up. Dusk settled, the alcohol was making everyone even more mellow as the night lulled on.

Once night officially hit, the band her uncle hired arrived, set up their instruments, and did a mike check before staring their performance. After wiping the floor clean of Bonnie's cousins, Damon rejoined her at the table and turned their seats until they faced the back of the house.

The lead singer bobbed in time with the music as she belted out the first words to the song she was singing a cover of. It was Jill Scott's "A Long Walk".

Bonnie began singing along, closing her eyes and getting lost in the music. However, she turned to Damon and sung, "You're background ain't back squeaky clean…"

He pursed his lips at her.

A few couples were up and on their feet dancing, and Damon was astute enough to realize that he and Bonnie never argued when they danced. He reached for her hand, ignored the slightly horrified expression that crossed her face as he pulled her to her feet.

Damon swung her in front of him. This wasn't exactly a song to cut a rug to, so Bonnie was a bit stiff until the singer jumped to the next song which was "Call Me" by Tweet. Even more people turned the grassy backyard into a makeshift dance floor.

Bonnie still found it hard to believe that she and Damon were here in this moment. Nearly a year ago she would have done everything in her power to make sure Damon stayed as faraway from her family as she could. But now she wanted him to see the other facets of her life outside of being a witch. Things could have gone down a vastly different road where that would have been the only role and purpose she'd fill in his life. Being the witch he kept on retainer to help get him out of jams.

But as she stared into his powder blue eyes Bonnie didn't have to question in what capacity Damon wanted her to be in his life.

"Something is on your mind. I smell it," he said breaking into her thoughts.

She had to share him with her family for the last three hours and now she wanted Damon all to herself. Bonnie dropped her arms from around his shoulders. "I want to be alone with you."

That mischievous glint instantly sprang to his eyes. He wondered how long it would take for Bonnie to say enough was enough, get him alone, and strip him naked. Okay, so the last part might not happen, but that didn't mean he couldn't strip himself.

"Tell everyone goodnight," he said.

Bonnie did just that, waved at her cousins, and together she and Damon got lost.

* * *

><p>They didn't go far, just down to Portersville Bay. Despite it being night, the humidity was still a raging bitch and didn't let up for a second. Bonnie's nice cotton dress was stuck to her in attractive places, and Damon's shirt was molded to his chest like a cast, not that she minded.<p>

"We should go for a swim and cool off," Damon suggested and dropped his pants right in front of her.

Bonnie had gotten past the point of blushing at seeing Damon's naked backside especially after he showed her how he got himself off the night he ate her out. But he stood proud before her a powerhouse of toned muscle and of course that one muscle that was surely happy to see her.

In situations like this Bonnie always came prepared because she never knew when someone might suggest going to the pool or to the lake. Underneath her dress she wore a two piece bikini. Bonnie divested herself of her dress, shoes, and jewelry and left everything in the car. Taking Damon by the hand, they walked to the water's edge, and sunk in until they stood about chest deep.

"How is everyone in Mystic Falls?" Bonnie asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist.

Damon shrugged and sunk under the water, taking Bonnie with him. They resurfaced a short while later, and he lifted Bonnie until she was poised over his head. She giggled. Slowly he lowered her and nuzzled the area where her shoulder and neck intersected.

"Everyone is fine," his breath brushed across her skin. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, the corner of her jaw, and then her earlobe. "No one died."

Bonnie angled her neck allowing him better access. "That's…good."

Damon's clever fingers reached for her top and pulled it down. Bonnie gasped and was about to protest but Damon's hand covered a mound and teased her skin until her nipple pebbled against his palm. Damon dipped his head and took the little pearl in his mouth, laving it with his tongue. Bonnie nearly swallowed her saliva down her air pipe. Damon went missing under water again and pulled her bikini bottoms off in addition to her top leaving her naked just like him.

Bonnie watched as her bathing suit went floating by on the water surface as she wrapped herself around Damon again. Her neck was back in his mouth as he drew designs against her skin with tip of his tongue. She also felt a nice little nudge from below.

"How many guys have tried to holla at you, shawty?" he smirked and got distracted by the feel of Bonnie's naked body against his. If he shifted his hips just right he could impale Bonnie on his shaft.

In the twelve days that went by with her gone, Damon had to work overtime not to do anything stupid. It was hard, but he kept reminding himself that he would get to see Bonnie. He had never really missed anyone like that before. Not even after he was turned and thought Katherine was dead. What fueled him back then was anger and rage. But with Bonnie gone it felt like a huge chunk of him had been missing.

Bonnie hitched an eyebrow in the air. "What makes you think someone tried to holla at me, ninja?"

He pressed her with a droll look. "You're not related to _every _guy in this town. And you're hot."

"Hmm," Bonnie thought for a moment. "Well, there was this one guy at my aunt's pleasure party. He wanted to give me a foot massage."

"Pleasure party? Foot massage? WTF?"

Bonnie giggled. "I turned him down. I should ask how many women have propositioned you since I've been gone."

Damon smirked. "Other than the mayor and the sheriff and a couple of college co-eds, you know, the usual. And I let them all know that I am a semi-spoken for man."

Bonnie grew quiet for a moment. She brushed Damon's hair off his forehead. She didn't like the idea of someone possibly capturing his attention while she was off on her adventures with Elijah. Damon had made it plain over and over again that he wanted to be with her. He was accepting her friendship but just barely and he hadn't exactly been pressuring her for more. So the only thing holding them up was her.

Yet if she took this plunge, Bonnie felt she would be relinquishing the last hold she had on Fell's Church Damon. She missed him, she loved him, but he was gone. It was a mantra she repeatedly ran through her mind day after day, and one she needed to put the final nail in the coffin in.

"Damon," Bonnie dropped her eyes and stared at his shoulder, "I've done some soul searching. And I've made a decision." She hesitated.

"Yes?" Damon prompted.

"I'm ready to move forward." Taking a deep breath, Bonnie summoned up her courage because she never asked anyone this question before. "Damon, will you…do you want…be my boyfriend," she finally sputtered.

Damon's eyes did that wild thing they do when he was trying to figure something out. When he connected her disjointed words together it sounded like Bonnie either asked or ordered him to be her boyfriend.

"Can you say that again and this time without the stuttering."

She slapped his arm. "Be serious."

"I'm being perfectly serious. I speak English, Bon, not broken English."

Bonnie huffed and bored her green eyes into his. "Damon Salvatore will you be my boyfriend?"

Seconds ticked by and there were crickets singing in the background. Damon's face was impassive and then he started smiling.

"Are you sure because I'm a lot to handle?"

"I can take you," Bonnie replied confidently.

"I've never actually _been _in a relationship so I'm sure I'll make some colossal mistakes along the way."

"Again, I'm perfectly aware of the type of person you are, Damon. I'm not going into this with blinders on."

"I could break your heart."

"I could break _you._"

"That could be problematic." Pause. "We will be _so _good together."

Bonnie held on to him just a little tighter. "We are good…together…most of the time."

"Are you seriously ready to do this? It's not all the seafood you've eaten talking is it?"

Now Bonnie was getting exasperated. "Do you want to be my boyfriend or not?"

"Okay, okay, okay, sheesh relax," Damon cleared his throat and fixed Bonnie with an unwavering stare. "Yes, Bonnie Bennett I would love to be your boyfriend."

Bonnie smiled and bit into her bottom lip. "Good, now go buy me poodle."

"Shut up," Damon said and pulled her closer, sealing the deal with a kiss, sinking under the water yet again.

In the car Bonnie's cell phone began to vibrate.

Flashing on the LCD screen was "MY DAMON".

To be continued.

**A/N: What could this possibly mean? What an ending. TV Bamon are together—yea! bout time. I really wanted to delve into Bonnie's history since that's gravelly left out of the series. And everyone else's history on the show is tied into the founding families but doesn't go beyond that. And I won't say that Bonnie is the doppelganger of Tatia; and yes I stole the name. Take that JP for stealing a Book Bamon scene and giving it to Delena. But I will say that Bonnie heavily "resembles" Tatia. She will question Elijah about it in the next chapter. I wanted there to be more witty dialogue between Bonnie/Cousins, Damon/Family but I couldn't get my mind to cooperate and be funny. Sorry about that. But thanks for reading and everyone have a safe Fourth of July! Love you babies.  
><strong>


	39. Summer Rain

**A/N: Hi, sorry for the postponement in an update. I think I'm starting to lose my steam for this just a tad bit, and may need to take a break to recharge my batteries. I'm going to go ahead and tell you this will be the only update for this story this week because I have a prior obligation and won't have access to a computer. So here is the latest.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Promises were sometimes made specifically to be broken. She had promised to stay away from Mystic Falls, to never return and set sights on this small, isolated, off the beaten path town again. Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to maintain her word because she had a job to do.

Sitting shotgun in a rented Lincoln Navigator the raven-haired woman stared blankly at the estate in front of her. Snapping off her seatbelt she fell out of the truck, her five inch pumps making contact with the ground. She made purposeful strides towards the front door. Under the cover and protection of night she inserted a key into the lock only to discover that the door had been left ajar.

She shifted only infinitesimally towards the man who had remained in the vehicle behind the wheel watching her every move. Silently they communicated with one another prior to her slipping inside.

The foyer was dark but that didn't matter because she could see where she was going perfectly. Using her senses she found her way to the den, her eyes zeroing in on the discarded body lying supine on the floor.

Her expression never changed to one of concern. It was hard to miss the crude dagger sticking from the center of his chest. Even in the darkness of the room she could see his gray, scaly skin. Very carefully she fell next to the body on her knees, and ran her blue eyes over the body once more before wrapping a pale white hand around the handle of the dagger.

With one forceful tug she removed the weapon and waited. "Time to wake up, Klaus."

* * *

><p>Damon was happy, like ridiculously happy. He couldn't really recount a time where he had been this stupidly happy. Perhaps never because what he felt boiling on the inside he never experienced that before in his prolonged life. Not with Katherine. Not with Elena. Not with anybody. Ever. And this feeling had everything to do with the girl he was chasing around, stark naked back towards the convertible.<p>

Bonnie squealed when Damon caught her around her waist and proceeded to hoist her over his brawny shoulder. He slapped the wet naked skin of her butt eliciting another yelp to which she quickly returned the blow with one of her own to his cheek. The next time she found herself upright she was being positioned on the trunk with Damon wedged firmly between her thighs. She stared up at him as he cupped her cheek, and she wondered if he had intentions of consummating their relationship right this second.

"I shouldn't feel this good," he said candidly still finding it hard to believe that Bonnie cracked first, that she was the one to initiate a relationship with him. But it was what he wanted. He wanted her to make the first move, to come to him as a way of saying she was ready to move on and put the past behind her. That she wanted to build something with him.

Did he have any reservations? Not really. Damon went into things full steam ahead, hardly ever sparing the consequences a second thought. Yet he knew he had to be, not necessarily careful with Bonnie, but he knew that he couldn't charm his way out of most situations with her that he could with others.

Bonnie stared up at Damon with a smile etched on her face. "Why shouldn't you feel this good? Do you think I'm going to wake up tomorrow and take it all back?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. People don't think clearly when they're out of their normal environment."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"Yeah. I've done some pretty f*cked up shit in my life..."

Bonnie chortled. "Ooh, shocker."

Damon ignored her sarcastic comment. "And guys like me…we typically end up sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else get the girl of their dreams while we have to settle with scraps. You _really _want to do this?" he reiterated for what felt the millionth time to Bonnie.

The girl in question sighed and draped her arms over his shoulders. "Damon, you should know that I've gone over every single scenario in my head before making my decision. If I didn't want you in my life you wouldn't be in my life, and it's as simple as that. This might sound a little sappy but you're my best friend. But you're more than that to me. And I want to try and make this work. But I can't change your opinion about yourself. Only you can do that."

Upon hearing that he quickly pecked her lips. "You see, Bonnie that's why I love you. Because you don't force me to be a better man. You lay out options and let me make the choice."

"Life is all about choices, Damon. Don't make me regret this one."

This time when he kissed her it was deeper, all-consuming, leaving Bonnie's skin tingling in all the right places and yearning for more than just a preview of what being with him would entail.

"Do you know who the only person that's going to be happy about this is?" Damon said.

"It's kind of sad that _only _one person would be happy about us."

"Yeah, but f*ck all the rest," Damon dismissed before pausing dramatically. "Stefan."

"I'm not totally surprised. He's your brother and he would want to see you happy."

"Yeah," Damon agreed ruefully. "Even after promising him an eternity of misery Stefan never gave up hope that I might change. Here's the kicker. I never gave up my humanity. I just pretended I didn't care, and well—I didn't. Most of the time," he added flippantly.

"That's one of the things that confused me about you two," Bonnie confessed.

"What?"

"Why Stefan had reverence for life and you didn't," Bonnie told him bluntly.

"Well, that's a story better left for Stefan to tell."

Suddenly Bonnie hissed and slapped her shoulder. "Freaking mosquito."

"Let me get you out of here. That's my job…sucking your blood."

He helped her down and Bonnie quickly slapped her dress back on since her bathing suit was now one with nature and would probably be used to make some critter a new home. Damon shucked his pants back on hating the fact his jeans were sticking to him in very uncomfortable places. They were both in the car, making goo-goo eyes at each other for a minute.

The blinking message indicator on Bonnie's phone caught her attention. She reached for it off the floor and put in her passcode.

"I have a missed call."

Damon snatched her phone out of her hands.

"What are you doing?" her tone was more than a bit incredulous.

Damon took his own cell phone out of the middle console, popped the trunk and tossed them both inside. He was back behind the wheel before Bonnie had the chance to comprehend what just happened.

"No interruptions," he said. "I want you all to myself for the next twenty-four hours before I have to turn you over to Mr. Kill Joy Elijah Mikaelson himself."

"That could have been my aunt," Bonnie argued.

"She knows you're with me and she can figure out what we're doing. It's summer. Do you have a curfew or something?"

"No, but…"

He silenced her with another kiss. "No buts. You're coming back with me to my hotel."

"Oh am I? What if I want to go back to my aunt's?"

"I have ways of changing your mind."

Bonnie leaned over, resting her elbows on the console. "Show me."

Damon pulled her on his lap, tilted his seat back and proceeded to do just that.

* * *

><p>Butterfly kisses were peppered along her neck before teasing her ear, and brushing across her cheek to capture her lips. Her fingers tunneled through strands of black hair, scraping against his scalp. Bonnie's hands reached under his soaked black T-shirt finding skin, skimming the surface of his smooth alabaster flesh. She lowered her hands until they contoured his ass through his jeans, bringing him closer to her throbbing center that desperately wanted some attention.<p>

Damon reached for the back of Bonnie's thighs and hoisted her up until she straddled his waist. Her back was being engrained into the tree she was thrust up against, but she paid that absolutely no mind. All she was concerned about was making this moment last with Damon because the very next morning, she would be departing with Elijah to Spain.

The moment was spiraling quickly out of control and Bonnie knew she had to put the brakes on it before she lost her dress and Damon dropped his pants. Besides they were standing in her aunt's front yard in the pouring rain. It was a good thing the house was isolated and surrounded by lakes and lots of trees, but the feeling of being watched wouldn't relent. That should have been reason enough to stop but Bonnie just didn't want to. Damon was effectively robbing her of her last visages of self-control.

"Bonnie! Stop fondling that boy and get your narrow behind in the house!"

The sound of Aunt Deloris' shrill voice broke the lovers apart who were breathing heavily before bursting out into laughter.

"You're in trouble," Damon said and proceeded to kiss her again. Bonnie didn't fight him.

"If I have to come out there and mess up three hours of hair styling I am going to beat you good, Bonnie!"

She was pushing her luck by defying Aunt Deloris' edict but Damon was clouding her common sense to end things now. Futilely she pushed at his chest hoping to get him to back down, which he didn't, only pressed closer to her, still working his mouth over hers like she stole something. And she had. His heart. The little thief.

"BONNIE ABIGAIL BENNETT IF I STEP FOOT OFF THIS HERE FRONT PORCH SO HELP ME JESUS I WILL BE CALLING THE FUNERAL HOME DIRECTOR…"

Bonnie jerked back from Damon and managed to hop out of his embrace. Quickly she walked around the huge oak tree heading back to the house with Damon trailing after her. She didn't spare him a single glance.

Aunt Deloris' cinnamon brown face was pinched with irritation as she stood poised on the large veranda with both hands glued to her wide hips. The evil eye she was giving Bonnie was enough to make her feel like a javelin had been thrown right through her. Bonnie avoided eye contact and instead kept her gaze locked on her sandals as she bounded up the stairs.

"I tried to get her off of me, Aunt Deloris after the first time you called her," Damon said in his defense. Bonnie swung around sharply to face him, incredulous he would attempt to throw her under the bus.

Bonnie watched in amazement as Deloris cupped Damon's damp cheek. "I know, baby. She's always had a hard head. You better come inside and get out of those wet clothes." She tried not to ogle him too much, but lawd he was fine.

Damon tried his best to contain his wolfish grin as he stepped inside of Deloris' house. He had been invited in earlier when he dropped Bonnie off before they headed back out where she took him on a mini tour of the city. And once they returned, Aunt Deloris extended an invitation for Damon to spend his last night in Bayou La Batre in her home. He easily accepted.

Folding her arms over her chest and looking like a petulant child, Bonnie strolled in after him. "I can't believe you're taking his side. He's the guy. And aren't all guys after one thing? That's what you told me, Aunt DeeDee."

Deloris closed the front door after they were standing in the foyer. "Don't argue with your elders, chere. Go upstairs and change out of those clothes, I said. You're a southern bred lady and you do your business behind closed doors, not in full view of the public."

"This coming from the lady who sells adult toys," Bonnie mumbled under her breath lowly although her aunt heard her anyways.

"Are you trying to sass me, little girl?"

Bonnie quickly lowered her eyes again. "No, ma'am."

Deloris twisted her lips in disapproval. "I'll bet. Get changed. Supper is almost ready. You hungry, Damon?"

"Oh yes ma'am I could eat a whole village."

That sentiment earned him an eye roll from Bonnie to which Damon kept his gaze plastered on Deloris.

"Well, all right then."

Deloris headed towards the kitchen while Damon and Bonnie went upstairs to change.

It had been amazing to Bonnie that she got into more trouble with Damon around when usually he was the trouble maker. All he had to do was bat those ridiculously blue eyes of his and all was forgiven. Bonnie? She was not let off the hook so easily.

Upstairs Damon prevented Bonnie from slipping into her room. "Mad at me?"' he skimmed the tip of his nose along her neck.

Bonnie tried to twist away but Damon wasn't letting her scurry off. "I'm still on the fence. I would tread very lightly if I were you." She kissed him hard and disappeared inside her room.

That night they dined on fresh cuisine straight from the bayou. Gluttoning themselves on seafood, tasty pastries, and lots of wine. Aunt Deloris needed to be helped up to her room afterwards but that wasn't without issuing out another warning for Damon to remain in his room or run the risk of losing a vital body part.

Damon had been a rule breaker all his life and challenged authority at every opportunity. He did sneak into Bonnie's room where they mostly stayed up and talked until he schlepped off to his room in the wee hours of the morning.

But he was back in her room as soon as the sun rose, following her every move as she got dressed. He had stopped her mid-way when she was dressed in her jeans and bra. Damon had pulled her between his legs while he sat on the bed, his hands roaming over her curves as if imprinting them into memory. He snuggled against her belly, kissed her navel, and they remained that way—silent for a good twenty minutes.

Later that day, Damon didn't make one snarky comment as he delivered Bonnie to Elijah who had been waiting for her at a private air field about half an hour away from Bayou La Batre. He and Bonnie shared one final intimate moment prior to her walking up the stairs of Elijah's G4 private jet.

Call him a punk but he was missing her already.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls, Virginia<strong>

There was a wedding taking place on the grassy knoll in the center of the city. It had been a while since Caroline Forbes attended a wedding and usually she looked for any excuse in the book to dress up and have a good time, but as she walked along the sidewalk watching the bride walk towards her groom Caroline didn't feel giddy or happy, she felt pissed.

That would never be her unless she turned Matt and he became her immortal husband, but the chances of that happening were pretty much slim to none. Caroline always tried to think along positive lines but lately it was next to impossible. She was keeping such a massive secret from Matt, her parents included, and if any of them learned the truth, Caroline didn't think they'd welcome her with open arms. On top of that she had to deal with Matt's condescending mother who never passed up the opportunity to talk about Matt's prior flame Elena as if the two of them had only stopped dating yesterday.

Caroline took it all in stride, because she was sure a flighty woman like Kelly Donovan could never let the domestic monotony of life slow her down. Did she want Matt to suffer another humiliation at the hands of his mother—of course not that went without saying. However, Caroline prided herself on being a realist and looked at the bigger picture. Women like Kelly didn't change nor did they stray too far from a bottle. So what the woman might have cleaned up her act a little and gotten a job as a receptionist at a dentist's office, it would only be a matter of time before this picture perfect facade she was trying to landscape came falling down like a house of cards.

The heat and humidity of summer was becoming more palpable as time stretched on. Caroline ducked into an air conditioned bookstore, the only bookstore in town, determined to find a copy of this book that was all the rage. She couldn't remember the exact title of it, but all she knew was that it was smut filled and since getting some from her boyfriend on a regular was a little more difficult now than it had been in weeks past, she needed something to tie her over.

Caroline browsed the aisles and saw a few catchy titles. She stopped in the historical romance section and ogled some of the male cover models. Once upon a time she didn't believe guys actually looked like this, yet that notion changed drastically when she met a pair of immortal brothers.

Ugh, she didn't want to think about either Salvatore at the moment. One was living in happy bliss with his girlfriend while the other was with his crush before she was to depart on a fantasy vacation of a lifetime.

Bonnie had the life.

Caroline could only wish she had a rich uncle out there somewhere who wanted to sweep her away to exotic locations, and take her on lavish shopping sprees. Bonnie wasn't the kind of girl who got caught up in fads although she milked her being psychic dry to the point Caroline wanted to wring her little neck. And Bonnie didn't even like vampires once she found out she was truly a witch and it wasn't just the drunk ramblings of her grandmother. So how was it that her entire bloodline was being protected by Mr. Original himself, and this vampire also happened to be loaded and wanted to spoil Bonnie rotten?

Caroline had no clue how any of this came about or how it was fair. Couldn't Elijah see that she needed adopting? Stefan had been great and patient in showing her the ropes, but that was about all he did. Even the other Damon had tried to lend a helping hand, but what Caroline was craving was some kind of adventure. No one had come along and offered to show her the world. No one had come along promising to leave their entire existence behind just to be with her. Simply put, no one had come along to offer to save her or make her happy.

She had no idea why she was thinking this way. Maybe she was bored. Yep, that's pretty much what it all boiled down to. She was tired of her boring hometown where yes—things that go bump in the night did try to eat the local population. But Caroline didn't want to be some warrior woman like Xena. She wanted a life of adventure—yes. A life of endless partying, of being beautiful, powerful, and unstoppable. She didn't want to simply go to college, and maybe get married. And that was another thing. Children, she wouldn't be able to have children.

Now she was just making herself depressed.

Quickly walking out of the romance section and crossing over into horror, Caroline eyed the choices before her.

"What's up, Care?" Jeremy asked.

Caroline's cornflower blue eyes widened only a bit as she stared at Elena's little brother. Caroline couldn't exactly pinpoint the last time she spoke to Jeremy. It might have been at the 20's dance when she told him he had food stuck between his teeth, but that had been it.

"Hey Jer," she replied as cheerily as possible.

"I didn't take you for a horror girl."

"Usually I'm not but I'm deciding to go with something different. I'm tired of doing the same shit all the time."

Jeremy nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm so sick of Mystic Falls I'm thinking about heading west. We have some relatives who live in Denver. A change in scenery might not be such a bad thing considering all the crap that goes on here."

Caroline blinked. Well, she could honestly say she never imagined Jeremy would want to live in any other place than Mystic Falls.

She folded her arms over her chest and leaned up against an adjacent bookshelf. "Why do you want to move?"

Jeremy shrugged and picked up a Stephen King paperback. "What the hell else am I supposed to do here? Graduate high school? At the rate this town is going I might be dead before my senior year."

Hearing that made Caroline feel…bad, sad, indifferent? She didn't know. She just knew that some pang went off in her chest. Did something happen to Jeremy to make him think there was no reason for him to stick around?

Jeremy noticed that Caroline hadn't responded to his confession. He stared at her and saw she had a slightly constipated expression on her face. "Hey, I was only joking. Relax."

"Well, it wasn't funny," she snapped.

Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Caroline said and grabbed whatever book her hand landed on, pulled it from the shelf and walked to the check out counter. Jeremy chucked the Stephen King novel and followed after her.

"Look, I know this town is bad but I wouldn't just leave Elena and Jenna. They need a man around."

Caroline giggled and cut it off abruptly. She turned to face Jeremy who was slightly insulted by her chuckles. She reached for the hand that bore the ring that protected him from supernatural attacks.

"If it weren't for this you would have been mince meat. But this also doesn't make you invincible. Remember that, Jeremy."

Caroline made her purchase and slipped her sunglasses on the minute she walked out of the bookstore. Jeremy had been holding up the wall waiting to ambush her. He had made it a point to stay clear of Elena's friends because they could be such irritating beotches, but he was officially an upperclassman now which put him on the same footing as them.

"Hey Care," Jeremy said as she seemingly ignored his presence and walked right by him.

Caroline skittered to a stop and pivoted on her heels to face Jeremy. She pulled her shades down until they rested the end of her nose. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to a party later…do you want to roll?"

She snorted and slipped her shades back on. "A party with a bunch of potheads? How novel, but I think I'll pass."

Jeremy cracked a lopsided grin. "No, this is a party where only special invites are dolled out. Black tie kind of party and it has nothing to do with a Founder's event."

An elegantly arched eyebrow rose over the rim to her shades. Black tie? Hmm? "And where is this party," she made air quotation marks, "being held?" She was the social director of her friends and knew who was having a party and when. She had heard nothing outside of the usual and definitely nothing about black tie. So that pegged the question of who and why someone would invite Jeremy Gilbert to something requiring formal wear.

"It's being held at a secret location. Tell me now if you're in or out."

She thought for a moment, allowed her gaze to wonder over to the wedding that was still taking place, before bringing her azure gaze back to Jeremy. "In."

* * *

><p><strong>Agiokampos, Larissa, Greece<strong>

"You look like you have a lot on your mind."

The deep British voice broke into Bonnie's thoughts causing her to startle and look away from the Aegean Sea. A cool breeze blew past giving flight to tendrils of her chocolate hair. Bonnie followed Elijah with her eyes as he took a seat on the padded chaise next to hers. She rotated her body until she was angled towards him.

"That's my problem, Uncle Elijah. I always have something on my mind."

His dark brown eyes were hidden behind an expensive pair of Armani shades, yet Bonnie could still feel the intensity of his gaze. Elijah's eyes like Damon's were hooks, they reeled you in, or more to the matter they were like the light an Angler fish dangled to draw its prey towards its sharp teeth. She figured by now she would have been immune, but she wasn't. Therein lie the problem.

"Maybe it's something I can help with," Elijah assumed.

Bonnie shrugged. "I'm more interested in hearing about your past, honestly."

"My past," Elijah was surprised and he didn't hide it in his tone. "I've been alive for the better part of a thousand years. You might want to narrow down what it is you most want to know."

Bonnie licked her lips. This was her moment to strike. She had been with Elijah for the last two weeks and in those two weeks she had done a multitude of activities that she would replay over and over again, and cause her to be the envy of her social circle, yet at the heart of everything none of it was important. What was important to Bonnie in this moment was figuring out his past with Tatia. Her resemblance to the woman was uncanny, and that funny feeling of stepping into Tatia's shoes whenever she came into contact Elijah flared up.

Damon hadn't wanted her to go on this trip for numerous reasons, but when Bonnie disclosed the fact she looked like a woman Elijah had been engaged to, he was more than adamant she think of some excuse or lie to back out of traveling with her pseudo uncle. Surprisingly that particular discussion hadn't turned into an argument because Bonnie knew it could have escalated to that point. Damon, in some aspects was trying to modify his behavior, and for that she was thankful, but she didn't want him to stop being who he was at his core.

Getting up from the chaise and entering the villa, Bonnie dug around in her leather burlap bag withdrawing the picture she stole from her Aunt Vanessa's photo album. Retracing her steps, Bonnie handed the picture over to Elijah.

"I want to know about her."

He slipped his shades off, slacked jaw, as he stared at the picture of the woman he loved once and wanted to share his life with. Elijah remembered that day as if it happened yesterday, and to him it had, though this snapshot had been taken close to two hundred years ago.

Every vampire went through his or her own form of the dark ages. A period in time where nothing mattered, not keeping what you were a secret, using discretion, or having respect for humanity. His mind had become some kind of twisted knot of depravity as he tore through the French countryside with an insatiable thirst that wouldn't go away. He came across Tatia, was about to drain her, yet he couldn't go through with it. In her dark green eyes he had seen helplessness and fear, but that hadn't been all.

He saw forgiveness. That drew Elijah up short. None of his victims, and he meant _none _ had ever looked at him in that way, and what he saw reflected back was the truly heartless monster he had become mainly because there had been no one around to show him another way to exist.

And by that point, Elijah had grown tired of existing. New marvels and technologies kept his mind fascinated, but it was humanity that refused to change, and had driven him to the brink of madness.

But Tatia spoke to him in perfect French that she forgave him and wouldn't hold what he had to do against him. At first he thought she was crazy, had escaped an asylum, but that wasn't the case. He let her go, yet followed her for weeks, watching her every move, listening to her conversations, learning all he could about her. When he discovered she had a talent for singing, and heard her one night, it was there he fell in love with her.

Tatia had been working in an alehouse, the only work a woman of color could find in those times, unless she wanted to work as a servant in some grand lord's house. One night, Elijah went to see her, struck up a conversation and before the night was over, together they left as he took her back to his estate where their lived in cautious apprehension of one another.

Truthfully, Elijah had no idea how to relate to humans because he had gone so long without having consistent contact with them. But Tatia taught him the basics, and when he proposed marriage, she refused knowing they would never be accepted as a couple, and their union wouldn't be legal.

After asking her for the sixth time, Tatia agreed and were secretly engaged for six months until Tatia died of a mysterious illness. She had been sick for a long time, but no doctor would treat her, and Elijah debated whether he should turn her. The choice, however, had been taken out of his hands.

Upon her passing he understood why Tatia hadn't been afraid of him the night he attempted to drain her. She figured he was an angel of mercy, there to put her out of her misery because she had been ill for so long.

It took Elijah nearly a decade to get over her death, and since then he never fully committed to another person: human, vampire, didn't matter. He kept everyone at arm's length. Caring too much when you stood so much to lose were not odds that Elijah had been in favor of taking. Tatia was his heart and soul, and he had gotten used to living without both since her passing.

That was until Bonnie was born, matured, and when he saw her it was like Tatia had come back to him. Yet he understood perfectly well that Bonnie was _not_ Tatia, and thereby anointed himself as Bonnie's uncle. And kept the boundaries between them firmly in place.

Nevertheless, it wasn't any less confusing being around Bonnie because there were mannerisms she shared with Tatia that had the effect of taking his breath away, and making him momentarily forget she wasn't the love of his life.

He stared over at his niece who gawked back at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"Her name was Tatia. I met her in Boulogne, France around 1857. She had been working in a tavern at the time. She was a beautiful woman, had a gentle soul. Her reasons for being in France were obvious. She wanted a different life than the one she had in America. So she disguised herself as a man, stole away on a ship heading to France with the idealistic notion of becoming an accomplished opera singer. Her voice was beautiful but no opera house would ever hire her. She didn't speak much about her family when we first met, and imagine my surprise when I discovered she was a Bennett.

"I asked Tatia five times to marry me, and the sixth time I asked, she finally accepted. I had this picture commissioned in celebration of our engagement. Of course we couldn't legally marry, but there were some ministers and priests, who for the right price would have married us. But Tatia was a sickly woman, and her body just refused to keep up with her. She died six months after this was taken."

Bonnie inhaled a deep breath. She could see it was difficult for Elijah to talk about his ex-fiancé, and her heart did go out to him. "I'm sorry, Uncle Elijah."

"We had nine glorious months together, and I wouldn't trade a single one for all the centuries I've been alive."

"You really did love her," Bonnie mumbled softly.

He stared at her. "Yes."

"So Tatia…she was never a slave?"

"I don't believe so. She kept details about her home life private. But I think her mother had escaped with Tatia to a free state when she was no older than three years old."

"Did you ever tell her you were a vampire?"

Elijah cleared his throat. "The night we met…I had been attempting to kill her," he dipped his head a bit in shame.

Bonnie gulped.

"But I couldn't go through with it. It wasn't because I fell in love at first sight, but because I saw forgiveness in her eyes in the midst of knowing that I was about to end her life. Needless to say she took my breath away."

"So if she knew you were a vampire and you knew she was sick, why didn't you turn her?"

"I've asked myself that question a million times, but…as much as I loved her, I couldn't subject her to this lifestyle. And she didn't want to take the easy road to recovery. As picture perfect as I might be making everything sound, things were not always easy between us."

"Well, no relationship is perfect or without conflict or obstacles," Bonnie said.

"You're right but that's typically a statement reserved between humans. Vampires…our emotions, everything about us is heightened sometimes to levels even we can't control. Bonnie, I know what's ahead on the road you're about to travel down with Damon. He's very possessive and impulsive; not exactly bad qualities but they can make him reckless. I want you to be _very_ careful."

Bonnie nodded. "I know what I'm getting myself into."

Elijah shook his head to refute her words. "I don't honestly think you do. You're a witch and vampires and witches are enemies for a reason, although no one can say with a hundred percent certainty why that is. Your power is fueled by your emotions, and vampires are nothing but emotional creatures—some of us—I'll amend that. Putting you and Damon together could be catastrophic for everyone around you. You'll begin to change, to become more possessive of him and vice versa. If he feels something is a threat to your relationship he _will _eliminate it regardless of the source. You won't be immune in wanting to eliminate a threat by any means necessary if someone comes after Damon. And the reason I'm telling you all of this is because that's what I experienced when I was with Tatia.

"The idea of her leaving me, of falling for another, of someone coming and taking her away from me, nearly drove me insane, but it was her love that kept me centered, but it was hard, Bonnie. There were some days where my love for her was so overwhelming I had to leave because I was afraid I might do something to hurt her or someone else. She was my air and without her I was dead."

Bonnie was quiet for a while, simply absorbing everything Elijah just shared with her. It freaked her out, sent chills down her spine. She didn't want to change. To become this obsessive, possessive person Elijah was alluding she could become.

She didn't go through any of that with her first love and she wanted to question why Elijah felt her relationship with blue-eyed Damon Salvatore would be so different.

However, there was something else she wanted to know more. "I'll take everything you just said under advisement. But what I want to know is…when you look at me…do you see her? The first time you saw my resemblance to Tatia…what went through your mind."

Elijah's head tilted back until it rested against the chaise. "I thought I was in both hell and heaven at the same time. I never believed in reincarnation yet in that moment I did. I studied you for days before I showed up on your doorstep back in October. I knew you weren't my Tatia, and it was hard separating the two of you, but I knew I had to maintain my role as being uncle in your life. And that was something I never wanted to do, Bonnie was interfere in your life. You are not my Tatia. So please don't think the reason I want to spend time with you has anything to do with you taking her place."

"Because no one can."

Elijah nodded. "When I say you're my favorite, I'm not relating that to who you resemble, although that doesn't hurt," he allowed a tiny smile to crease his lips. "But I sense greatness in you, Bonnie, and if I can help cultivate it in any way I can, I will do so."

"Fair enough. Thank you for being candid with me."

He reached for Bonnie's hand and when she extended it, Elijah quickly kissed her knuckles.

Bonnie thought for a moment before forming her next question. "Elijah…why do you feel my relationship with Damon of this world will be more intense than what I had with Damon of Fell's Church?"

"I've based my opinion on observation and personality traits. I know something of Damon's background—the one you're currently with. His entire life he has been the underdog so in order for him to get attention whether positive or negative he had to do something outlandish. If it weren't for his looks no one would pay Damon any mind. Damon of Fell's Church was reared during a strict and rigorous time. He can endure a lot without breaking or losing his cool.

"I've watched your interactions with them both. The Damon of this world only knows two speeds: fast and lightning fast. He is a taker, unapologetic, immature but as of late I've noticed the change in him. I can only attribute that to you. Those things in mind, you're no longer just a girl with a pretty face, Bonnie, you are now Damon's livelihood."

Gulping, Bonnie tucked a few errant strands of hair behind her ear. "No pressure there."

Elijah laughed yet it was interrupted when one his butlers approached with their lunch. Bonnie and Elijah ate and conversed until she yawned and headed inside to take a nap before they went on their next adventure in Greece whatever that might be.

Closing the door to her suite, Bonnie stretched her arms above her head and arched her back. Her cell phone began ringing—her new cell phone. After Damon confiscated her phone back in Alabama, leaving it in the trunk for the rest of the weekend, the poor thing malfunctioned.

A smile blossomed on her face. She quickly answered, shucked off her flip flops, and fell backwards on the bed.

"Missing me yet?" Damon's voice came on the line as cocky as ever.

"Who is this again?"

"Funny, Judgey. Where are you now?"

"I'm on a safari," Bonnie replied sarcastically.

"Actually you're in your bedroom at Elijah's house in Greece. Now am I hot or cold?"

Bonnie sat up in bed and searched all four corners of the ceiling wondering if there were any hidden cameras around. "How could you possibly know that?"

He laughed, the sound reminding her of two panthers rolling around in heat. "GPS is all the rage these days."

"You're tracking my phone?"

"I have to know you're safe and reachable when I need to talk to you. It's been two weeks since the last time I saw you, and a day and a half since I heard your voice."

Bonnie rolled over on her stomach. "I'm assuming you want me to be flattered that you're using technology to stalk to me."

"Do I need to go over the definition of what a stalker is? We're in a relationship so that means I'm entitled to keep tabs on you. See the difference. I'm being the proactive boyfriend in making sure my sweetie is still alive"

"Hmm."

"So since you're in your bedroom…what are you wearing?"

Bonnie grinned. "I was waiting for you to ask that question."

"All right, so don't withhold the details. Spill as the incomparable Caroline Forbes would say."

Upon hearing Caroline's name, Bonnie made a mental note to shoot her and Elena an email before the night was over. She missed her friends but at the same time she was glad for the time away from them. When you spent too much time with a person you could actually start to resent them.

"Why don't you guess what I'm wearing," Bonnie purred into the phone. She was never big on engaging in phone sex, but Damon had been nothing but a persistent buggard in this area.

On his end of the world, Damon was stretched out on his bed, one hand propped behind his head, a knee bent in the air. Since returning to Mystic Falls he's had to deal with one problem with the Council after another. A small nest of vampires had tried to settle in town, scaring the locals, and he had to put major foot to ass. He finally had some down time before his presence was required at the Lockwood mansion for another mandatory meeting. Ugh, he could really hate being head of that damn council sometimes.

Yet his mood was vastly improving now after hearing Bonnie's sultry voice. He never noticed until he started paying close attention to her, that her voice was seductive. It wasn't raspy like Elena's where you wanted to buy the chick a lifetime supply of Halls, or shrill like Caroline's where one was tempted to duck tape her lips shut. But Bonnie's sexiest voice was her morning voice after waking up from sleep. There was nothing else like it in the world.

Thinking about her in general usually made his body hard and heavy in a flash so he wasn't surprised by the burgeoning erection that was pleading to be released from the confines of his jeans.

Sure he had ample opportunity to consummate his relationship with Bonnie in Alabama, but he was rather enjoying the slow burn. Call him old-fashioned.

He returned his thoughts to their conversation, the grin evident in his voice. "You know my mind practically lives in the gutter, Bons. I see you sprawled across your virgin white sheets, mimicking Venus de Milo. Unadulterated and completely naked, dripping wet from your center, erect nipples saluting the ceiling."

There was silence for a minute. "If you ever get tired of being a vampire you should go write articles for Penthouse."

Damon laughed. "Touch yourself, Bonnie."

Her cheeks were blazing. "No."

"You're alone."

"I think you've forgotten what wonderful senses vampires have. Elijah is around here somewhere. I don't want him literally catching wind of what I'm doing."

"Hmm, you have a point. So just listen to me."

"Damon…"

He ignored the warning in Bonnie's tone and purposely placed his phone on speaker so Bonnie could hear his zipper going down. He groaned as he released his erection from his pants. "I wish it were your hands doing this."

Bonnie's mouth was going dry as she listened to Damon repeatedly beat his meat. It was disgusting and a major turn on at the same time. And when he came, she had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"I need a cigarette and a nap," Damon said between his shudders.

Now she was hot and bothered with no kind of outlet. This wasn't fair. Bonnie had never been big on masturbation but she needed to do something to relieve the fire in her loins.

"I know you're shy about playing with yourself, so why don't I just talk you to orgasm," Damon offered.

Bonnie switched her phone to her other hand. "It's too dangerous. You know my powers go haywire when I…" she blushed.

Damon ignored her. "Just imagine that my head is between your legs, my tongue jutting out and separating your wet folds…"

"Bonnie?"

The girl in question shot up from the bed, heart beating wildly in her chest. She ended her call without muttering a single good bye to Damon. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes, Uncle Elijah?"

"I have some business in the city but afterwards do you want to have dinner at that vineyard I was telling you about?"

"Ah, s-sure. What time should I be ready by?"

"Seven."

"Okay."

Bonnie didn't move a muscle until she heard Elijah's foot steps retreating. She buried her head in her pillow feeling all levels of mortified. Her phone rang again. "I almost got caught."

Damon laughed unsympathetically. "I bet you smell amazing right now. I can practically taste you on my tongue, Bonnie. Now…where were we…?"

* * *

><p><strong>Gilbert Residence<strong>

Jeremy came downstairs to find the kitchen was full of people. Alaric was there as well as Stefan and Caroline. It was the blonde he kept his eyes on and then examined the dishes that were being placed on the table. It had been Elena's idea to start a new tradition of sitting down together like some patch quilt family one night out of the week and break bread. As stupid as he found the idea it almost reminded him of the times when his parents were alive.

His mom and dad equally shared cooking duties, but no one could beat his mom's recipes. They had been gone for two years but the pain of their loss still took their toll and left him feeling like a helpless little boy whose family had been ripped away from him. He had his sister, only to find out she wasn't really his biological sister, and his aunt. They were all the family Jeremy had left. But now, there was Alaric who he viewed more as a mentor than a parental figure, and Stefan the brother he never really asked for.

"So glad you could join us," Jenna said and sat a bowl filled with croissants down on the table.

"It was the least I could do," he replied and reached for a buttery roll only to have his hand slapped away by Jenna.

"Those are for dinner and you need to go wash your hands."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and headed to the sink. He stood beside Caroline who was busy washing off silverware.

The party they went to had been something out of a Stanley Kubrick movie. Caroline was sure she was tainted in some way, but she had had fun drinking all sorts of exotic wines, and literally being pampered. She and Jeremy had stuck together the minute they arrive at a huge mansion located in southwestern Virginia. But they were separated after about an hour, being dragged off to different rooms, by masked guests. Caroline had spent the night yapping away to a guy whose name she didn't ask for. What Jeremy did, she didn't know and didn't want to know, but he had walked out with a shit eating grin on his face, and that cured any curiosity she might have had.

Elena eyed the table trying to gleam if anything was missing when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Matt had been invited and she figured it was him, but he had said he wasn't sure if he would make it due to work.

Opening up the door, Elena froze. Her eyes widened before she blinked wildly.

"Hello, Elena."

"Isobel."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Now we're getting to the third act of the story, in terms of the overall arc. Yea! So moms are just rolling back into town. Interesting. And of course Klaus was going to pop back up at some point. I'm not his biggest fan but he does have a purpose in this story that will be revealed in upcoming chapters. Yes, Jeremy and Caroline partying together was completely random but I like throwing different characters together just to see what will happen. And if you're curious on whether Elijah has found his family...that will be addressed in upcoming chapters. And will Bonnie ever see that she had a missed call from a certain person? Answers coming soon. As always thank you for reading. Love you!**


	40. The Reunion

**A/N: Hi everyone. Special shout out to NYOFACE for the insider info on cotillion life. You rock, chica! All that's left to say is lemons, apples, oranges, pears, bananas ahead. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Elena Gilbert was the girl everyone loved. You'd have to travel the world over to find one person who wouldn't fall under the spell of those doe-brown eyes of hers. She smiled at strangers. Went to bat for her friends and family. Was an honor student and loved her parents fiercely until they were taken from her. To those on the outside looking in, they would say she had the model life. She was in love with a handsome guy who strived to put her needs before his own. She had a close-knit circle of friends she could share endless secrets with and not worry about that information circling the gossip train. And she had a guardian that she loved to distraction.

But none of that mattered nearly as much as the fact that she was abandoned by the woman standing on her front porch.

Elena, like any other person who lived in the dark for nearly her entire life was highly pissed off that her birth mother cared nothing for her and simply gave her away like she was a shirt she bought at a store and returned. Maybe things hadn't been that simple for Isobel Flemming. Maybe she had been a frightened sixteen year old girl who felt she didn't have any other options than to give her baby girl away. Perhaps she did it because she knew Elena would have a much better life with a stable family. Whatever her reasons were, to Elena they had all been selfish and self-centered.

It went without saying she had a low opinion of Isobel, giving her up for adoption notwithstanding, she couldn't respect a woman who would turn her back on a good husband to become a vampire. A sane person wouldn't do that. And whatever Isobel's reasons were in seeking out a vampire to be turned…only she could answer that. Yet Elena wasn't interested in finding out answers to those questions, but only this one…

"_What_ are you doing here?"

Isobel stared back at her human offspring blankly. There was no flicker of recognition a parent might bestow on a child they were proud of. She didn't look repentant in the least for the mini-destruction she attempted to cause in Elena's life in order to get her to back off in finding out who she was. Back then Isobel had one focus and that was to find the Jonathan Gilbert device. She did it all as a favor to Katherine, but now that Katherine was dead it proved her efforts had been in vain.

Not that she really cared to begin with. Everything in life, according to Isobel Flemming-Saltzman was an ends to a means. Becoming attached to her old life would only serve in weakening her resolve, and Isobel was in a messy business were one couldn't afford to be sloppy. She wasn't here to ask for a chance at redemption. She knew she was better off not being in Elena's life in any capacity.

"I wanted to see you," Isobel replied almost emotionlessly.

Stefan, having heard Isobel's voice walked into the living room but hung back. He knew Elena could fight her own battles and she was still in the safe confines of the house, so she wasn't in any danger of being hoodwinked.

"For _what_?" Elena asked tersely. She looked over her shoulder, spotted Stefan who gave her a pointed look that she easily translated into "are you all right?" Elena infinitesimally nodded her head before returning her attention to her deadbeat mom.

"Elena…can you step outside for a minute?"

In response Elena folded her arms and pursed her lips together. "No! Say what you have to say to me and then leave."

Isobel smirked a little. "I only wanted to give you something."

"If it's not an apology then I don't want it."

"You want me to apologize because I gave you up for adoption? Not that I have to explain my reasons to you, but I was sixteen. What was I supposed to do with a baby? I lived in a small town, like you, fell in love with the wrong boy, like you, and got knocked up as a result of being stupid, like you. I'll rephrase that…at least your boyfriend can't procreate. I had to look out for myself and I knew another family could provide better for you than I ever could. Now look at you…" Isobel trailed her eyes over the splitting image of Katerina Petrova. "You're young, mature, beautiful. You live in this nice house. You have friends, family, a future. So you want an apology because you're life now is far better than what it could have been had you gone into foster care and been raped by your foster dad. Is that what you would have preferred?"

Elena swallowed hard. This woman had balls the size of watermelons. "So I'm supposed to be grateful! Woman, you have some nerve."

Stefan came to the rescue then. "All right you need to leave. _Now_! I don't know why you're here and I really don't give a sh*t. Tell your father the devil hello when you go back home."

Isobel turned her azure eyes on Stefan completely and totally unimpressed. "Damon is much better at the one liners, Stefan. And where is your dysfunctional brother? I'm surprised he hasn't scooped Elena away like a knight in black armor."

Her temples were beginning to throb. Elena pinned Isobel with her most baleful glare she could come up with. "I don't want anything from you, Isobel so please just go."

Isobel ignored her words and merely held a sky blue box out towards Elena. "Happy Birthday."

Silence.

"I've conveniently omitted parts of my human existence from my memory, but I never forgot your birthday. I know I'm about a month early, but I wanted to give this to you now." Isobel waited for Elena to take it and when she didn't Isobel merely sat it down on the porch. "I guess this would be the part where I say that I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment to you, Elena. But that just wouldn't be me. We Petrova's all have a self-centered gene, and you might think you're immune, but I guarantee you aren't. Only time will tell if you'll be worst than the lot of us combined. Or maybe…you really are the good one out of the bunch. Happy Birthday, Elena." Then she vanished.

Stefan rubbed Elena's back in comforting circles and closed the front door. "You okay?"

She nodded her head but then reopened the door and picked up the box Isobel left behind. When they turned back around each was rooted to the spot because Jenna was standing there white as a sheet.

"Jenna?" Elena said almost breathlessly as she felt her heart speed. She hoped her aunt hadn't heard that exchange but she probably did.

Jenna blinked slowly as if she were waking from a trance. "Was that…?"

Elena crossed over to Jenna and reached for her, but Jenna pulled out of the way. "She's supposed to be dead. DEAD! Ric said she was killed…murdered…"

Jenna was reaching hysterics.

And Alaric chose that time to enter the living room. "Hey…what's going on?"

Jenna spun around so fast that it made Ric's head spin. "Isobel!" she said that one word as if it explained everything.

He was clearly confused and first brought his attention to Elena who looked apologetic and like a deer stuck in headlights. Stefan had been of no help either in giving him a clue as to why Jenna was railing about his vampire ex-wife.

"What about her?"

"She's not dead! She was standing on our front porch as alive as you and me," Jenna exploded and then brushed past Ric to head for the stairs. He followed after her once he recovered from his stomach bottoming out to his feet. "She's not dead like you _claimed _she was, Ric."

"Jenna…hold on I can explain," he caught up with her on the stairs and captured her arm. "Jen…"

"I hope you can because none of this is making sense. Are you sure she was killed? Or did you say that for sympathy points or to hide the fact you're still married and I've been sleeping with a married man all this time? I mean, my God I've made some really awful choices about men in my life, everyone knows that, but you were supposed to be different."

"Jenna it's not like that," Ric said between clenched teeth. He realized they had a live viewing audience and pulled Jenna up the stairs after him where he locked them in a room to hash it out.

Caroline came out of the kitchen, twisting her fingers, feeling highly uncomfortable but strangely entertained. Here she thought she would be in store of another run-of-the-mill dinner at the Gilbert's but it turned into a mini soap opera.

"Anyone feel up to eating?" Caroline said cheerily.

"No," Elena slapped the box on an end table and ran her fingers through her hair. "I hate to kick you out but…Alaric is going to need some back up with Jenna. I hid the truth from her just as much as he did."

"Okay, I can take a hint," Caroline grabbed her keys but stopped in front of Elena and pulled her in for a hug. "Call me if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Care."

She threw a quick smile in Stefan's direction before leaving the house.

Stefan stood across from Elena. "Do you want me to stick around?"

Cupping his cheek, Elena attempted to smile. "I think you better go."

Nodding his head, Stefan kissed Elena briefly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Stefan."

With him gone, the house felt eerily empty despite the fact Jenna and Alaric were upstairs having their first major fight as a couple, and Jeremy was still in the kitchen stuffing his face. Elena didn't know what to do but Isobel's gift caught her eye. When she went to reach for it, Jeremy came into the room.

"Where did everyone go? I heard yelling earlier but…I didn't think anything of it."

"Jenna and Alaric are…having words."

"Yeah? What about?"

"Isobel," Elena summarized.

Jeremy's eyes widened. He learned all about Isobel after reading his sister's journal. He dropped his voice an octave despite the fact it wasn't necessary. "She was here?"

Elena nodded and plopped down on the couch. Jeremy soon joined her.

"What was she doing here?" Jeremy wondered aloud. "I thought she said that she'd never bother you again after you gave her the Gilbert device."

Elena sighed heavily and leaned her head on Jeremy's shoulder. "That's what she said but she showed up to give me a birthday present."

Jeremy snorted. "I wouldn't open it. It's probably poisoned."

"Oh, great. I did touch the stupid thing."

Her retort made Jeremy smile. "I don't know, Lena. Isobel giving you a birthday present out of the blue when she's had seventeen years to do so and she chooses now…seems a bit OOC."

Elena frowned. "OOC?"

"Out of character," he explained as if Elena took Special Ed classes. "Isobel made it apparent when she first showed up that she could careless you were her daughter. For her to do something so…I don't know…motherly doesn't add up in my book." He leaned over Elena who complained at his added weight against her legs. He wasn't pint sized anymore.

Jeremy snatched up the box. He examined it for a minute before handing it over to his sister.

"Whatever is inside this box…I wouldn't take it as Isobel trying to fix anything. You should burn it."

Elena watched him rise from the couch and head back into the kitchen. Jeremy was right. Isobel was not to be trusted and whatever was in the box, it probably wouldn't mount to being much of a gift.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

He was literally counting down the days to when he could get his hands on Bonnie again. She would be flying back from St. Thomas Island in three days, and Damon had been racking his brain on what he could do to make her return memorable. There was the obvious choice of stripping her naked on sight, but that might not go over so well if other people happen to be standing around. He could take her to some fancy restaurant, maybe to a movie or a play though Damon couldn't stand plays. He could be a perfect gentleman, or…

Hmm…

Knowing Bonnie she would probably be too exhausted to do anything considering the last five weeks of her life consisted of nothing but cookouts, and pleasure parties, clubbing, and sight-seeing, swimming, and sunbathing, shopping and carousing to the wee hours of the morning. And what had Damon done to distract himself while his girlfriend had been away?

Well according to Stefan he had done nothing but sulk. Damon wouldn't view lying around the house and occasionally meeting up with Ric either at his apartment or at the Grille to get drunk as sulking. He attended that stupid banquet with the mayor. Repeatedly had to endure her not-so-subtle flirting and "innocent" touching for two days that he really did consider f*cking her just to get her off his back. Other than that he didn't want to stray too far from home on the off chance Bonnie got homesick and begged Elijah to return her early.

Naturally that didn't happen. Hearing her voice early in the morning over the phone usually had the effect of making him heavy and rock hard and all he had to release that pent up sexual frustration was his hand. It wasn't good enough and didn't sate a doggone thing. He missed feeling Bonnie's warm skin next to his. Missed listening to her heart pound whenever he kissed her, stole her tongue and her breath. He missed her smell, inhaling her fragrance until that was all he could smell for days on end.

He was making himself sick from constantly thinking about Bonnie, but he wouldn't change his thought pattern for anything in the world.

The front door of his house opened and Damon didn't bother looking over his shoulder to see who it was. He had a book in one hand, a glass of scotch in the other. His sweetie would be home in three days, life was good.

"Hello, Damon."

Or maybe not.

Dropping the book on the table, Damon pivoted on his feet to face his love child. In retrospect it gave him the willies knowing that he slept with Elena's mom—not that he knew that tidbit of information at the time, but still it made his skin crawl knowing he slept with and turned the mother of the girl he desperately tried to be with at one point in his history. Isobel was beautiful. Damon did not take ugly women as lovers, but she was a tad on the old side. The night he met Isobel Damon had been feeling…not so great about himself. He couldn't exactly remember why but Isobel kind of popped up out of the blue. He got a few drinks in her and the next thing he knew, her neck was in his mouth and his hand was shoved up her skirt.

"Cruella DeVille. What are you doing here?" he asked point blank. "Sorry, I don't have any Dalmatians for you to skin and turn into a coat."

Isobel kept the length of the living room between them. Out of all the vampires she crossed and met since becoming one, Damon was by far the most beautiful. If she told him that it would only inflate his ego and it was already the size of Neptune so there was no need to bolster it some more. Her only point of contention with Damon was his obvious weakness for women. Women had the ability to reduce Damon into some punk ass that it baffled the mind. Everything he ever did in life was fueled by impressing some woman. Damon needed to learn to do things for himself and himself only.

"I came to see my daughter," Isobel answered in that dry tone of hers. You'd think Damon just asked her about the weather or something.

Damon didn't comment on that. "That still doesn't explain why your ass is in my house. I don't want anything else to do with you, Isobel. Get. Out."

She smiled then revealing her teeth. "You're not going to threaten me to stay away from Elena? What's changed since the last time I was in town? Did you finally wise up and collected your balls back?"

Damon compressed his molars on top of one another. He hadn't had a romantic and/or nasty thought about Elena in…geeze months…years…hell if he knew. She was no longer the focus of his life, the center of his world, and if he said as much to Isobel she would probe until she found out who Elena had been replaced with. And there was no way in the world he would throw Isobel on Bonnie's scent. Bonnie could take care of herself, he knew that, but he didn't want her entangled with another Petrova.

They were snakes; the lot of them.

"You could say that," he finally answered her question.

"Smart man. I always believed you were the more intelligent one between you and your brother. But there's something I need you for, Damon."

"What?" he spat, feeling annoyed.

"Leverage."

And before Damon could question what she meant by that, a million rusty needles began to pierce his skull, roasting his brains. Grabbing both sides of his head and falling to his knees, Damon thought Bonnie had been duped into turning against him, but it wasn't her sandal covered feet he saw, but a pair of manly boots that entered his vision before he blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands<strong>

Stretched out on a beach blanket admiring the cerulean waters, Bonnie swiveled her head to her companion. "So my Aunt Vee was telling me that being a debutante is a really big deal, and that it's a great honor for your family. But basically the cotillion is an introduction to society. I'll have to take classes every Saturday for the next three months, not so happy about that, but I'll be taught everything from etiquette, culture, to learning how to waltz, and giving speeches on what I've learned and how it's bettered me as a person.

"I'll also have to conduct myself like a lady outside of my lessons. If not I could be reported to my mistress which is like a den mother to all the debutantes. And I'll have to do a certain number of community service hours. If not I could be asked to leave the program, or if I do something real egregious that would reflect poorly on the person or company that nominated me. But at the end there will be this lavish party, and truly that's the only part I'm actually looking forward to. "

"That sounds no different from the rigorous ways of life in the English court," Rose replied.

Bonnie wasn't sure what title to label Rose with. All she really knew about the woman was she had worked for her Uncle Elijah for centuries and did things behind the scenes. Their relationship was not close by any stretch of the word. In the last week Rose had been here, Bonnie could honestly say she never witnessed Elijah and Rose having intimate conversation, and there certainly wasn't anything romantic between them. Bonnie had questioned why Rose had now only joined them in St. Thomas and Elijah's answer had been simple: he figured Bonnie missed having female companionship. Sure, but she didn't want Elijah to pay someone to talk to her and keep her company.

But Rose was easy to talk to and had a quirky sense of humor that certainly made the long days pass with ease.

"When I was your age, girls were only permitted to have an education if you came from a noble family. My father had been the grandson of an earl which made him noble enough that I was able to receive an education in France. I learned the modern languages, theology, mathematics, spelling, writing, transcribing. It was awfully dreadful."

Bonnie chuckled. "So did you ever serve as a maid or lady-in-waiting to any queen in Europe?"

Rose slipped her shades back on. "I did for about two years. I served Queen Claude of France. She was interesting to say the least." Sitting up on her towel Rose eyed Elijah as he drew closer to them. It was clear to see that he was not happy about something.

"What's happened?" was the first thing out of Rose's mouth.

Startled by the urgency Bonnie heard in Rose's question, she quickly turned her attention to Elijah who did look pissed off which was putting it mildly.

"Rose can you get the boat ready? We have to leave as soon as possible, and tell Frederico to close the house."

Rose was off to do Elijah's bidding who reached down for Bonnie's hand and hauled her to her feet.

"What's going on, Uncle Elijah?"

"It's my brother. Someone has awakened him. We must return to Mystic Falls _now_."

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls, Virginia<strong>

On the flight back to Virginia Elijah had only given Bonnie the abbreviated version of what was currently taking place. He left out the part about Klaus employing his mindless minions to kidnap Stefan, Elena, and Damon. If anything he wanted to drop her off at home but knew Bonnie wouldn't go for that. She had the uncanny ability to shoulder problems that didn't necessarily involve her. He could respect her zeal but at the same time it would cost her greatly if she weren't careful.

Rose pulled up outside of Klaus' house in Mystic Falls. She stared at her boss through the rear view mirror.

"Remain here, Rose. If I'm not out in twenty minutes…you have your instructions."

Rose nodded her head.

Opening the door, Elijah stepped out and Bonnie was following behind him. He turned to face her. "Stay with Rose."

"I'm coming with you because I know there's something you're keeping from me and I can only guess at what that is. He has them doesn't he?"

Elijah nodded. There was no point in questioning how Bonnie was able to put any of the pieces to the puzzle together. She was gifted.

"Then you know I can't sit in this car and twiddle my thumbs."

Elijah paused for a moment. "How many does he have on the inside?"

Bonnie closed her eyes and reached out with her powers. She detected another witch and possibly three or four vampires outside of the ones she knew personally. She relayed that information to Elijah whose face reflected nothing.

Placing his hand on the small of Bonnie's back they strolled purposefully towards the front door which opened almost by itself.

Within seconds they were entering a private dinning room.

Sitting at the head of the table was Klaus looking smug yet aggravated. To his left was Damon and beside Damon was Elena. Stefan sat on the other side of Elena but automatically Bonnie could tell something was wrong with them. Their hands were poised on the table and there was food before them, but no one was eating or drinking. The set up reminded Bonnie of when she used to have tea parties with her dolls. Apparently they had been rendered immobile and silent more than likely through compulsion although Elena was still wearing her necklace. So that meant she was probably being paralyzed by a local anesthetic.

"Ah, Elijah and Tatia, I mean Bonnie forgive me of my Freudian slip," Klaus chuckled. "It feels I haven't seen you in…how long as it been, love?"

Isobel stepped out of the shadows to stand in between Klaus and Damon. "Seven weeks by my calculation."

Klaus cricked his neck. "A drop in the bucket compared to how long our kind can really sleep."

"So you've been awakened," Elijah was unimpressed by his brother's antics. Had come to expect them and wished he would stop with his flare for the dramatic. The cute stage ended centuries ago. "Why have you wasted your time and mine by capturing my niece's friends? They have nothing to do with our quarrel."

"You see that's where you're wrong, Elijah. I simply wanted the moonstone, but you chose to milk me like a cow and dagger me. Let's just say I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and in a bad mood. And where are our brothers and sister? I thought you were hard up to find them and unleash them on the world?"

Elijah had his reasons for not awakening his brothers and sister, specifically Kol and Rebekah. Kol was madness wrapped up in a handsome bubble, and Rebekah was a viciously jealous creature who wouldn't tolerate being replaced as the number one woman in his life. Those two were a headache he could hold off on having.

As Klaus ran off at the mouth, Bonnie picked out the energy signatures of the lone witch and vampires that were hiding somewhere in the house. Klaus turned his vision towards her, his blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"Whatever you have planned…I wouldn't try it, love."

If she was supposed to be afraid of him he might want to work on his act. "I wasn't going to do anything but make a suggestion, Klaus." Pause. "Sleep." Bonnie whispered as if she were talking to a baby.

There was inactivity for a moment until the sounds of bodies dropping to the floor could be heard. Isobel had been included in that bunch.

"Impressive," Klaus admired for a nanosecond before fury lined his eyes again. "Stefan…I think there was something you were supposed to do the minute you laid eyes on Bonnie."

Bonnie and Elijah switched their attention to Stefan who looked as if he were trying to fight against the compulsion to do whatever Klaus had commanded he do, but was losing. Poorly. He gripped the arms of the chair tightly and lifted his weight. Stefan propelled himself towards Bonnie, grunting as if he were in pain. His lips pulled back from his teeth revealing his incisors which were lengthening.

Damon could do _nothing _but watch in horror as his brother neared his girlfriend preparing himself to feed. Elena couldn't do anything outside of sobbing quietly. She was trapped inside her own body. Couldn't will herself to move if her life depended on it, and in this situation it did. Instinct told her not to trust Isobel. But her curiosity which would probably end up being her downfall led her to open Isobel's gift. It had been a beautiful gilt bracelet. And the minute Elena slapped it on her wrist, metal spikes were injected in her skin and a neurotoxin was released into her bloodstream. Jeremy had been right. It was poison.

The second Stefan's eyes turned red and he was preparing to vampire speed to Bonnie, Elijah interceded and snapped his neck. He dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Inwardly, Elena hollered but outwardly her enlarged and incredulous eyes were the only indication she could give that she was livid at the turn of events.

Damon tried to communicate with Bonnie that he would figure out some clever way to break Klaus' compulsion and make sure nothing happened to her. Sure things might look a little impossible at the moment and that odds were stacked against him, but the minute he saw her appearing like a vengeful nymph, it had supplied the fire he needed lit under his ass to move into action.

"Stop this, Klaus! You're doing all of this because of a worthless rock?" Elijah questioned hotly.

"I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, brother. Including yours. You think you have the whole story figured out but you don't know the half of it."

"Release Bonnie's friends and enlighten me, then," Elijah demanded.

Klaus stretched his lips into a tight straight line. "I'm afraid I can't permit that. I want the moonstone, Elijah."

All the vampire in question could do was stare at his brother unwilling to be intimidated into submission.

They had arrived at a stalemate. Klaus anticipated this would happen which prompted him to reach for a rectangular shaped chest that had been sitting on the table next to his right arm that neither Bonnie nor Elijah noticed. Out he withdrew the crude dagger that had been so lovingly planted in his chest.

Elijah inhaled a sharp breath but gave off no other outward sign of the impatience he was feeling.

"Damon…"

The vampire in question closed his eyes before opening them. They were the only thing he could move freely.

"Would you be so kind as to stake my brother in the heart with this?"

"Niklaus," Elijah growled. "You know what that will do to him if he stakes me."

Klaus smiled evilly. "Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me," he winked at Elijah.

Bonnie was confused and allowed it to show on her face. Elijah filled in the blanks.

"Damon will die if he stabs an original with that dagger."

Bonnie's heart beat quadrupled behind her ribcage. In that moment if Bonnie had a dick it would have been hard from how badly she wanted Klaus dead in that moment.

"Don't do this, Klaus!" Bonnie was doing her level best not to lose her cool and start breaking stuff left from right. Stefan laid dead-dead at her feet. Her boyfriend and best friend were being used as pawns in a thousand year feud between brothers. She could have been on a beach sipping a Bahama Mama instead of dealing with this bullshit.

The minute the object was in Damon's hands and he was using vampire speed to approach, Bonnie pushed out her hand sending out a pulse of energy that tossed Damon backwards like he was a football. He flew over the table and landed with a grunt on the floor but was quickly on his feet again. He had also been compelled to keep trying until he succeeded.

Klaus calmly sipped a cup of tea as he sat back to enjoy the show.

"Find some way to break this, Damon," Bonnie pleaded. She didn't want Elijah to crack Damon's neck like he did with Stefan's but if that turned out to be the only option, she knew Damon would recover.

It went without saying that Damon didn't want to die, but fighting against someone as strong as Klaus had proven to be futile. He couldn't beat this. The noose that was around his neck was too tight.

_This sucks_, Damon thought as he went charging like a psychopath towards Elijah who was preparing to counterattack. But then something disastrous happened.

Bonnie stepped in the way and Damon couldn't stop his momentum this time. He felt the dagger plunge into her shoulder going all the way clean through. His hand instantly let go of the handle. Damon stumbled backwards, his face twisted in rage and agony over the realization he _stabbed _the first girl to ever love him back who had no prior involvement with his brother. He dropped to his knee.

Bonnie let out some sound that was a cross between a choked sob and a scream. Instantly her body went limp but Elijah caught Bonnie under the arms before she hit the floor.

"Damn you, Klaus," Elijah seethed.

Shifting Bonnie slightly to where he had most of her weight balanced on one arm, Elijah grabbed Damon by the jaw nearly crushing it, making the bastard look him deep in the eye. "You follow another order from my brother and I _promise_ I will castrate you where you stand, Damon." An angry vein popped out on the center of Elijah's forehead as he gently laid Bonnie on the floor. He grabbed the handle of the dagger and slowly pulled it out.

She grunted but otherwise made no sound of complaint. "Hold your hand here, Damon. Staunch the bleeding."

Damon did as ordered feeling helpless and enraged. Well, this certainly wasn't the way he wanted to welcome Bonnie home. By stabbing her. Tears clouded his eyes. He couldn't voice how terribly sorry he was that he stabbed her, nor could he snap at her for getting in the way in the first place. Seriously she needed to stop doing that crap. Intervening between two brawling vampires.

Bonnie stared up at Damon wanting to tell him that it was okay, that she wasn't mad at him, but the pain shooting through her body was taking precedence. Yes she was mad that she got stabbed but she knew it wasn't his fault. He didn't mean to hurt her.

Elijah bit into his wrist and then pressed his bleeding appendage to Bonnie's mouth. When she had enough, he wiped the excess blood away from the corner of her mouth.

Slowly Elijah got to his feet, malice and hate splicing his face. Klaus coolly rose from the table. That had been an unexpected turn of events, but not one he would apologize for.

Instead of charging over like he was sure Klaus had been expecting him too, Elijah raised his leg in the air and slammed his foot on the ground causing the entire room to tremble and shake as if an earthquake were occurring.

Damon balled himself over Bonnie as plaster and ceiling tiles came crashing down on the floor. Poor Elena was still stuck at the table unable to shield herself, and Stefan was slowly coming around.

The move was sufficient enough to cause the chandelier that was hanging directly over Klaus' head to come crashing down. The OV did a swan dive out of the way. Elijah zoomed over to his brother, caught him by the collar of his shirt and started delivering blow after blow to his face. Klaus' head twisted from left to right, right to left, as blood spurted from his nose and mouth.

Elijah began cursing his brother in their native language as he wailed on him. He was fully prepared to end him but a soft, angelic voice broke through his murderous thoughts.

"…stop…Elijah you have to stop."

Panting heavily, Elijah stilled with a closed fist poised in the air ready to strike again. Klaus' left eye was sealing shut. There was an angry bruise discoloring his right cheek, but this physical proof of their altercation would be fading in a matter of minutes.

Elijah let go of Klaus who fell backwards on the floor with a thud. He wiped the blood and dust off his hands and looked over his shoulder at his niece who was being assisted into a sitting position by Damon.

"This cycle of violence has to end at some point. He's not worth it."

From his position on the floor, Klaus laughed and coughed violently.

"You want to make hybrids? Is that it?" Bonnie went on to question Klaus.

"No, Bonnie contrary to popular belief I don't want to make hybrids," Klaus replied still sprawled out on the floor, staring up at his cracked ceiling. Repairs were going to cost him a fortune. "Here's a secret…the moonstone was never created for that purpose."

Silence.

Elijah was the first to recover and loomed over his brother. He jacked him up by the collar of his shirt once more. "Explain, Niklaus."

"Back to formalities, I see," Klaus shook his head. "The moonstone was never intended to comingle bloodlines. That was a myth. The spell that's been bound by the moonstone was to create to a supreme supernatural being. A being more powerful than anything to ever walk the earth. It would have only one purpose: protect the balance of life. That's what our naughty mother had been up to but the thing she failed to realize that such a being cannot be controlled or confounded by the laws of nature itself. And it wouldn't be long before it began eliminating humans it feels is a threat to the balance as well."

Elijah stared hard at his brother. None of what Klaus just disclosed made a lick of sense. For his entire existence as a vampire Elijah had been under the impression that the moonstone's purpose was to make hybrids. Now to have Klaus debunk that notion, blow it up like it was a nuclear testing site, made his head spin.

"You're lying through your gotdamn teeth."

Klaus chuckled. "I assure you I'm not."

"You're saying our mother wanted to create a supernatural being to police all supernatural beings?"

"Essentially yes."

"And you killed her for that hollow reason?" Elijah punched him again.

Klaus' eyes rolled but then he shook his head to clear it. He had forgotten Elijah nearly matched him in strength despite he was the elder. "You think that's the reason I killed our mother? Because I didn't want her to make a creature that would be greater than vampires? No, Elijah that had nothing to do with my motivations. I have a human bloodline to protect—like you. Our mother used the woman I sired children with to bind the spell. What happened to our mother as a result of that is only her own fault. I swore that I would protect the moonstone and the secret surrounding it, but you're holding me up from fulfilling my promise."

Elijah thought for a moment. There had been lots of holes in Klaus' story after he and the rest of their siblings discovered Klaus' treachery. Klaus had never admitted to killing their mother, but rather it had been implied, and none of them had been permitted to see her body. After her death, Elijah had forgotten about the moonstone until of course Katherine came into his life and he started revisiting his past wanting to share all that he was with her. And by that point, the myth surrounding the moonstone had been reduced to a children's tale.

"After all these centuries why keep the truth from _me_, Niklaus?"

Klaus pushed Elijah away from him and got up to his feet. "Because, _brother_ I had no choice. There are forces out there that would have eliminated me and the lot of us if I hadn't done what was necessary to make sure that worthless rock never fell into the wrong hands. You think our mother is the only one who feels vampires or anything remotely supernatural is an abomination? Well, think again. Now quit playing games with me, Elijah and hand over the moonstone."

"If what you're telling me is the truth, I'll do so but only on several conditions. The first being, you release Damon and Stefan from your compulsion and reverse whatever you had done to Elena. Secondly, I want you to take me to wherever you have our mother buried."

Klaus was fine with the first condition; however the second was out of the freaking question.

"And lastly I want you to pledge your fealty to my niece."

"What?" Klaus deadpanned.

Elijah ignored him and held up two fingers. "Twice you've endangered the life of the man she loves. I cannot stand to see her hurt and she was hurt tonight because of your petty vendetta. Pledge your fealty, Niklaus or I will make this supreme being myself and have it wipe out your vampire _and_ human bloodline."

"You wouldn't. You would never willfully…"

"Don't test a desperate man, Niklaus," Elijah cut him off. "That was one valuable lesson you taught me throughout the ages. She is Ayanna's heir and you paid tribute to her as did our mother. You will do the same for Bonnie. Do we have a deal or not?"

Klaus pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. He sighed heavily. "Yes, brother…we have a deal."

Elijah stared pointedly at his brother who sauntered over to Elena, took out a hypodermic needle and administered the antidote to the neurotoxin. Next he kicked Stefan until he was lucid enough and un-compelled him and did the same with Damon. The minute he was free of his bonds Damon held Bonnie tightly next to him, and buried his face in her hair.

Klaus loomed over them and held out a hand towards Bonnie to which she ignored. Instead Damon helped her to her feet. The minute she was standing, Klaus got down on bended knee.

Elijah picked up a knife from the table, testing its sharpness against his index finger. Satisfied that it was sharp enough he handed it over to his brother.

Clearing his throat, Klaus pierced the skin above his heart with the knife. "I haven't done this in awhile so forgive me if I don't get the exact wording right." He looked up at Bonnie. "I Niklaus Mikaelson pledge my fealty to you Bonnie Bennett. I hereby acknowledge you as my sovereign and I promise to protect you with my life. If I should fail, you have due diligence to cut out my heart and tongue for displeasing you. This is my covenant vow." To make the words stick, Klaus ran the blade over his skin, drawing blood, allowing a few drops to splash against his ruined wood floor.

Bonnie wasn't sure what she was supposed to say after that but merely nodded her head. Damon felt Klaus should have been made to pledge his fealty to him as well, but wouldn't push the issue. He linked his fingers with Bonnie's eager to get her alone.

Once Elena felt the activity of her limbs she fell to the ground beside Stefan, placing her hand on the center of his chest and shook him. He wasn't waking up fast enough. His diet of animal blood left him considerably weaker than his human blood drinking counterparts.

She brought her teary eyes up to Damon pleading for him to help him. Damon disengaged his hand from Bonnie's and picked his brother up off the floor. Bonnie approached and Elena didn't hesitate to throw her arms around her friend, crying in earnest.

"Go quickly. Have Rose drive you home," Elijah directed at his niece. He and his brother still had a ton of unfinished business between them.

Damon zoomed Stefan out of the house while Elena and Bonnie clung to one another. They climbed into the backseat of the Mercedes whispering to each other.

"It was so awful sitting there and not being able to move or speak and having to watch Elijah snap Stefan's neck and then watching Damon stab you in the shoulder. Are you okay?" Elena pushed the strap of Bonnie's dress out of the way. Her shoulder was stained with blood but there was no puncture wound of any kind to suggest Bonnie had been shanked by her own boyfriend.

"I'm fine," Bonnie replied shakily. "I'm more so worried about Stefan."

Elena started crying all over again.

"He's going to be all right, Lena. You know that."

"I know but…" Pause. "I don't understand the ceremony I just witnessed."

Rose had heard the conversation and couldn't believe her ears when Elijah commanded Klaus to pledge his fealty to Bonnie. In their world that was a serious undertaking that had dire repercussions if Klaus reneged.

"Essentially what it means," Rose interjected, "is that Klaus now serves Bonnie. She can literally call on him at any time she feels like it and he will have no choice but to stop what he's doing to come and attend her. If he refuses, Bonnie is well within her rights to do with him as she pleases. Consider that a good thing."

Bonnie looked affronted. "I don't want that kind of power over anyone."

Rose stared at her through the rear view mirror. "You may feel that way now, but it will come in handy one day. Trust me."

Rose pulled up outside of the boardinghouse figuring that's where Elena wanted to be at the moment. The raven-haired girl was out of the car before Rose could put it all the way in Park. Bonnie climbed out of the car ready to follow but Rose got in the way.

"What are you doing?"

"Elijah gave me expressed orders to return you home. And as you know he's not one you want to defy."

"I want to see my friends and Damon."

"Later…I'm to get you home," Rose clamped her hand around Bonnie's arm and shoved her back in the car. She clicked the child lock in place before getting back behind the wheel.

Bonnie reached for her cell and called Damon. He answered on the first ring.

"Baby, where are you?" he asked.

Warm tingles flashed through Bonnie upon hearing his endearment. "I'm being transported back home. I wanted to come inside but my guard wouldn't let me," she rolled her eyes. "How's Stefan doing?"

"He's finally up but he's refusing to drink a blood bag. Afraid he's going to tip over the rails again. Bonnie are you okay?"

"I'll be fine once I see you."

"I'm on the way."

"No…Stefan needs you right now."

"And I need _you," _Damon said adamantly. "But you're right I need to deal with Stefan and Elena won't stop crying and sh*t."

Although she didn't want to, Bonnie chuckled a bit. "I'll be waiting for you, Damon."

"I'm holding you to that."

Bonnie ended her call wondering what the night would bring.

* * *

><p><strong>Bennett Residence<strong>

Showered and changed, Bonnie ventured down to the kitchen to get something to drink. She didn't bother turning on a single light to see what she was doing to avoid making noise. Bonnie wasn't afraid of waking up her dad. He was out of town and was scheduled to come back on the same day as her—at least that had been the original plan. So she would have the house to herself for the next three days.

And Bonnie didn't mind being home. It wasn't until the plane landed in Virginia that she realized how much she missed her stomping ground. Traveling to Alabama, Spain, Greece, and St. Thomas had been wonderful and Bonnie couldn't have asked for a better start to her summer vacation, but really all she did in her mind was count down the hours until she could be reunited with Damon.

Today hadn't been the welcome home she expected, unfortunately. But she learned more than she thought she ever would. What she learned about the story surrounding the moonstone ultimately threw another monkey wrench in her plans. Yet maybe Klaus' story would be nothing more than that—a story. Nothing had been backed up by cold hard facts and that was the point that bothered Bonnie the most. Elijah might be willing to accept the words out of Klaus' mouth as gospel truth because he was desperate to be reunited with his family. However, Bonnie wanted evidence of these claims. She could only hope it wouldn't leave Elijah blind and have him walking into sudden death because of his obliviousness.

So the mother of the Mikaelson clan wanted to create a supreme supernatural being that could, at anytime kill anything it deemed an enemy to the balance. In a situation like this Bonnie was inclined to let sleeping dogs lie. Wherever Elijah's mother was, she was better off left there. Bonnie was determined nothing was going to ruin her senior year.

Taking a bottle of water out of the fridge and filling a glass, Bonnie took a tentative sip. Lightning flashed followed by the booming sound of thunder. The dry heat of the day resulted in a myriad of thunderstorms but Bonnie didn't mind the rain in the least.

Bonnie felt a shift and focused her attention on the back door and within seconds it flew open. Abandoning the glass on the counter, Bonnie walked to the center of the kitchen and stared out of the open door into the backyard. Wind whistled by causing a mini storm to take place in her house. Her hair whipped her face, but Bonnie ignored it. She was waiting.

"Damon…come in."

Not even a minute later a silhouette appeared in the shape of a man standing five-ten in height, about a hundred and ninety pounds in muscular weight, broad shouldered, and well proportioned. His entire face was shrouded in shadows but Bonnie didn't need the light to see the predatory expression on his face.

One boot stepped over the threshold followed by the other. Rain dropped from his fingertips and landed on the floor. He was soaked from head to toe. His clothes were plastered to his body showing off his pectorals and every single abdominal muscle. Perfection.

Instead of her tongue drying up saliva pooled in the bottom of Bonnie's mouth. Damon reached for her, cupping her cheek with a damp hand. He pulled her closer, imprinting his body on hers, wetting her clothes, igniting a frenzy of barely controlled lust. Damon captured her lips first in a soft and gentle kiss before deepening it, stabbing his tongue between the opening of her teeth, slanting his mouth just so in order to maximize the sweep he was doing of her mouth.

Bonnie had been back for six hours and because he had to deal with Stefan he couldn't even get a kiss in. Well he was making up for lost time.

Bonnie attempted to climb his body to which Damon assisted her by grabbing her under her backside clearing her feet from the floor.

"I'm sorry…about today," Damon managed to get out between devouring her lips.

"S'okay…" Bonnie replied while tunneling her eager fingers through his wet hair.

If Bonnie didn't tell him to stop he was going to keep going. Damon angled her head up kissed and licked the side of her neck starting from her collarbone and ending by dragging his tongue across her bottom lip. Bonnie whimpered and squirmed against him hoping he got the message that she wanted to be put down.

Damon sat her on her feet again and they stumbled until the back of her legs made contact with the kitchen island. Damon attempted to right them, but used too much force and they went tumbling to the ground. He braced most of his weight on his forearms allowing it to take the brunt of the fall and as a way not to crush Bonnie. The second she was down, she reached for the collar of his black T-shirt and ripped it clean down the middle.

Spurred by her boldness and eagerness to strip him, Damon returned the favor to her camisole top. Her breasts spilled out to which he quickly popped a ripening nipple in his mouth, laving it with his tongue and biting the nub until it was as hard as a rock.

Bonnie hissed and arched her back to optimize the feeling. Damon didn't neglect the other breast and paid it homage before he worked his way down her body, stopping to dip his tongue in her navel wetting it and blowing it dry.

Capturing a corner of her lip between her teeth, Bonnie appropriately twisted her hips the minute Damon reached for the waistband of her shorts and panties. He pulled them down her legs slowly enjoying the show. Bonnie had an amazing body for a seventeen year old. She had definition in her abs, thick thighs, perky breasts that screamed play with me, and the best ass he had ever seen. Already she was dripping just for him and supernaturally felt himself harden and lengthen even more than he presently was.

He was too impatient to wait for Bonnie to undress him so Damon divested himself of his jeans and boots, and tore the rest of his shirt away. The kitchen wasn't exactly the place he had in mind when he thought of his first time with Bonnie. Damon had spent countless hours obsessing about how it would be and more importantly where it would take place. But now all that really mattered to him was being inside of the woman he loved and claiming her as _his. _

Bonnie was hyperventilating. It had been months since the last time she had sex and she was beginning to feel like a virgin all over again. But her nervousness melted away as Damon climbed back up her body, kissing her along the way, aligning over her curves. She wrapped her legs around his waist, stared into his eyes, and moaned the second he slid into her heat.

"Ssshiiiitttt," Damon whispered against her neck the minute her warmth engulfed his length, suctioning him in, holding him snugly and securely. He slapped a hand on the floor to keep his balance and to distract himself because she felt _too _good that he almost came. The urge to bite her was just as strong but he had already stabbed her. There was no need to bleed her out some more.

Bonnie was being stretched and for as uncomfortable the initial penetration had been that discomfort was being replaced with pleasure and Damon hadn't so much as moved yet.

Grabbing her hip, Damon thrust forward once, forcefully. Bonnie cried out and he did so again. Her fingernails bit into his shoulder and triceps. Her legs were like chains around his lower back as he repeated the process until Bonnie began to match him thrust for thrust.

"How does it feel, baby?" he breathed against her neck prior to dragging his tongue back and forth against it.

Bonnie was not in the mood for a pop quiz. Instead she let her grunts, sighs, and screams fill in the blanks.

That wasn't satisfactory to Damon. He wanted her to _say _how he was making her feel, driving her crazy. He pulled out of her earning him a glare. "How does it feel?"

"Right now I don't feel anything," she replied sarcastically.

Damon snorted and inched in but pulled back just as quickly. Bonnie groaned, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down, crushing her lips against his. Then she whispered in his ear. "I like the way you f*ck me, Damon."

He almost came after hearing that. Damon shivered and implanted himself back into the place he never wanted to leave again. Minutes passed maybe even an hour.

"I want you to ride me," Damon rolled until he was on his back with Bonnie on top.

This wasn't exactly one position she mastered but she undulated her hips against Damon, rocking herself back and forth before going up and down and swirling her hips in a figure eight. When she did that he cursed and tilted his head back exposing his neck. Feeling empowered Bonnie grabbed his wrists and pried them off of her hips and held them above his head.

"How does that feel…baby," she repeated and smiled because Damon couldn't speak. She had rendered him speechless.

She released his wrists, brought her legs up until she could plant her feet on the floor, reared back and began sliding up and down his pole offering Damon an unrestricted view of her pearl. He watched his shaft appear and disappear within Bonnie at a frightening pace. He reached between her legs and fondled that special bundle of nerves.

The cool air in the room was being replaced by their heat. Sweat pooled from Bonnie's face and collected in the center of her chest.

Damon watched in amazement as this tiny girl rode him like a pro never complaining of growing tired. Soon the pressure was rising in his balls and it wouldn't be long before it flowed up his shaft and was released like a Geyser.

"_Fuucckkkk_ Bonnie I'm coming!"

She rode him harder and faster seeing her own end just around the river bend.

"I don't want too…yet…" Damon grunted.

She didn't let up her assault.

He clamped his hands on her hips again to regain control of the ride, but with the twitch of her powers, his hands were pinned above his head again.

Damon had no choice but to let Bonnie bring him to completion where she shoved him off the edge of the cliff without giving him a parachute. Happily he descended to the ground and splattered into a million edible pieces ready to feed the wildlife.

He heard Mufasa's voice in his head saying: the great circle of life.

Damon was spent. Bonnie was not so he pinched her clit which promptly scrambled her brains. She jerked and cried out before falling on his chest.

Both of them were breathing heavily basking in the glow. Damon pushed several wet strands of hair away from her face, kissed her forehead. "I love you, Bonnie."

With her head tucked in the space between his shoulder and neck, Bonnie nuzzled him. "I love you, too, Damon." She kissed his clavicle.

That was her first time saying it and Damon knew she meant it.

He pulled out of her. Damon shivered a bit. Even that felt good. "This time I want you on your hands and knees and you come when _I _tell you."

Bonnie narrowed her chartreuse eyes at him prior to grinning. "Is that a threat?"

Damon slapped her ass, watched it jiggle and did it again. "I make nothing but threats, Bonnie. You didn't know."

**Twenty hours later…**

She was _finally_ asleep. Damon stared down at Bonnie as she slumbered against a stack of pillows holding them tightly. The bed sheet barely covered her but he didn't want to hide those things about Bonnie that he loved.

For her to be human and to last as long as she did with him, said something about her endurance. Damon was slightly baffled because after their third time Bonnie should have been exhausted to the point of collapsing. But the minute they finished and caught their breath she was ready to go again. Twenty-one times they had done it so far. Some bouts Damon could make things last for an hour, and then other times he could complete the act in fifteen minutes or less. It was like the more they had sex the more they _wanted_ to have sex. He had licked every square inch of her body…_every _inch and there wasn't apart of her that wasn't delicious. And throughout it all Bonnie never complained of getting tired or getting cramps. Hell she didn't want to stop to use the bathroom!

He chuckled and ran his hand down her spine. She didn't stir at his touch but his dick did. This was turning ridiculous now. So he couldn't touch her back without getting an erection? Was that how things were going to be from here on out?

There were worst fates out there, Damon thought and spooned Bonnie. He linked their fingers together and kissed her cheek, then her ear, then her neck. Next he found himself simply licking her shoulder. His hand slid up her arm, wrapped around, and cupped her breast…

_Okay, Damon stop_, the rational part of his mind ordered. _She's asleep and you're basically molesting her._

He warred with himself to continue but then settled back against the pillows. He loved this girl, and if someone tried to take her away from him watched who died and how fast.

Chapter end.

**A/N: So this was by far the longest chapter I've written and I still feel like certain scenes were rushed. I changed the moonstone story for a purpose and you'll find out why in future chapters. Elijah making Klaus pledge his fealty to Bonnie wasn't originally apart of the storyline but then I figured why not? She has no one on the show to really look out for her so why not Klaus in addition to Damon, Elijah etc in this story. The more the merrier. And I only gave a snippet of info about the cotillion; again that will be discussed in length in future chapters. And last but not least TV Bamon's first time! Umm *clears throat* they just couldn't get enough of each other, and I made you guys wait long enough for it lol. Well, I hoped you guys enjoyed this. Until next time. Love you. **


	41. How Does It Feel?

**A/N: I am not liable for any heart palpitations or loss of consciousness this chapter might cause. You've been warned. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Damon reclined in his bathtub, staring up at the ceiling, enjoying the feel of the individual droplets of water cascading down his chest. He sighed deeply and listened to the soft, contemporary music he had blasting from the speakers. Soon he drew his attention to his day walking ring all of a sudden feeling nostalgic and thinking about Emily Bennett for some weird reason.

During his "courtship" or he should aptly title it manipulation by Katherine Pierce, Damon never really conversed with Emily. He would say hello and good day and ask after Katherine's health, but the two of them never engaged in idle chit-chat and admittedly there was nothing about her life that he was interested in learning more about. However, when he discovered that she dabbled in the occult, his curiosity had been piqued only for the simple fact his father—the bigot—citing anything supernatural was evil and good faithful men should steer clear of it.

That drew Damon even farther away from conventional life. But Emily had been beautiful with café au lait skin and those hazel green eyes. He never imagined what her hair might look like since she always wore bonnets and her attire was suited for those of the enslaved. He was never one to romanticize anything like his brother did by referring to Emily Bennett as Katherine's handmaiden. And Damon never stopped to ask his vampire paramour if Emily was in fact free and served Katherine of her own will.

Damon didn't give a shit about any of that. He just wanted Katherine in any dose he could get her. So if he had to play nice with the hired help, he did so. But Damon remembered this one time that Emily, just days before his own father shot him, had stopped him as he was ascending the stairs to Katherine's room. She had grabbed his arm but had a glassy look to her eyes.

"Emily?" Damon had asked confused thinking the truth about Katherine might have been revealed and the men-folk of Mystic Falls were coming to round her up. "Is something the matter with Katherine?"

Emily hadn't answered him right away but eventually said in a hollow, monotone voice, "You will save her one day. And she will save you."

Confusion mashed his dark brows together. "I don't understand," Damon replied. "Are you talking about Katherine? Is someone coming after her?"

Again, Emily was hesitant before she spoke. "My life will end…very soon…but it will live through her."

Now Damon was getting impatient and anxious. He had grabbed Emily by the arms and pulled her off into a darkened hallway. He shook her a bit because he hated when people talked to him in riddles. Not because he couldn't put the pieces together, but he felt it was a waste of time. "Damn it, woman who are you talking about? Tell me. I demand to know."

"The one you love…you will save her one day." Pause. "And she will be of my blood."

Damon had wanted to slap her but instead he dropped his hands from her person, his entire body stiffened. Was she implying that he would fall in love with a _slave_? Damon certainly thought the idea was ludicrous considering he was madly in love with Katherine and she had plans to turn him and nothing was going to divert those plans. He stared at Emily wildly ready to question her some more when her eyes closed and opened as if she were waking up from a dream. She looked around a bit in confusion until she noticed that Damon was standing in front of her, glaring at her.

She shrieked a bit and wondered what she had done to displease him. Emily bowed her head and quickly dipped into a curtsy. "Master Salvatore."

Damon propped his balled fists on his hips. "I know you mean a great deal to your mistress, but I will not have you trifle with me."

Emily's cheeks had scarlet over as she kept her eyes plastered to the ground. She had had no idea what just happened or what she might have said to Damon but she could feel his hostility pumping off of him in hot waves all directed at her. It had happened again. She slipped into another trance. The only person who knew this happened to her was Katherine, and Katherine had been very diligent in keeping Emily close to her at all times. One for protection and the other for control.

"I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable," she mumbled.

Damon was about to rebuke her again when he heard the dainty footsteps of Katherine coming down the stairs.

"Emily?"

"My mistress calls me. I must go."

Emily quickly scuttled out of the hall. Damon had remained hidden as he watched the two women interact with one another, speaking fiercely in hushed tones. He knew something was happening. His father and Jonathan Gilbert had been having late night meetings discussing the vampire problem. Damon knew it would only be a matter of days before the men carried out their plans, and he needed Katherine to turn him immediately so they could flee the town. His brother be damned. Damon knew Katherine wanted to keep her hooks in Stefan as well, but he was the elder, the heir apparent, and Damon would do whatever was necessary to convince her she was better off leaving Stefan behind.

Damon he replayed Emily's words. He would save someone in her family and she would save him and he would love this person. Emily's children were mere babes. Damon was a grown man. So in order for any of that to be possible is if he really was destined to be a vampire.

Through the years, after he transitioned, Damon had forgotten that moment in time, casting it off because his focus had always been to be with Katherine. He smiled as he twisted his ring on his finger. Emily had been the first one to predict it, and Bonnie had been the one to bring it to pass.

He did love a girl of Emily's blood and she had saved him and he saved her—lord he's forgotten how many times. Damon didn't need anymore proof that Bonnie was his and his alone. And now that they've consummated their relationship over and over and over again, his loins were stirring even now, Damon felt their bond was harder than steel. The very thought of losing Bonnie even for a second tightened his throat and made it just a tad bit harder to sit still and focus. He couldn't remember being this gaga over anyone. The idea of Bonnie leaving him or breaking up with him, hell dying on him made Damon want to rip something apart. He couldn't lose her. He _wouldn't _lose her. The world would suffer if he did.

He hadn't seen her in the last eight hours and he already had a mind to go and find her, but Damon knew that wouldn't be necessary. He knew Bonnie was with Caroline and Stefan planning Elena's eighteenth birthday party. However, Damon felt his body wanting to move from the warm comfort of his bathtub to don some clothes, go out and find her. Bonnie had already complained he was eating up too much of her time. She had been back from her travels with Elijah for only two weeks, and during those two weeks, Damon basically kept her locked away like Rapunzel, and he was definitely the fire breathing dragon.

Simply put he couldn't get enough of her.

Downstairs he heard the door to the boardinghouse open and the sounds of three voices speaking at once, but there was one voice in particular that called to him like a siren.

Caroline closed the door with the heel of her foot and as she hefted two cases of beer to the far corner of the Salvatore living room. Most of everything needed for a kickass birthday party was being stored at the boardinghouse because it was the venue. Caroline had invited the entire senior class to celebrate Elena's birthday, and the only place large enough other than the Lockwood mansion to handle that size crowd was Damon and Stefan's place.

"I think we have enough liquor to open up our own ABC store," Stefan folded his arms over his broad chest and eyed the cases of beer that were stacked almost to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I never understood why the number one liquor store in America is called ABC. When I was younger I thought it was a daycare," said Bonnie.

Caroline snickered. "The invitations have been printed and mailed out. I'm getting RSVP's by the minute." Her cell chirped again letting her know she received another text message confirmation. "Now what are we going to do about entertainment?"

"Stefan could always jump naked out a large birthday cake," Bonnie suggested and winked at the caramel-haired vampire.

Stefan looked down at his body. "Sorry, but they're going to have pay me to see all of this."

"What? Stefan cracked a funny," Caroline giggled and checked her email.

The vampire in question shook his head as he made his way over to the wet bar. Considering how much alcohol was presently in his home, a drink should be the last thing he wanted. "Contrary to unpopular belief I do have a sense of humor."

"Not a very good one."

Stefan wasn't surprised to find Damon standing right behind him. He held up his glass towards him before taking a sip of brandy.

"What's this I hear about naked vampires jumping out of a large pastry?" Damon placed his hands on his chest. "Everyone knows I'm the most desirable vampire in the world, and if anyone is going to make it rain it'll be me."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Puh-leeze, everyone has already seen you naked. Nothing new there."

Damon ignored the blonde as he strolled up to Bonnie who was busy trying to pretend he wasn't approaching her. He leisurely ran his eyes from her manicured feet that were housed in a pair of strappy wedge sandals, up those ridiculously toned legs of hers, over the swell of her hips, to her impressive rack, finally resting on her lips that were curled slightly in a smile.

"You're right, Blondie, my body is sacred and I only intend to share it with one person." Damon reached for Bonnie's hand and then yanked her forward until she quite literally stumbled into his arms. "Hey," he said softly and lightly brushed his lips over hers.

"Hey," Bonnie replied just as breathlessly unbelieving that her body was getting excited just from this small amount of contact between them.

Stefan and Caroline locked eyes with one another silently agreeing it was time to vacate the premises. Damon clearly had sex on the mind and Bonnie was getting around to it as well and it wouldn't take long before his headboard would be banging against the wall.

Stefan tried to block out memories of walking into the house and hearing those two go at it. At first he thought they were fighting, like literally trading blows, and had rushed up to Damon's room. He hesitated for a moment before bursting in demanding to know what was going on. When he took a deep breath the smell of sex: female and male arousal cloaked the air that it nearly suffocated Stefan. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were doing, but he wasn't sure if Damon might be getting too rough with Bonnie, and thought maybe he should intervene. However, when he heard Bonnie demand Damon fuck her just a little harder, Stefan quickly beat feet and disappeared. He left the house altogether.

It was kind of hard to meet her eyes after that, but he never mentioned to either one of them what he nearly interrupted. Stefan was a gentleman after all. But he could admit to looking at Bonnie a little differently. She was small in stature, but she wasn't letting her dainty size stop her from having a good time with his fun-loving vampire brother.

When Damon finally pulled his gaze from Bonnie's pea green eyes he noticed that they were the only two occupants left standing.

"I think we scared them off like bill collectors."

Bonnie giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She nuzzled into him scenting the soap on his skin, and the potent aroma that was Damon all by himself. Her mouth began to water because she wanted to taste his skin so badly. So she leaned a little on her toes, and locked her mouth on his neck.

Immediately Damon was hard. All day he had been in a semi-erect state and having Bonnie's warm, pliant body in his arms, he wanted nothing more than to lick and tease her skin until she burst apart like dynamite.

A little while later Bonnie pulled away and then much to Damon's chagrin put the entire living room between them. The sky was fading from deep navy to light amethyst. Bonnie had made a promise to herself that she would enjoy each and every single sunset because with the way her life had been going, nothing was guaranteed.

With her back to him, Damon took the time to properly ogle his girlfriend. The dress she was wearing was modest in the front, the neckline stopping at the base of her neck, but her back was left exposed. And the pattern of it reminded him of an Aztec design. The hem came to mid-thigh leaving those toned caramel legs uncovered. She had amazing legs, and they were powerful too because when Bonnie would lock them around his lower back, Damon nearly had to use his full strength to break her hold. Her ass—he could bite it and have bitten it tented the dress enticingly. Bonnie's long chocolate tresses were parted down the middle and fell in soft waves. And she had chosen to wear nothing more substantial than black eyeliner and blush colored lip gloss, not like she needed a ton of makeup on to look stunning. Damon loved her no matter how glamorous or un-glamorous she appeared.

Bonnie reminded him of Pocahontas and he would definitely play the part of John Smith and attempt to settle a colony within her territory.

As he observed her of course his body was strumming for some attention. Unconsciously his hand traveled down his chest and came to rest on that hammer he had stored away in his jeans. Back and forth he stimulated himself. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

Bonnie got the sense that Damon was watching her very intently. When she briefly glanced over her shoulder and saw what he was doing, she quickly turned away.

Bonnie gulped and shivered. Sometimes Damon looked at her so intensely she almost thought he hated her. She was too chicken to drop the mental shields in her mind to listen into his thoughts, so she refrained from doing so, because in certain situations being candid wasn't necessary. He could only go seconds without touching her. Whether it be brushing his fingers up and down her arm or spine, or kissing her temple or lips, or nuzzling her neck and inhaling her perfumed skin, and of course smacking her bottom, Damon _had _to touch her. He was overwhelming, which hadn't come as a total shocker because before things became intimate between them, Damon had a way of crowding one's space.

Now that they had crossed the line and consummated their relationship she felt as if she lost a bit of ownership over her own body. She had no idea why she was thinking along those lines, but it was how she felt deep down in her bones. The scales seemed to be tipped in Damon's favor and he hadn't done anything overt to make it that way. It just was. He could heat her skin, melt her heart, make her body tremble with a single look. Or, he could say her name in a particular way that instantly caused a flood between her legs.

Her underwear was probably the biggest casualty of their couplings. Her panties would be so saturated after having a quick conversation with him that it was shameful. Bonnie couldn't tell a soul because she didn't want to be ridiculed as being weak, as having no self-control. She did have self-control at least during the times Damon was nowhere to be found.

And even then he was always in her thoughts. No matter where she was: the grocery store, the hair salon, the gas station, the park, at her cotillion meetings, Damon was first and foremost in her thoughts.

Bonnie was sick of her thought patterns. She wanted him out of her system but she craved him too much to budge him.

Bonnie was trying to ruin him. Damon could sense it. Yes he had a larger than life personality and did everything in his power to make sure people knew when he was around. Bonnie was no exception. In fact, things had gotten a lot of worst where she was concerned. His eyes followed her _everywhere. _He couldn't stop touching her even when he ordered his hands to keep to themselves. He couldn't stop thinking about her either. Bonnie was typically the first person he thought of in the morning and the last person he thought of at night. Unconsciously if he was talking about one particular subject when he was around Stefan or Alaric—which was extremely rare these last few weeks—he would drift off and start talking about Bonnie.

He was sure his brother and only male friend were sick of him. Hell, Damon was sick of how Bonnie seemed to monopolize his every thought, controlled his every move without it being conscious on her end. She had far too much power over him. He stayed hard all the time and it was a bit embarrassing especially when he was out and about and some old lady would pass him by and clearly think he was a pervert.

She was his addiction and he wasn't interested in attending some 12-step program. Damon tried to give himself talks that he wouldn't come on too strong, that he wouldn't demand so much of Bonnie's time, but it was difficult. He loved her too much that he saw no reason why they shouldn't be connected at the hip twenty-four seven. Instinct told him that Bonnie was trying to place some semblance of balance between them so they wouldn't appear to be totally consumed with one another. She never did anything overt; it had all been subtle. Like she would stare at her feet as if counting slowly in her head before looking up to make eye contact with him. When Damon deliberately talked filthy to her, Bonnie would switch the subject to something mundane. If his kisses became too feverish and they normally did within seconds, Bonnie would wiggle away and attempt to divert his attention elsewhere.

He could feel that she was torn. Bonnie wanted to be near him as much as he needed her around. Damon knew she was young. Had to remind himself of this fact more often than he cared to, and she wasn't used to his dominance at least not when it came to the physical part of their relationship. Oh, they could talk for hours on a broad range of topics, but when Damon was in the mood, she would become reticent.

Damon figured it had everything to do with how insatiable they were after their first time. Bonnie had been wanton, uninhibited, demanding. He _loved_ it. But then, something happened. Switched. She didn't exactly shy away from his touch. Or denied him sex. Damon figured she didn't want that to be the only staple of their relationship. He could understand that to a point. But maybe Bonnie didn't want him to think that she craved sex as much as he did.

"How was your day?" Bonnie asked and then looked at him over her shoulder again.

"It was boring, but productive. I'm assuming that you and Caroline put my brother in the poor house during your extravagant shopping bonanza for Elena's bday party?" This time Damon had his eyes focused on the alcohol fort that had been constructed in the far corner of the living room.

"He has at least twenty bucks left in his savings."

Damon chuckled lowly and vaguely remembered something he spent a good majority of the day making just for her. Damon retreated into the kitchen.

Bonnie didn't make a sound when Damon was suddenly standing beside her. He reached for her hand and taking possession of it, he dragged her to the patio.

The minute they were outside, he handed Bonnie a Waterford crystal flute filled with a blush colored fluid.

"Pink champagne? How very Christian Grey of you."

Damon curled his lip. "Don't insult me. We both know that that fictional character has _nothing _on me. And to address your first assumption, it's not pink champagne. It's an old family recipe."

Bonnie stared down in the glass watching tiny air bubbles float to the surface and burst apart. "Hmm," she mumbled.

"Go ahead," Damon encouraged. "Take a sip."

Taking a slightly deep breath, Bonnie took a sip of the pink liquid courage. It tickled her tongue and was sweet and bitter to the taste at the same time. It definitely made the taste buds in her mouth come alive. Damon was watching her very closely before turning his gaze away.

After the first experimental sip went down, Bonnie quickly followed with another. She didn't know what it was but it sent heat-filled shivers through her extremities. And the next thing she became aware of was the fact she had drained the glass.

Damon took it from her and wrapped an arm around her waist. They were silent as they watched the first stars appear in the sky.

Seconds turned into minutes, and the sounds of the night seemed to be magnified in Bonnie's ears. She could hear crickets, cicadas, birds, an owl. Lightening bugs began its light show entertaining her and Damon when she started to feel different.

All of a sudden her nipples and clit were rock hard, harder than they had ever been without the aid of finger or oral stimulation. Bonnie cleared her throat and tried to ignore it but when a soft breeze blew by and tickled her skin, she tensed and tried to stifle a moan.

Damon pretended not to notice Bonnie's heightened state of arousal. He diplomatically kept his gaze locked on the sky above but everything else about him was completely tuned to her. He deliberately stroked her back, running the pads of his fingers down the length of her spine. Bonnie contorted against his touch wanting to run from it and maximize it simultaneously. All she wanted him to do was stick his hand up her dress and fondle her, but Bonnie tried her very best to block the pounding sensations that were spiraling through her.

As the wind continued to blow and assault her skin, Damon kept up his ministrations and stroked her arm, and then lowered his hand to tease the hem of her dress by drawing patterns on the back of her thigh. Bonnie's eyes nearly crossed. She took a sharp breath.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," Bonnie managed to say. She wanted to tease herself to relieve some of the ache that was taking place on the most sensitive peaks of her body. Bonnie ran her tongue over her bottom lip and even _that _felt good. It was like her skin was hypersensitive all over.

Damon must have put something in her drink because she felt just fine—normal—before he handed her a glass of his homestyle meade.

"What did you do?" she attempted to say it sternly, but instead her words sounded much more like a plea or a moan.

"I'm sorry. You've lost me," Damon stared down at her and inwardly laughed.

Bonnie glared up at him. Her center was throbbing and pooling with her nectar. She clutched his arm when Damon boldly cupped her sex.

His mouth watered. "We should take this inside." He fiercely kissed her neck.

"No! Let's stay out here."

Damon raised a speculative eyebrow in the air. "Are you sure?"

Bonnie nodded. She didn't want to go inside. The wind felt too good and she would need all the open space she could get because what was boiling on the inside wouldn't be able to be contained in Damon's bedroom. Beside she was feeling daring. Having sex outside was something she honestly wanted to do. One day.

It would appear as if right now was going to be her and Damon's lucky day.

However, there was a dilemma. There was no bed outside, nor any comfortable patio furniture. And Bonnie might be feeling uninhibited but she doubted having sex on brick would be good for her back or Damon's knees. Being humped against a tree wasn't on her list of things to do either.

Damon thought very quickly on how to make this work. He flashed back into the house, rounded up a Persian rug and several pillows and rejoined Bonnie outside. He set up the tableau and then stared hungrily at his girlfriend.

Bonnie kicked her heels off and joined Damon on the carpet. She pounced on him, burying her tongue deep in his mouth, mewling like a kitty cat with a new ball of yarn. Bonnie wrapped her legs around Damon's lean waist, exposing her backside in the process which Damon immediately cupped with his large hands.

With her in this position it didn't take much work on his end to pull her dress over her head. Damon grinned because Bonnie had gone without wearing a bra and was poised in nothing more than her thong which was soaked.

Gently he laid her against the carpet and pillows, and kissed along her neck and collarbone. She always tasted amazing. Today was no different only that the libation he gave her excreted aphrodisiacs and pheromones which made a potent cocktail against his tongue. And naturally it raised the bar on all of Bonnie's erogenous zones.

Damon squeezed her breasts together but didn't touch her stiffened nipples, but placed a kiss to the valley between them. Letting them go, he lightly pressed his lips against her washboard stomach, never deepening it, and never using his tongue. It didn't matter because Bonnie couldn't stop writhing and biting her lower lip. Just a barely there touch was enough to send her careening over the edge.

He pulled her thong off revealing her dripping center. Damon spread her thighs apart and brushed the back of his knuckles over her mound. Bonnie arched her back and dug trenches in the carpet with her nails. Her hips began to thrust trying to meet him brush for brush. But he wouldn't touch her with more pressure than the equivalent of a feather against skin. It was irritating but it was sexy as hell, and making her go bonkers.

Her thighs were shiny with her arousal and Bonnie was pretty sure she hadn't been this wet in her entire life either. What the hell was in that drink? If Damon packaged it and sold it he'd be richer than Bill Gates.

When his coaxing fingers reached her feet, Bonnie nearly catapulted off the rug. He toyed with her toes individually before sucking the big one. Bonnie wasn't really into having her feet sucked, but tonight was an exception. Whenever Damon would swipe his thick, pink tongue over the top of her big toe it felt like he was teasing her center. There had to be a direct nerve line from her big toe to her groin because Bonnie's orgasm ripped through her.

Really? She came from having her big toe sucked. Definitely a first.

It was amazing that Damon's dick hadn't burst through the fabric of his jeans screaming "give us free". His balls were probably purple at this point, but he wasn't done with teasing Bonnie just yet.

With her eyes closed, and her orgasm still ripping through her, Bonnie could hear that Damon was disrobing. When she did manage to open her eyes he was stark naked—like her. The moonlight made his alabaster skin glow freakishly. But that didn't matter. His powder blue eyes were like silver mercury and glinting dangerously. She pushed his midnight hair off his forehead and leaned up to kiss him.

"Show me how you want me to make you come again?" he whispered against her kiss swollen lips.

Ooh, she was getting a choice. Bonnie squealed excitedly on the inside and then, opened her legs wider hoping Damon would get the hint.

His lopsided smirk received the message. Down he kissed the center of her body, this time wrapping his tongue around her distended nipple, laving it, flicking his finger over the unoccupied one so it wouldn't feel left out or neglected. A delicious buzz went through Bonnie and she felt the blood quickening and rushing to her nipples and her clitoris engorging them until it was nearly painful. Damon ran the top of his teeth over her sensitive buds, and starting from the underside of her breast he licked until he reached the chocolate pebble before flicking his tongue back and forth and side to side.

Saliva pooled inside of her mouth and it was happening again. Damon read the signs of her body and kept at it and right before she was about to reach her zenith, he stopped and went back to kissing a path down the center of her body.

Bonnie's scream wasn't out of pleasure but out of frustration. Her body was too tightly wound. If she so much as sneezed she might come. That's how close she was. However, her displeasure was soon replaced with another warming sensation that made her toes curl.

Her hiss was like cold water being thrown on hot coals. Crisp. Sharp. Succinct. She gasped deeply as if she were trying to catch her breath after running a marathon. A groan followed next that reminded Damon of someone being restrained against their will. Her legs trembled. The vibrations went all the way in one direction—south—engorging the mushroom head of his phallus.

Damon unlocked his jaw and fit his entire mouth around Bonnie's fluttering channel. He snaked his tongue out which got lost in her folds. He did his own version of deep throating.

Bonnie felt like the flames within her own soul were going to consume her and she'd be nothing but a pile of ash. She needed this feeling, was addicted to this feeling but more to the matter the man who was so skilled in inducing this feeling. She needed him. Her head was arched so far back it was a miracle it hadn't fallen off her shoulders.

Stucco breath escaped her lungs and punctuated the air. She wished Damon could crawl inside of her, which was plum ridiculous but what he was doing to her, frightened and thrilled her all at once. Sometimes she felt she was too young to feel like this, that it wasn't right for all this attention to be lavished on a simple seventeen year old girl. Damon should be with an older woman, a more experienced woman who didn't blush if you mentioned the words masturbate and squirting.

Damon was on a mission tonight. This wasn't about pounding one out like a twenty year old man who was only concerned about busting his own nut. He had centuries of practice in learning all the nuances of the female body and he was going to give Bonnie a very thorough education.

He manipulated his tongue with skill. Drank his fill until Bonnie nearly ripped the hair clean off the crown of his head. When he came up for air his lips, chin, and the tip of his nose glistened with her honey.

Wordlessly he flipped Bonnie until she was on her stomach and hiked her hips in the air. With his knees, he pushed her legs farther apart. Damon loomed over her and, without having to take a hold of his member because it was elongated and stood proudly forward as if leading a siege, Damon surged forward and sliced into her slick heat. The contrast of her heated warmth to his frigid cold was overwhelming.

Bonnie came again.

Her contracting inner muscles tightened around him that Damon found it almost impossible to move.

She cried. "What are you doing to me?" Her eyes were locked on the corded muscles of his arms that were braced on either side of her, holding him steady over her.

Damon kissed her cheek and licked a trail to her ear as he began to move slowly, extremely slowly. "I need to love you." Thrust. "I need to feel you." Harder thrust. "I need to be inside of you." Deep thrust. "I. Need. You." Pounding thrust. "Make me cum, baby."

What is a Damon Salvatore?

* * *

><p>The day of Elena's birthday party had arrived. Caroline and Bonnie had been running all over the city like chickens with decapitated heads picking up last minute odds and ends, and making sure the band they hired to play would show up sober.<p>

Bonnie pulled her car into the driveway of her home having to make a quick stop to retrieve her dress for the party and her overnight bag. She, Caroline, and Elena would be going to the Gilbert's lake house the next day for a girls only retreat. It was tradition and though several boyfriends weren't happy about the arrangement, each girl promptly told them to suck it.

Slowly climbing out of her car, Bonnie winced at the dull burn between her legs. It was the good kind of burn but had the adverse effect of making her feel crippled. She stopped short when her eyes landed on several UPS boxes—seven total— outside of the front door.

"What the…?" Bonnie mumbled and read the labels on the boxes. They were all shipped from overseas: Milan, Italy, Paris, France, and London, England to be more precise. Pulling her phone out of her purse, Bonnie dialed a number. Stefan answered on the first ring. "Hey, did you order a bunch of stuff for Elena and had it shipped to my house?"

"No, why?"

"There are _a lot_ of boxes here sent from overseas. I just thought maybe they were for Elena and you were trying to keep it a surprise."

"I have her gift hidden but it's at the boardinghouse. Maybe they're from Damon."

Bonnie had her suspicions that her boyfriend pulled out his plastic and carved his ditch just a little deeper into debt. Still her heart did a somersault in her chest and butterflies threw a rave in her stomach.

"He doesn't strike me as the spoil-you-rotten type," Bonnie replied dryly.

Stefan chortled. "Damon is many things, but you have to remember that he and I were reared during a different era. Spoiling your girlfriend rotten came with the territory, and was to be expected. He's besotted," Stefan chuckled darkly.

"Well, okay. And speaking of spoiling one's girlfriend, you should have seen Elena's face when we dropped her off at the spa. She's getting the queen treatment you so generously paid for."

"Good. Food services just arrived so I'm going to have to talk to you later."

"All right. See in you in a little while." Hanging up the phone, Bonnie looked at the boxes. She unlocked the front door and started carrying them inside.

Bonnie had gotten the last box inside when Caroline pulled up and joined her on the porch. "What's going on?"

Bonnie motioned for Caroline to follow her inside. She did so wordlessly and her eyes widened at the boxes that cluttered the living room. "What's all this?"

"I'm not sure," Bonnie replied. "Some of them are from Italy. Others are from France, and one is from England."

Caroline frowned and inspected the boxes curiously. "Did you sleepwalk and order a whole bunch of stuff off the net?"

"No," Bonnie deadpanned.

"They're probably from Damon. Or Elijah," Caroline added.

Bonnie shrugged. "Let me go get a box cutter. I'll be back."

"No need," Caroline said. She used her nail to slice open the tape and pulled back the flap of the box. After taking yards of recycled stuffing paper out, she squealed. "They're shoes! Like designer shoes!" Her hands greedily reached inside and pulled out box after box. The way Caroline was acting you'd think they were for her.

Without asking permission, Caroline tore off the lid of one shoebox, squealed again, and lifted out a shoe that was so outrageously hot and stylish that Bonnie felt a little put off she didn't get to touch it first.

"Oh, I wish I had small feet," she complained. "Try them on."

Bonnie wobbled her way over to the couch. Damon had done it again. Surprised her but in a completely good and romantic way. At this point she could discontinue the fact he was trying to buy her love. She knew this wasn't about that. And though he never verbally shied away from letting Bonnie know how he felt, Damon didn't spend all of his free time walking around boasting about it either.

"How many pairs of shoes are in that box?" Bonnie inquired.

Caroline quickly counted. "Ten."

Bonnie's eyes bulged. "There are six boxes left. That means…"

"He bought you seventy pairs of designer shoes! Bonnie you have all the luck. You have a ridiculously hot and wealthy uncle that can sweep you to any country in the world at the drop of a dime, and now you managed to wrangle another guy you have wrapped around your finger and spoils you," Caroline pouted.

Bonnie studied her friend for a second wondering if Caroline was happy or jealous. For most of her life Caroline had been in competition with one female or another, mostly Elena, and though she and Matt was still going strong, he certainly wasn't in a position to whisk Caroline off to exotic locations or lavish her with expensive trinkets and gifts. They had a typical, normal—as normal as things could be considering she was a vampire—high school relationship. A night out on the town for them consisted of utilizing Matt's discount at The Grill, bowling, and settling down at one of their humble abodes to watch a movie.

"Maybe they're not all shoes," Bonnie tried to dispel that assumption. She bit her lip. "Who's the designer?"

Caroline grinned almost evilly at Bonnie. "Roberto Cavalli. I believe I also saw Fendi, Versace, and Valentino labels."

Bonnie reached for the stiletto and slipped it on her foot. It was like sliding her foot into a vat of whipped cream. She tried her best not to appear too pleased, but Caroline wasn't falling for that.

"Welcome to the dark side," Caroline said ominously and commenced opening the rest of the boxes.

The two friends soon learned that Bonnie's speculation had been accurate. Inside the box from Paris was a diamond wreath necklace, pearl and diamond earrings, and another pair of Christian Louboutin sky high heels. And the box from London contained frilly lingerie with strict instructions from Damon to wear one of the pieces the next time he saw her.

With Caroline distracted looking at all her goodies, Bonnie retrieved her cell phone and went upstairs to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She dialed Damon.

"Hello?"

"You are too much, you know that, right?"

"I do, but you can't stop my swagger not even with a runaway locomotive. I'm assuming you got several packages today."

"You're assumption is correct. Damon, seriously…you don't have to buy me shoes, and jewelry, and lingerie that costs more than my dad's mortgage payment. All I want is you."

He grinned on the other end of the line. "And you have me, but you're my woman and I take care of what belongs to me."

"You make me sound like a possession."

"Bonnie, you're my doll and I play dress up with all of my dolls."

She tried not to smile but it couldn't be helped by this point. "Were you trying to make Stefan look bad for only getting Elena a single gift for her birthday?"

"See, here's the difference between my brother and I. Stefan is simple like the village idiot. So is his girlfriend. I'm flamboyant and over-the-top. This is who I am, or at the very least what I've never been given the chance to be. I always told myself that the woman I love would want for nothing. Just let me do my job, woman. And my job is to keep a smile on your pretty little face and wet between the legs."

Bonnie flushed. "Okay, gotta go. Thanks for the gifts."

Damon laughed. "I can think of several ways for you to _really_ show your appreciation."

Ideas floated through Bonnie's mind but she quickly squashed them. Today was Elena's day. "I'll have to brainstorm and get back at you later."

"Bonnie!" Caroline shouted from downstairs. "We need to hustle over to the boardinghouse to finish decorating. Time is ticking."

"Coming!" Bonnie replied. "I have to go, Damon. Thank you so much for everything. I'll see you soon."

"Looking forward to it, Judgey. Do you love me?"

"You know I love you."

"Can you do one tiny thing for me?"

Bonnie headed to the closet to grab her garment bag and duffel. "What?"

"Don't wear any panties tonight."

Click.

Bonnie stared at her phone and shook her head back and forth. She was going to have to put his ass on a schedule. Bonnie was already exhausted. Her body definitely felt the effects, but none of it stopped her temperature from rising.

Damon was going to be the death of her.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I won't be going into too much detail about Elena's birthday party. I might gloss over it the next time I update it. I need to push the plot along because in all truth I'm really losing my steam for this story, and I don't want to leave you guys hanging. I don't know how many chapters are left, probably too many, so updates will probably start being once every two weeks or whenever the muse strikes hard for me to write. I know I've spoiled you all with the frequent updates, but this happens when a writer will get bored with their own story and your muse runs off with Thor to Asgard. Don't ask me where that just came from lol. But I hoped you enjoyed this chapter although it was somewhat of a pain for me to write. Love you guise! Oh and go Team USA in the London Olympics! And good luck to everyone period! **


	42. A Hard Day's Work

**A/N: So what do you know I drafted this up in under a couple of hours despite not being able to breathe. Stupid cold. Here is the latest. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Even at her most domestic Kelly Donovan wasn't the sort of woman to willfully volunteer to help her hometown look pretty. No, she left that kind of back breaking work to minions like the Fells, Forbes, Gilberts, and the Lockwood's since they were all the founding families. Sure, they might try to make it appear that outsiders were welcome in this tight-knit community but Kelly knew the truth and she despised the obvious favoritism.

But she was willing to try if only for her son. Matt had yet to take her seriously although she had been back in his life for a little over two months. She got up every morning before the sun rose to take a crack at whipping up an edible breakfast. She was getting the hang of it and only burnt the eggs three instead of five days out of the week. She would pick out her clothes for her receptionist position at the dentist office the night before, although she had been regulated to wearing scrubs. They were the most unflattering thing for a full-figured woman such as herself, but Kelly knew she had to abide by the rules or she'd be out on her ass again.

She saved her partying for Saturday nights and went to a bar located a few miles outside of town. That way she wouldn't embarrass her son who worked at the only decent restaurant in town, and she could binge as much as she liked without the citizens judgmental stares.

Her life was routine. Mundane. Boring. Just the way everyone around here pretended that's how they wanted their life to be. Kelly found it almost astonishing that no one thought the idea of coming across a handsome stranger with a crooked smile, five o'clock shadow, and who smelled like stale beer and cigarette smoke was thrilling. She did. Kelly Donovan always had a taste for the bad things in life. She drank like a fish, cursed like a sailor, and made love like a porn star. Having Vickie out of wedlock and at seventeen meant she had to give up a large chunk of her childhood to become a mother.

It went without saying that she failed and failed miserably. Her only girl, her little girl, was now maggot food. Her death had been ruled an overdose. Vickie had turned out to be an exact replica of her mother. Disobeying the rules, living life according to her own drummer, never thinking of the consequences. She missed her child, but figured Vickie was in a much better place. A place where societal bias couldn't taint her and make her desperate to do what she had to in order to survive.

As much as Kelly Donovan hated conforming to rules she knew she was being taught a very valuable lesson in pride swallowing. So far no one had come knocking on her door asking if she would volunteer for the back to school jamboree the town always held for the incoming senior class. Things like that was a big deal in this small town that's off the beaten path. To be asked personally to volunteer was almost like the equivalent of being invited to dinner at The White House. Maybe not to that extent, but that's how everyone treated Carol Lockwood when she would come a knockin' with her hand extended looking for a handout to help whatever charity of the week the town was supporting.

In the past Kelly had been glad no one knocked on her door. That meant she could sit back, do a couple of shots, and watch as the pretentious assholes behave as if they truly felt they were making a difference in the world as a whole. Kelly could never really understand why the whole town seemed to be indentured servants to the Lockwood's, having to stop their usual activity to rally to clean up parks, repaint schools, attend masquerades, and Founder's events.

The people who founded this good town had been dead and gone for close to…Kelly's history was a little sketchy. She wasn't sure and didn't really care to know the exact date Mystic Falls had been founded. They didn't care that people had to halt their lives for an entire month to celebrate the history of the town. Some days, Kelly really felt like she was stuck in the horror version of _Steel Magnolias._

Nevertheless, she knew that in order to be taken seriously not only by her son but the other inhabitants of the town, she needed to start showing up and doing her part in these horrendous town events. So that's why she was walking across the grassy knoll in her thigh length khaki shorts and plaid poplin shirt and tan wedge heels towards Carol Lockwood.

Taking a deep breath, Kelly plastered her best convincing smile on her face. Carol, armed with her clipboard, was directing a small group of volunteers on what needed decorating next. The minute Kelly was standing behind her, she summoned her last bit of will and strength not to flee, and tapped Carol on the shoulder.

The interim mayor turned around, her big blue eyes wide with expectation. When she saw who it was, displeasure shriveled her face.

"Kelly," Carol drew a measured eye over the other woman. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Inwardly, Kelly rolled her eyes. She could give Carol props for maintaining her politeness even when she though the person she was addressing was beneath her. "I'm here to lend my services. I'd like to volunteer."

Carol let out a shrill laugh before cutting it off prematurely and tried horribly to cover up her chuckles with a fake cough. "Sorry…I caught something in the back of my throat. You'd like to volunteer. Well, this is definitely a first."

"Yeah, well I'm making a lot of changes in my life, Carol. Positive changes. Surely you can understand that?"

"I do," Carol looked down at her clipboard. In her humble opinion, women like Kelly were bottom feeders. They never wanted to put in any blood, sweat, and tears to achieve whatever it was they wanted out of life. They depended on their withering good looks in order to trap a man into a loveless relationship thinking they could just sail through life without earning their place.

"Look, Kelly, I know you've been taking strides to improve your life and I commend you for that. It's not easy especially when one loses a troubled child." Pause. "Matt is a good kid. I'm just sorry he didn't learn what he needed to learn from his mother. Or maybe he did."

"Leave my son out of this," Kelly snapped, and looked around covertly to make sure she wasn't drawing unnecessary attention to this small altercation she was seconds away from having with the siddity mayor. "Just tell me what I can do and we can stay out of each other's hair. Sound like a plan?"

Carol's smirk was anything but friendly. "I'm sorry but we signed up our last volunteer this morning. So we don't need you."

If that didn't have a double meaning…

Carol took a step forward bringing her just that much closer to Kelly. "You would do this town a favor if you remembered your place, and that place is to stay as faraway from my son as possible."

Kelly snorted. "Honey," she said sharply. "I'm not the one with a Miss Robinson fetish. I've seen the way you basically eye-f*ck Damon Salvatore any time he's in a one mile radius from you. You want to throw stones, call someone names that's on you. Just remember Carol, I'm not the only one with a past she's hiding from."

Carol raised her chin defiantly in the air. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kelly folded her arms over her bosom. "Of course you don't. And speaking of sons…does yours know you had to take out a paternity test just to make sure Richard really _was_ the father? No?"

Carol's cheeks turned beet red. "How did…?" the mayor sputtered. "If you ever…"

"Try me," Kelly hissed. "Tyler he might have been born a Salvatore. I guess it's convenient for you that Zach has moved on to bigger and better things. Now, where do you want me?"

The silence that engulfed them was deafening. Grudgingly Carol said, "They could use more hands with food prep at the Grill."

Kelly flashed a tight smile before walking away.

Carol watched her and for the first time in a long time she wanted to hurt someone. She didn't like being reminded that not long after she married Richard and got sucked into Council life and that Zach Salvatore had caught her eye. Try as she might to stay away from him and honor her vows, the temptation had been too great. Zach had been so gentle and soft spoken. The complete and total opposite of Richard that she gave in. Their affair lasted no one than a few months, but they were the best few months of her life.

When Carol discovered she was pregnant it was a huge wake up call that she was playing a dangerous game with other people's lives, and she was now pregnant with life. Her time of being selfish and careless had to come to an end. Zach had been understanding and let her go, yet she never told him of her pregnancy. As soon as Tyler was born with dark hair and dark eyes like Richard, Carol knew she had dodged a huge bullet.

But to be on a safe side, she ordered a paternity test, anonymously. How Kelly Donovan knew this…Carol would have to think about that later.

Everyone had skeletons in their closet, Carol had just hoped hers had turned to dust by now.

Satisfied that she had put that HBIC in her place, Kelly entered Mystic Grill and saw a myriad of volunteers standing in an assembly line putting together sandwiches, and making goodie bags.

Just as she was about to rush off to the ladies room to wash her hands, something else caught her eye.

"Long time, no see," Kelly said by way of an introduction as she stood next to the figure perched on a bar stool clad in all black on this hot summer day.

Damon shifted a little and saw Kelly Donovan breathing down his neck. "Kels," he said jovially enough. "What brings you by?"

Kelly slid on the unoccupied stool next to Damon. As was custom, her hand flew up signaling the bartender, but then she shook her head. She was here to volunteer, not get plastered. "I'm here as a volunteer actually."

"Funny, you don't strike me as the volunteer type, but then again I could be wrong."

Kelly smiled. She remembered the first time she laid eyes on Damon. At first she thought she might have stumbled into ancient Rome because men who looked like Damon didn't exist in her time period. He was ridiculously good looking with the sexiest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen on a man. Then suddenly her thoughts shifted trajectory and she remembered kissing him passionately while she straddled his waist just moments from getting lost in his room to have horizontal fun times.

Embarrassingly her son and his friends caught her and killed her evening. Kelly was thinking it might be time to start dating again. From what she's heard, Damon was a respected member of the community. He had proven his attraction to her in the past, so this could turn out to be a win-win for her.

Kelly puffed her chest out just a little more. Damon had his eyes focused on his cell phone. "Well, I'm doing this mostly to stick it Carol Lockwood. I hate that bitch."

Damon snorted. "Carol…might be a little high strung but she isn't that bad."

"Coming to her defense, are we? I don't think you've had enough to drink in order to see reason."

This time Damon laughed and flagged down the bar keep. "Give the lady three of what I'm having."

Kelly licked her lips. "Damon…I shouldn't. I'm here to volunteer," she argued coyly, but with a saucy smile on her face.

The vampire in question swung his head in her direction, trapping Kelly with the sensual warmth of his blue-eyed gaze. All thought left her brain. "And don't you think you should be a tiny bit plastered in order to make it through the monotony of making sandwiches and toy bags for the ungrateful people of this hick town?"

Kelly tipped her head and then picked up one of the shot glasses. She held it up to Damon who followed suit. They tapped their glasses together and drained the burning alcohol down the hatch. Three shots of tequila really wouldn't do anything for Kelly since she had built up a high tolerance for the stuff, but at least it would knock some of the tension out of her body.

"You're not here to lend a helping hand?" she questioned and "accidentally" brushed his arm with her boob.

Damon stilled for a second and eyed her speculatively before turning his attention away. "I write checks. That's how I lend a helping hand to this community. Manual labor…not really my thing."

"I guess it wouldn't be considering you're loaded."

"Who said that?"

"Please," Kelly snorted. "I've seen your house…correction…mansion Damon. Last I checked, people living on government assistance don't live in palatial homes."

Holding up a finger in front of his lips, Damon puckered his mouth. "Shush…don't tell anyone that Stefan and I are living on Section Eight."

Kelly laughed and bumped Damon's arm. "Maybe you should give me a personal tour, you know to refresh my memory of how destitute you really are."

Damon stiffened for a second as a very noticeable summery scent began to infiltrate his nose. He didn't bother with looking over his shoulder. He knew who was approaching.

Bonnie saw Kelly Donovan sitting _way _to close to Damon, so when she approached them at the bar, she resisted although barely from throwing her arm over Damon's shoulder. He turned on his bar stool to face her and she saw the wicked gleam in his eye. Kelly followed suit a little more hesitantly.

"Bonnie, how are you, doll?" Kelly greeted.

Bonnie smiled towards her elder. She had been taught manners after all. "I'm good, Misses Donovan. I see you've been keeping _my_ boyfriend company and away from those sharks over there," Bonnie pointed towards the old women of the Mystic Falls Knitting Circle who were heckling with one another over how to properly make a tuna sandwich.

Kelly laughed and then frowned. Damon and Bonnie were together? She was still in high school and Damon...? Well, Kelly didn't know his exact age but she knew he sure was hell wasn't in high school anymore.

She swung her finger back and forth between Damon and Bonnie feeling bemused. "You two are seeing each other?"

Damon shrugged like it was no big deal. "That's my honey bun."

Kelly immediately hopped off the stool. She figured she'd have some competition for Damon's attention. She just never imagined the competition would come from one of her son's oldest friends.

"I should get a move on," Kelly hedged. She stepped closer to Bonnie. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

Bonnie stared up at Matt's mom. "Isn't he a little _young _for you? I mean no disrespect."

"None taken. Be careful with that one," Kelly said as if imparting some sage advice or wisdom. She looked at Damon in a parting glance before shaking her head and walking away.

With her gone, Bonnie cleared the space separating her from Damon. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed both of her cheeks before sealing his mouth over hers.

Minutes probably ticked by before either of them thought to come up for air. "You look pretty today," Damon salaciously ran his eyes over Bonnie's attire. She was wearing one of her favorite halter dresses.

"Thank you." Pause. "Did you sleep with her?"

Inwardly, Damon cringed but this one time he could thank his lucky stars that he hadn't gotten lucky that night he practically almost humped Kelly Donovan against the wall. "No, I didn't."

Bonnie stared deep into his eyes just to make sure he was telling the truth. "Good. Don't," she smiled which reminded Damon of a lion just moments before it was about to pounce.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

Damon got up from the stool, threw his arm over Bonnie's shoulder. "Let's leave now before someone really expects me to pick up a broom or something."

Bonnie wrapped her arm around his waist and then playfully pinched his bottom causing Damon to jump.

* * *

><p>Trudging through caves was not his thing. But Luka Martin had a job to do. While everyone else in town was distracted with preparing for the festival he was stuck doing his father's bidding. Luka could really consider being a warlock more of a curse than a blessing. His father held him to a higher standard of morality. He wasn't raised to act like the normal, average kid of coming home, doing enough homework just to get by, and hanging out with friends until the wee hours of the morning.<p>

No his time was to be spent reading about his family history and learning spells, building up his defenses so he would never fall prey to vampires, werewolves, and the like.

Luka was missing out on a tremendous lot but Jonas always told him that self-sacrifice was always better than having your choices taken from you.

As a result he was deep under the Lockwood property looking for hieroglyphics. Archeologist he was not, neither did he have a personal investment in anthropology. He wasn't here hoping to make some ancient discovery to land him on the map. This was about finding out the next step in a long line of processes that would lead to whatever master plan his father had cooked up.

Studying the map that was in his hand, whatever his father needed was right where he was presently standing. Unfortunately there was a deterrent in the way in the form of a brick wall. Who builds a brick wall in a cave? Someone with something to hide, apparently.

Putting his hand on the wall Luka tested its strength and durability. It was still in tact and would prove to be a little difficult in getting through it. No matter.

Taking a few steps backwards, Luka closed his eyes and started chanting. His voice echoed through the cavernous walls rising into a great crescendo. The sound of rumbling could be heard and then individual bricks began to tumble lose and fall like teeth until a sizeable hole had been created. Peeping through the hole with the flashlight, Luka was met with nothing but darkness once again. He sighed, but then sucked up the feeling of claustrophobia and climbed through the hole.

He may have walked about five meters when he saw something white appearing against the dark walls. Holding the light steady, soon figures and what he assumed were letters began to appear. He smiled a little in victory and immediately got to work on setting up his camera equipment.

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

Niklaus was paranoid. Always had been. Always would be. That flaw had never escaped Elijah and being a vampire it only meant his paranoia had been magnified. Still, it was hard for Elijah to understand why Klaus would go to such lengths to one: keep their family daggered for centuries upon time, and then to have protective wards hide their location from a simple locator spell, and finally to keep them entombed deep underground in marble sarcophaguses.

Kol and Rebekah he could understand why Klaus would go to such lengths. Kol had been the original Jack the Ripper that plagued Whitechapel back in the late 1800's. Kol had been bored, needed something to do with his immortality and thought slaughtering a bunch of prostitutes and leaving behind cryptic letters would add some humor and excitement to his life. Because of his carelessness and lack of propriety, Kol had been put down like a dog, euthanized in the only way an original vampire could be.

Rebekah on the other hand. She didn't take joy in ripping her victims apart, but her downside had been she fell in love easily and often. Too often. And when her suitor of choice showed his true colors or wanted to leave, Rebekah would torture them or make them watch as she drained the life out of the woman she was being dumped for. When they were younger, Rebekah and Niklaus had been thick as thieves, often scampering off together playing in the caves, making up stories, hiding from their bureaucratic father and indifferent mother. Somehow a rift appeared in their paradigm and Rebekah joined the way of their brothers Kol and Finn.

Finn was the elder of the brood and the one who railed the most against being a vampire. He didn't want to hunt, to feed, to take human life and several times attempted to take his life, only to find it was impossible. At least by conventional means. Elijah figured Klaus daggered Finn as some sort of favor or perhaps so he wouldn't hear him moan and complain about hating being a vampire for all eternity.

That being said, Elijah had a choice to make. Either wake up all of his siblings, none, or perhaps one. He certainly didn't want to play favorites, but the world was vastly different from what they would remember. Kol and Rebekah never listened. Once they had their minds made up or set their sights on something, it was virtually impossible to turn them away. So controlling them would take more effort than he was willing to exert at the moment. Nevertheless Elijah missed his family.

He stared at the marble sarcophaguses each one labeled to identify whose remains laid within.

Elijah moved to stand opposite of Finn's sarcophagus and ran his fingertips over the dust covered top. "I know you never wanted this life, brother, but I fear…something may be coming and I may very well need you."

Using his brute strength, Elijah braced his hands on the corners of the marble top and pushed. The grating sound of stone scraping against stone made his teeth stand on end, but finally the hood toppled over and crashed to the floor.

There was Finn still dressed in his doublet, breeches, long wavy hair covering his shoulders. He really did look like a throwback from the early days of the first settlers in America. The handle of the dagger stood proudly from the center of his chest. His skin was alabaster, the same color as the marble he rested in for the last 900 years. Elijah couldn't imagine it. Being "dead" for that length of time despite the fact he had been "alive" for a thousand years.

Elijah hesitated for a second before reaching in and wrapping his hand around the handle. With one pull he removed the dagger and then there was nothing left for him to do but wait.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Grill<strong>

Elena Gilbert was still in recovery mode from her birthday party and it had taken place seven days ago. Loud music made her head bang so it was kind of difficult for her to sit at the table next to Stefan in the over packed eatery waiting for her friends to arrive.

But she wouldn't have changed anything about her party for the world. Her friends had gone over and beyond what she expected. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and Elena could say that it was the happiest time of her life in a long time.

She sat admiring the rose gold charm bracelet, one of many gifts Stefan had given her. He grabbed her knee to garner her attention.

"You okay?" he asked.

Elena nodded and leaned in to steal a kiss. "My body is still trying to recuperate from the party last weekend. I guess it's a sign I'm getting old."

Stefan chortled before throwing an arm over her shoulder. "Yeah, we should definitely start looking for a nursing home for you."

Elena butted him with her elbow, smiling wide. Their senior year was set to begin in three weeks and as usual Elena was feeling slightly anxious. Last year she had begun the year with dread because her parents' death was still so fresh in her mind, despite the fact the rest of the town had moved on. Their mourning period had ended while she and Jeremy tried to act as normally as possible. Elena had been a little bit more successful than her brother who instead got lost in a drug and alcohol haze for the whole of the summer and about a third into the school year.

Things were looking on the up and up for them. Elena was in love with an amazing man albeit he's a vampire. She tried not to think about the fact that she and Stefan wouldn't necessarily grow old together, but she wasn't pressed like that Bella chick. Elena was supernatural in her own right, but it wasn't the kind of supernatural that meant an extension of her life or looks.

And Jeremy had come out of his emo phase with flying colors. She really hoped he would stay on the path he was currently on and would work hard to getting into a top division school because it had been their parents desire for the both of them to attend college. College was something else Elena would have to start thinking about and soon. Application deadlines would be approaching faster than expected.

Suddenly Elena found herself distracted by the couple that was making their way to her table. Elena studied Bonnie and Damon, both of them dressed in black. Damon uncannily was wearing a black wife beater something he typically didn't do, and the dress Bonnie had donned was one shouldered and stopped about mid-thigh. Perched on her feet were a pair of Gucci ankle strap heels. Their hands were clasped, but Bonnie had her free one clamped on Damon's bicep while she bit his shoulder.

You couldn't chisel the smug look off Damon's face. Maybe if she had some dynamite handy, even then Elena found it doubtful anything would have been powerful enough to blow that self-satisfied look off Damon's veneer.

But could she really blame him? Bonnie was a catch and any guy would be lucky to have her. As of late, whenever Elena saw Damon, Bonnie or them both they _always _appeared as if they finished having sex. Which nine times out of ten they had. How Bonnie wasn't bowlegged at this point was nothing short of a miracle.

Elena kept her smile in place and observed as Damon spun Bonnie around prior to pulling out her chair for her.

"Hey guys," Bonnie greeted cheerily and then quickly diverted her attention back to Damon, staring into those eyes and forgetting they were in the presence of company.

Stefan rolled his eyes. Those two could be so nauseating sometimes. "I didn't see you earlier today, Damon when the rest of the men had been bamboozled into cleaning out the south end of the park."

"Hmm?" Damon replied distractedly and redirected his lips to nibble Bonnie's ear.

"Bonnie," Elena tried.

Only Bonnie was too busy giggling to respond back.

Elena cleared her throat and then kicked her friend under the table. Bonnie jumped and as a result Damon lost his hold on her ear.

"What the hell, Elena?"

The brunette wiggled her fingers. "Remember us?" she was indicating herself and Stefan. "We were trying to have a conversation with the both of you, but you're clearly preoccupied."

Damon gifted her with a lopsided grin. "Jealous? Has the fire gone out of your relationship already, Lena? Tsk, tsk I can recommend some movies for the two of you to watch to pump some fresh blood back into your relationship. Now that I think about it, things have been rather _quiet,_" Damon did that weird eyebrow thing he did, "on Stefan's end of the house."

Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and flushed. She was no prude but she didn't make it a habit to broadcast her sex life to the world.

Unlike Damon.

"Don't be an ass, Damon," Stefan chastised.

"Maybe you should get some ass and not worry so much about what I'm doing with mine," Damon said so lowly that only Stefan could hear.

Taking his balled up, discarded napkin Stefan hurled it at his brother.

Elena and Bonnie looked at the brothers before Bonnie rose from the table. "I'll be right back."

Damon watched her strut off, following the titillating jiggle of her ass. He was arched so far back in his chair it was a miracle he hadn't landed on the floor.

"Got_damn, _my girl is _hot_!"

Elena shook her head but watched as Damon kept his gaze locked on Bonnie. Maybe Damon had a point. It had been so long since Elena felt the rush that came along with being in a new relationship. Sure, Stefan could still give her tingles, but now they were comfortable around each other. And the heat between them wasn't as strong as it used to be, and he certainly didn't stare at her like he wanted to eat her to pieces.

Stefan respected her right to have space, but Damon on the other hand had no such respect and kept Bonnie pretty much tucked under his arm whenever they were together. Bonnie was one of the few people that Elena had known intimately for a large chunk of her life, and her friend never came off as the type of female who would want to be with a man who was so demanding and overbearing.

Yet Bonnie seemed to soak it up like a sponge, feeding off of Damon's energy just as much as he fed off of hers.

Rising from her seat, Elena followed her friend's wake to the bathroom. She located Bonnie washing her hands at the sink.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Elena asked.

Bonnie nodded and dried off her hands. "What's up?"

"Do you think I'm boring?"

Bonnie's eyebrows nearly lifted off her face. Elena wasn't boring necessarily; it's just that she liked to take the path of least resistance in life. Being entangled with vampires had brought about action and adventure but Elena was beginning to want another kind of thrill.

"No," Bonnie finally answered. "I don't think you're boring."

"So what am I?"

"Elena, where is all this coming from? Is it because of what Damon said? You know he likes making people uncomfortable. It gives his life meaning, purpose."

"That may be so but it doesn't mean he's wrong. Things have been calm and quiet…well except for that hiccup with Klaus and Isobel…but I do the same thing everyday. I wake up, spend time with Stefan, you and Caroline, and I might attend the usual party or founder's event, but…it doesn't feel like its enough."

"So why don't you do something different? Take today for example. I was all geared up to help volunteer, but Damon talked me out of it and we spent the whole day in Natural Bridge. We went to the Natural Bridge archway and had dinner at the Colonial Dining Room. You have to find time and create moments, and be spontaneous because otherwise it won't happen.

"What we did was nothing unusual, but it was spur of the moment. It keeps things fresh because I just never know what might pop up into that head of his, and where he'll take me next. Something tells me Stefan is the same way."

Elena nodded and turned until her butt hit the sink. "He is, but I've just been so consumed with living life as normally as possible that I guess in my own way I've stifled him from being spontaneous."

Bonnie playfully pushed Elena's shoulder. "So un-stifle him," she laughed. "How's your sex life? Something tells me that's the _real _reason you wanted to talk to me."

Pink dots formed in the center of Elena's cheeks. "It's good…okay better than good, but…I feel like Stefan holds back because he doesn't want to hurt me, and sometimes it leaves me wanting more. And if I tell him he'll just get freaked out and he'll argue the cons of letting go."

Bonnie nodded in understanding. She checked the bathroom before pulling up the hem of her dress to show her thigh. Elena looked down and then her jaw dropped.

"Bonnie, what happened? Are those Damon's fingerprints?"

"I know it looks bad but Damon is kind of a python. He likes a tight hold, and I got it from…" she blushed, "riding him which we both love. But you have to get out of your head sometimes. I understand why Stefan has to hold back because lets face it he and his brother are weapons of mass destruction."

Elena chortled. "Yeah, I know…but sheesh, Bonnie doesn't seeing the physical proof of what Damon can do to you freak you out?"

Bonnie lowered her dress. "Of course it does. I've told him about it. He's seen it, and he's promised to be gentler, but I kind of like it when he holds me close."

Elena arched one elegant eyebrow in the air. "You like the fact he's abusive?"

"He's not abusive," Bonnie refuted sternly. "He just forgets his strength because our minds are preoccupied about other things," she smiled shyly. "Damon and I…we're kind of like two jaguars or something. It gets wild and crazy, but he has his moments where he's incredibly sweet and gentle. It's the dichotomy between the two. You have to be willing to try something different and push yourself out of your comfort zone, because trust me Damon can be quite terrifying, but I know at the end of the day he wouldn't lose control and hurt me."

"So you think if I told Stefan to just let loose once in the bedroom, that this feeling of…docility I'm beginning to feel will go away?"

Bonnie shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to try. But this isn't something you should tackle if you're not prepared for it. We can try an experiment. Give me your hands."

Elena hesitated for a moment before clasping hands with Bonnie. Bonnie closed her eyes and began channeling.

"What are you doing?" Elena realized she should have asked this question before agreeing to whatever it was Bonnie was doing.

"I'm siphoning off some of my strength to you. I can handle Damon when he lets go. The average woman can't."

Elena gasped when she felt heat race from her fingertips, up her arms, before zig zagging over her entire body. The lights flickered momentarily and then Bonnie released Elena and opened her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Bonnie asked.

Elena turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. She still looked the same but on the inside she felt different, empowered somehow. The feeling was reminiscent of the time she fought back against that vampire who attacked her at the 50's decades dance all because she looked like Katherine.

"I feel…great!" she grinned like a loon. "Thank you, Bonnie."

The two girls hugged. "Hold on for one second," Bonnie detained her friend and then reached inside her purse for her cosmetics bag. "We need to touch up that makeup."

Spilling out of the bathroom, Elena ran into Luka Martin. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Luka offered up a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He soon got distracted by Elena's necklace but only kept his eyes locked on it for a nanosecond because Bonnie caught his attention next.

"Hey, Bonnie. Wow, I haven't seen you in a while. You look amazing."

"Thank you, Luka. How's your summer going?"

Luka made a restless motion with his shoulders. "It's going. Well, I won't keep you. Have a good night."

"You too."

When the two friends strolled up to the table with lips painted red and black eyeliner, Stefan's jaw dropped because for a _second _Elena in this moment reminded him of Katherine. Her walk bespoke of arrogance and domination. Elena circled him and whispered in his ear.

"I think it's time for us to go. I'm tired."

Stefan looked down at his entrée. "But our food just got here."

Elena pursed her lips and propped a hand on her hip. "Stefan," she said sternly but then nibbled a corner of her lip. That was the universal signal that she was in the mood.

Welp, he wasn't very hungry anyways. Stefan got up to his feet. "You got the check right, Damon? Considering all the times you stiffed me with the bill."

Damon was about to object, but Bonnie having taken residence on Damon's lap, placed her hand over his mouth. "It will be taken care of. Have a nice night you guys."

The girls shared knowing looks. Stefan reached for Elena's hand and the two of them left. Bonnie watched on like a proud mama when Elena locked her teeth around Stefan's earlobe.

Damon snorted and finished off his beer. He hated beer. "What naughty little spell did you cast in the bathroom?"

Bonnie fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "I don't know what you mean."

Tapping the end of his nose, Damon tightened his hold on Bonnie's hip. "You smell sweeter after you do magic."

"I do?" Bonnie squeaked.

Damon nodded his head. "Yep. And your skin," he ran his fingertips over her arm, "it becomes warmer. That's how I know you've done some hocus pocus. So out with it."

"Nope," Bonnie quickly shot him down.

"I could always kiss the truth out of you," and Damon proceeded to rub his lips over hers.

Bonnie pulled away. "You're not going to seduce me tonight, Mr. Salvatore."

"I beg to differ."

Bonnie rose from his lap. "You promised me you would teach me the fundamentals of pool since I suck and that's exactly what you're going to do instead."

Damon quickly got to his feet. He was wholeheartedly in favor of playing any sport that meant he could bend Bonnie over a flat surface.

Luka kept a watchful gaze on them for a majority of the night. Once his father got back from his trip from overseas, they were going to have one hell of a puzzle to put together.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Stefan had no idea what had gotten into his girlfriend. Elena was kissing him with a bruising force that nearly split his lip. He tried to gain the upper hand, but it was providing to be much more difficult. Seriously, had she started lifting weights while he wasn't looking?

They tripped their way up the stairs to his room, crashing into the door, nearly breaking it off the hinges. Elena grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the bed. Down he went and bounced, and Elena mounted him.

"Elena…Elena…Elena…slow down," he tried to say but was caught in a web of her hair as she kissed a trail from his chin down the column of his neck. Her fingernails nearly sliced into his skin when she grabbed both sides of his shirt and ripped it.

Buttons took flight and scattered. Elena smiled in victory and went back to kissing his pecks and abs, not stopping until she reached his belt. With deft fingers she quickly unbuckled it, popped the button on his jeans, lowered the zipper, and then she was tugging his jeans off.

Stefan wanted to slow things down but it appeared Elena was impatient. She was in rare form tonight and he really had no idea what took place between Bonnie and Elena in the bathroom, but whatever transpired, Stefan was going to send someone a fruit basket.

For so long he wanted to be this raw with Elena, but the fear of his own strength meant he had to exercise restraint. In the past Stefan had to battle his overwhelming blood lust. And his hunger could be fueled by a myriad of things not just human blood. Carnality went hand in hand with the need to drink blood and any time he and Elena would go at it, Stefan always got the sense he was playing Russian roulette with her life.

If he held her too tightly, he could shatter her bones. If he used too much force while thrusting he could smash her head into the headboard and crack her neck. Having sex with a mortal was always tricky business.

Breathing heavily, once Stefan was naked, Elena rose to stand on her feet. She undressed for Stefan who stared at her just as hungrily. The minute she kicked her panties away, she hopped back on Stefan, and kissed him ardently.

Stefan wrapped one hand around her neck, the other rubbing her naked back. He attempted to roll them over so he could be on top, but Elena, anticipating the move, grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head.

"Tonight, I control this ride, Stefan," she viciously bit his neck and actually drew blood.

"Arghh," Stefan cried out and shamefully got infinitely harder. His dick could demolish concrete right now.

Elena licked his cheek horizontally before taking possession of his lips. She ground her hips on his erection, coating it with her own lubrication. Tossing her head back, hair taking flight, Elena stared down at him and then suctioned Stefan into her warmth. She clutched him as tightly as she could and watched in pleasure as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Don't hold back, Stefan," she whispered and began to move…

…The door to the boardinghouse flew open. Damon stumbled inside with Bonnie. He grabbed her ass as she crossed into the living room.

"Stop that," she admonished him.

Damon closed and locked the door. He froze and then directed his attention to the ceiling. The chandelier was swinging back and forth. Damon snorted and then cackled.

Bonnie turned to face him. "What?"

He shook his head. "I think my brother and Elena are trying to bring down the roof."

Bonnie drew her attention to the ceiling and smiled. "Get him girl," Bonnie said and poured Damon a drink. He of course was standing behind of her when she turned around.

"I think we can do one better," he winked at her and accepted the drink.

"I told you, you're not seducing me tonight, Mr. Salvatore." Bonnie pecked his lips and then headed towards the staircase. "I'm off to take a bath."

"I'll be up in a minute."

Alone in the room, Damon directed his attention to the ceiling once more before placing the half-finished drink back on the wet bar. "Get him girl, indeed," he laughed and made his way up to his room.

* * *

><p>Dusk had fallen and still Elijah waited for Finn to awaken. Rubbing his two fingers together, Elijah had a mind to check in with Bonnie, make sure she was well and nothing else had befallen the city in his absence.<p>

A moan cut through the silence of the mausoleum. Moving with quickness, Elijah watched as the gray scaly appearance of Finn's skin had completely worn off and his natural olive complexion had returned.

"Finn," Elijah said softly. "Wake up, brother."

Hazel eyes popped open and Finn's look of shock was instantly replaced with inhuman rage. With a mighty leap, he was out of the marble holding box with both hands wrapped around Elijah's neck.

Grunting and struggling, Elijah had been brought down to one knee, but he was a hundred times stronger than Finn and broke his hold once he got over the initial shock that Finn's first action against him would be violence. He slammed his older brother against one of the stone columns, shaking dust and debris loose in the process.

"Calm yourself," Elijah said through clenched teeth. "I mean you no harm."

Finn blinked as if trying to recognize the man standing in front of him. Once recognition hit, he shook his head, and flung Elijah away from him. Cramps attacked his belly costing Finn the last of his strength. He went down, holding his abdomen.

"I know," Elijah murmured. "It's the hunger. You need to feed."

"No," Finn replied gutturally. "K-kill me, Elijah."

Elijah presented a blood bag to Finn. "I'm afraid I can't do that, brother. Please drink."

Finn studied the bag with hatred before bringing those same burning eyes to Elijah. "It was a mistake waking me. A _grave_ mistake."

And Elijah would admit to no one the chills he felt gliding down his spine upon hearing his brother's proclamation. Yet only time would tell if Finn would mean what he just said.

Chapter end.

**A/N: What have we learned? Carol and Zach Salvatore had a fling (again that wasn't something I had planned, but yeah we'll go with that. I miss Zach from season 1 although it was a bit weird hearing him say Uncle Stefan when clearly he was way older than Stefan-biologically speaking.) Elena was getting bored (because she is boring) with the monotony of her life and got a little boost from Bonnie. Fun times all around. Luka is back and found the cave of the originals or whatever it's supposed to be called, and Elijah has awakened Finn. Oh, and just to clear up somethings, Damon isn't purposely hurting Bonnie. That's not what's going on between them at all. I have no plans to turn him into some controlling, overly grabby boyfriend, nope, not in this fic. We're getting close to some dramatic events that will be happening in the next few chapters. You know I can't keep things quiet for too long. Thank you for reading, my lovelies. Until next time…love you!**


	43. Am I My Brother's Keeper

**A/N: No long introduction needed. Read and enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Location Unknown**

"Finn…"

The vampire in question held up his hand before returning his gaze back to stare at the sun as it began to lower below the horizon. The light stung his eyes after seeing nothing but endless darkness for nine hundred years—according to Elijah. He would not explain how it felt to feel the breeze against his skin or to be able to move his arms, legs, wiggle his fingers and toes, to smell the salty air.

"You should not have woken me, Elijah. You've wasted your lot on me. Why have you not roused Kol and Rebekah?"

"I think you all people should know the answer to that question. They cannot be trusted."

Finn's smile was sardonic. "And you think because I am the elder of all of you that I fall under the parameter of trust? Trust in my family is what landed me in this dastardly position in the first place. I trusted our mother to do the right thing, and instead she turned us into…demons. I won't live another minute in this lifestyle, Elijah. Where is Niklaus?"

"He's back home. Where it all started."

Finn said nothing to this news. Elijah tentatively approached him again and laid a hand on his shoulder. When Finn didn't shake him off, Elijah felt he made a small amount of progress in the right direction.

"Do you know where our mother is buried?" Elijah asked.

"You should ask that of Niklaus. I know not where she is."

Elijah didn't believe that of course. Finn had been their mother's favorite when they were young. She had been the one to do the deed in ending his life leaving the rest of the brood to suffer Mikael's ruthless technique in being killed and given this new life. Klaus had proven to be obstinate in not giving up the location of their mother's burial place. Elijah had let it go for now, but he couldn't escape the feeling of urgency to find her place of rest before someone else did.

"Come with me, Finn. Let me show you the new world."

"No. I rather go on my own. Forget you and our family in its entirety."

Now Elijah was losing his patience. "We are all that we have left!" he reminded his brother sternly.

Finn turned to glare daggers into Elijah's eyes. "Then my prayers will be with you, brother. For you'll certainly need them."

* * *

><p>Caroline wiped her mouth and hands before depositing her napkin over her empty plate. She smiled at Matt who sat across from her at the bistro table outside of Mystic Grill.<p>

"Thank you for lunch," she said and reached for his hand, linking their fingers together.

"It was the least I could do considering you've been putting up with my mom's snide remarks and comments for the last few months."

To that Caroline rolled her cornflower blue eyes. Matt should count his blessings that she hadn't paid little Miss Kelly a late night visit and turned her into a fast food meal. "How is your mom liking her new job?"

Matt shook his head. "You don't have to pretend to be interested in her life. I'm not one of those naïve son's who thinks his mom walks on water, and that his girlfriend is being paranoid in thinking his mom hates her. It's nice you want to get along with her…but you don't have to."

"I know I don't _have _to but she's your mom, Matt. The least I can do is fake being polite to her. Subject change. What are we doing for the rest of the day?" her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Lately their outings had been regulated to late dinners and stolen lunches between his shifts. Caroline was one of those people who always needed to be involved in some type of activity, needed her hands buried in making plans or seeing things to fruition. He knew he was being kind of a drag on her social calendar but he had responsibilities that she didn't, and so far Caroline understood. Nevertheless, Matt couldn't escape feeling guilty because he couldn't devote the time to his relationship that was needed.

He didn't want to be the one to bring about disappointment, but this lunch would be their only opportunity to spend time together today.

Caroline had developed a sixth sense when it came to Matt shattering her hope. She sat back dejectedly in her chair. "Let me guess…you have to work. Again."

"Care I know I've been real busy with work and football camp…but I have some time off coming up at the end of August."

Caroline's jaw dropped in incredulity. "End of August? But then I'll be in cheerleading camp and starting my community service at the end of August. This sucks!"

Just then Caroline caught sight of Stefan and Elena except they weren't walking down the sidewalk, but was on a motorcycle. Since when did Stefan drive a motorcycle? Shaking her head, she could only watch as Elena grinned from ear-to-ear as Stefan tore off down the street. She knew Bonnie was with Damon joy riding. Apparently if she wanted some form of excitement in her life she needed to find a guy with Salvatore as his last name.

"You know, I used to be the fun, spunky one," she mumbled. Matt stared at her from across the table and listened to the beginnings of her tirade. "And I would get on Elena and tell her she was behaving like a bored, married housewife, and now I'm the one who never gets to do anything fun and adventurous with her boyfriend because he's married to his job."

"Caroline, _look_…" Matt interrupted sharply. "Things have been slow between us but that's only because I'm slowly putting my life back together again. You don't know what my life was like before my mom showed up."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline flopped her hand on the table. "You were living like a rockstar in your bachelor pad. You could come and go as you pleased. You didn't have to answer to anybody."

Matt snorted and pushed his tongue against his cheek. "Yeah, you got me all figured out, Caroline. As usual," he said irritably. "My life was perfect, you know. Living on my own not worrying about if I came home would the lights be on; or if I hopped in the shower would the water be warm; or how about this…wondering if I inserted my key in the lock would the door actually open."

The two blondes looked at one another. Matt's face was red a clear sign that he was pissed while Caroline blanched white and bit a corner of her lip. She spoke out of turn again, something she was known for.

Okay, Caroline conceded she never really stopped to question how Matt survived, was able to maintain his single-family home on a bus boy salary. She just assumed that Kelly sent money from whatever cave she dwelled in to cover the cost of everything. Apparently that wasn't so. Had her boyfriend really faced the possibility of being homeless and she had no clue about it?

She felt like a crap girlfriend.

"Matt…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed…"

Reaching for his wallet, Matt pulled out his debit card. "You didn't know and it wasn't like I was going around telling everyone." He sighed. "If you want out…be on your own for a while or hook up with some guy who can take you to fancy restaurants and drive you around in expensive cars…then I'm not going to hold you back."

"Matt," Caroline practically whined. "I don't want to break up with you. I don't want to fight with you. You know I don't care about that stuff. I didn't exactly grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth either."

"Yeah, but…Caroline I want to be able to do nice things for you. You think I want to eat at The Grill _all _the time?" he laughed self-deprecatingly. He pulled Caroline's chair closer to his causing her to smile until that dimple appeared in her cheek. He kissed her. "Things are looking up," he told her. "I'm going to ask Bobby if he can cover the dinner shift for me tomorrow night. He owes me, and if all goes according to plan then you and I can go and do something crazy."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Matt grabbed his girl by the back of the neck and pulled her forward again to seal his mouth over hers.

"Boo, get a room."

Matt groaned and Caroline cursed. They separated and looked up at the person who was looming next to their table.

"Tyler," Caroline deadpanned.

"Hey, man," Matt held his hand out and gave his boy some dap. "Where have you been hiding these last few days?"

Tyler stuffed his hands back into the pocket of his jeans. He shrugged. "I went to go visit some family in South Beach. Camp is coming up," he reminded Matt.

"Yeah, I know. I need to get down to the outlet because I'm in serious need of some new gear."

"Hey, I'm heading out there next weekend. You wanna roll?"

Matt looked at Caroline getting her silent permission. She nodded her head although she didn't want to. Aw, the things people do for love.

"I'm in."

"Cool," Tyler said and looked at Caroline. "Well, I see the two of you were in the middle of lunch so let me go."

Matt stopped his momentum. "Hey, you don't have to bail. We're done. I just have to go take care of the check. Keep her company for a minute will you."

Tyler nodded and occupied the other empty seat. He and Caroline weren't exactly friendly with one another but they weren't mortal enemies either. Well…that wasn't exactly accurate when he thought long and hard about it. Tyler had indeed spent time in South Beach but it wasn't family he was visiting. He was trying to track down some of Mason's friends. He came across a few surfers who unfortunately knew nothing about Mason being a werewolf, but they did provide some insight into the kind of man he was. Mason had been the easygoing type and went to bat for his friends. He had honor. In all, Tyler learned that Mason was the total opposite of his father.

Now the man was dead and at the hands of a vampire no less.

Tyler had kept his distance from the Salvatore's, Bonnie, Caroline anyone he suspected had a supernatural edge. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep his mouth shut and not put the Salvatore's on blast to the clandestine council Bonnie had told him about, but he needed to make sure his mom would not be put in any danger by his actions.

"So how you been, Caroline?" Tyler asked once the silence became strained and uncomfortable.

"I've been good," she replied softly.

"I…ah…couldn't help but overhear that you're bored."

Caroline shrugged. "Who doesn't get bored with their life from time to time? My question is, why do you care?"

"Who said I did? I was only making an observation, pointing something out. I'm assuming that Matt has no idea about what you are?"

The muscles in her body tensed at the question and Caroline presented her most baleful glare at Tyler. She hoped she was pulling it off.

When he smiled at her futile attempt to intimidate him, Caroline gave it up. Her sunny disposition typically got in the way of her appearing lethal and unhinged like Damon. That dude had it down to a science.

Caroline leaned over the table and lowered her voice. "Look, I plan to tell him when the time is right. Don't you dare say a word to him about me, Tyler. I mean it."

The werewolf in question held up his hands. It was a nice feeling knowing he had leverage over at least one person in this town. "If I spill your secret then that means I'll have to come clean about my own. But you're right. Matt deserves to know the truth. I'll just leave it up to you on when you'll tell him."

"Well, this is new. You're not going to threaten to hang it over my head if I don't do something for you in return for keeping your silence?"

Tyler rose from the seat when he heard Matt approaching. "Unlike Damon I don't need to threaten to kill or blackmail someone to get them to comply. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." A beat. "I'll see you later, Caroline. Better yet… I have it on good authority that werewolves are stronger than vampires," he arched his dark eyebrows. "Wanna prove me wrong?"

Her interest was piqued but Caroline knew to exercise caution. Tyler might be trying to set her up in a trap. "How about I'll think about it and I'll get back to you."

Tyler strummed his fingers on the back of the chair. "You do that." He faced Matt who had finally reached the table. "Hey, man I'm out. Got some errands to run. You working tonight?"

"Unfortunately," Matt said drolly.

"If I'm not too busy I'll stop by later. Maybe we can squeeze in a game of pool on one of your breaks. See you."

"Later Tyler," Matt faced his girlfriend who was busy reapplying her lip gloss. "The bill's been settled. I have an hour left before my shift starts. We can head down to the lake for a swim real quick."

Caroline rose from the table. She smiled broadly. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>Her hair whipped around her face but she didn't care. Prince and The Revolution was singing "Take Me With U" as she looked at the man seated behind the wheel immersing herself in the world, in his eyes, feeling as light as air. Bonnie leaned forward and captured Damon's lips knowing he was rounding a curve going no less than a hundred miles an hour. She didn't care about her safety knowing the safest place in the world was right here with Damon. Bonnie laughed and tossed her hands in the air, tilting her head back, eyes closed.<p>

Damon kept his gaze riveted on his young, beautiful girlfriend. Leave it up to them to take a simple ride in a vintage car and turn it into a scene from Fast and The Furious. It was with some difficulty that he returned his eyes to the road and continued to press his foot on the gas, the pedal nearly touching the floor. He was a speed demon, Bonnie was an adrenaline junkie. Together they were limitless in the things they could do.

Once the song ended, Bonnie settled back against the seat and slipped her shades back on looking the picture of cool elegance. Damon turned the radio off altogether and reached for Bonnie's hand linking their fingers together before wrapping it around the gear shift. He traveled on this lonely stretch of highway for another five miles or so before decelerating and pulling off on the side of the road. He cut the engine.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I'm all for teaching you deviant behavior, you know that."

Bonnie pulled her shades down until they rested on the tip of her nose. "And you know I don't chicken out once I've asked to learn something new."

Damon studied her for a second. "All right." He hopped out of the car and Bonnie followed suit. They traded places and Bonnie was the one to slide behind the wheel.

Settled in the passenger seat, Damon quickly went over some last minute things. There were millions of guys out there who wouldn't want their dream girl to go anywhere near their dream ride, but Damon wasn't of the selfish breed. He wanted to share almost everything with Bonnie so when she asked that he teach her how to drive stick, he didn't back down and name a long list of reasons for why she should be content with driving automatic in her super safe Prius.

Yet, he knew to exercise caution when needed, and knew that if not properly trained Bonnie could do some serious damage to the transmission of his full restored 1977 Corvette.

"So you remember everything I told you and showed you?" he asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, Damon we've been talking about this for the last week. I'm ready."

"_Please, _I beg and you know I don't beg, please be gentle with her."

"I'll be gentle, I give you my word," she turned the ignition and roared the engine to life. Damon sat back against the seat and for the first time in a long time he actually began to fear for his life. Statistically speaking women were safer drivers than men; that didn't equate to being _better _drivers. Damon did all he could to tuck his chauvinistic side by into its hole, but when it came to a woman driving his car it was hard to do so.

"Easy on the clutch!" he added hastily once Bonnie put the car into first gear and hopped back on the road. He closed his eyes and prayed they'd make it back to the boardinghouse in one piece.

They were a third of the way into their trip when Damon told himself it was okay to relax. However, the minute Bonnie flashed him an innocent little half smile he should have known she was about to do something daredevil-ish, and she did.

"BONNIE!" he would never admit that he shrieked her name as they hydroplaned over an incline and bumped along the road. She laughed wickedly and turned the music up to ear shattering decibels as she practically drove the hubcaps off his car.

By the time they pulled into the garage, Damon fell out of the car and literally kissed the pavement. Bonnie watched him for a moment, shaking her head as she skipped inside the boardinghouse.

"It wasn't that bad," she said as Damon followed her inside.

He sat down in his favorite high back chair and stared straight ahead. "I think my undead life just flashed before my eyes." He pinched himself. "I'm still alive so I guess that's good."

"Now you're just being dramatic," Bonnie rolled her eyes and sat down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm a pro when it comes to handling stick. I thought you would have figured that out by now."

"Well, I know you've excelled at _riding _a particular stick but I never would have imagined that you would be able to learn how to drive stick shift so fast," he eyed her suspiciously. "Are you sure you've never learned before? Did you just bamboozled me?"

"Does this look like the face of a woman who would try to bamboozle a vampire?"

"Yes," he answered flatly.

Bonnie smiled. "Okay, I'll come clean. Matt was actually the one to teach me how to drive. The truck he had before the one he has now used to be manual."

Damon's eyebrows dropped into two flat lines across his forehead. "You just wanted to drive my Vette."

"Is that a crime?" she asked sheepishly. "I know you trust me with everything to a certain degree…but I know when it comes to boys and their toys they don't like to share."

"Damn straight we don't."

At that time Bonnie's stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Damon queried.

"I could eat."

Tapping Bonnie on her hip as a signal to get to her feet so he could get to his, the twosome entered the kitchen and bumrushed the refrigerator. Bonnie was in the mood for homemade pizza and since there happened to be dough, marinara sauce, veggies, and pepperoni, Damon rolled up his sleeves and began the prep work.

He kneaded the dough imaging it was Bonnie's leg.

"Let me help you," Bonnie volunteered softly and slid in front of Damon who of course towered behind her. She coated her hands in flour and together she and Damon kneaded the perfect pizza crust, their hands oftentimes overlapping and linking together.

Damon rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

Bonnie's skin warmed when she felt a persistent nudge in her lower back. She was hungry and knew she should keep her focus on that and not so much Damon's burgeoning erection, but it was hard—figuratively and literally.

Damon cleared his throat and tried to concentrate but his thoughts happily skipped down to the gutter whenever he was in close proximity to Bonnie. She was wearing a dress which allowed easy access. All she'd have to do was tilt her hips back and he could bend his legs and that would be all she wrote, but he kind of had a little wager going on with Stefan to see who could be around their girlfriend for an entire afternoon without any funny business occurring.

Since Stefan and Elena rekindled the heat in their relationship or either found it since in Damon's opinion it had never really been there, the two of them had been going at it like bunnies. However, Damon already knew that no one could surpass or come close to touching the endurance he and Bonnie had. They were cut from the same cloth after all.

Too bad there were still so many hours left in the day. And the more Bonnie's hips brushed against his groin, Damon felt his resolve weakening and crumbling into kibbles and bits.

He cleared his throat and stepped away from her to busy himself with washing off the red, green, and yellow peppers.

Bonnie stared at him over her shoulder. It went without saying that his body was certainly ready for some action but Damon wasn't following through with the corresponding response.

"You okay, baby?" she asked.

"Yeah," Damon retorted quickly and looked at Bonnie offering her a tight smile. Once the vegetables were clean he began chopping them.

Bonnie went back to pouring the sauce over the dough. "Oops," she said a little while later and turned to face Damon. "I got some sauce on my chest. Could you help me clean it off?"

Damon gulped thickly before turning around to face his girlfriend. A wallop of sauce somehow got on Bonnie's chest right above her left breast.

"How did that happen?" he questioned and narrowed his eyes at her.

"What can I say? I'm a klutz?" she shrugged and tried to appear innocent of any wrong doing or calculation.

Grabbing a dishtowel, Damon crossed over to Bonnie to wipe the sauce away.

"I think there's a bit more effective way to get it off," she hinted and stared up at him with those eyes.

Damon groaned. "Don't do this to me. You know don't you?" he accused.

Bonnie stared at him blankly. "Know what?"

"You're psychic…don't play me. You know about the bet that Stefan and I have going. You know that if you and I get naked and have wild crazy sex that I lose a thousand dollars."

"Only a thousand?" Bonnie pursed her lips together. "I'll cut the check myself. I'm horny, now do me."

Damon's laugh was humorless as he stared up at the ceiling wondering what did he just get himself into.

Bonnie wrapped herself around Damon, resting her head on his chest. "You know you weren't going to win anyways."

"Yeah," he agreed, knowing he should feel offended by her lack in faith in him but it was pretty much a moot point.

"Restraint isn't your forte and that's why I love you," she placed a kiss on his clavicle. "But seriously, I'm horny."

This time his chuckle was authentic as he swept Bonnie up into his arms and ghosted off to his bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Amsterdam, Sweden<strong>

As much as Finn didn't want to be around Elijah even he was wise enough to see that he needed his brother's tuition on how to operate in this transformative world. In nine hundred years the earth had made so many advances from the barbarianism he was practically raised in that it was astounding and overwhelming to behold. Finn learned rather quickly that men no longer fought with swords, spears, and shields but with metallic weapons will small round objects that flew out of a chamber. Women no longer dressed modestly, but flaunted their youth and beauty in shirts, skirts, dresses, and pants that did little to conceal their figures. People spoke in a language he had a hard time deciphering, and it was Elijah who pointed out it was slang—not necessarily something taught in school.

There were gadgets and devices that made human life simpler and easily accessible. Horses and wagons were no longer the preferred way of travel but fast moving, human controlled machines called cars, buses, trains, and planes.

The idea of soaring in a metal contraption that had wings like birds but didn't flap to maintain flight was mind-boggling to Finn. He felt like an orphan in this strange world, out of place, and in the way of evolution. He was enthralled yet frightened because the world he had known only existed on the pages of history books, or on electronic screens that were downloadable with the single click of a mouse.

The two brothers had spent the whole of the day together. Elijah taking Finn to a men's hair salon to update his look so he wouldn't appear so out of place, and of course to a high end clothing boutique to trade his breeches for tailored trousers and button down shirts.

At the end of their excursion they stopped at a bar for drinks where Finn tasted brandy, scotch, and whiskey for the first time. It was vile stuff but he'd rather drink that than feast on the neck of the pretty little barmaid who kept staring at him with some kind of wanton look.

Elijah pinched his lips together to keep from smiling at the puzzled expression on his older brother's face. Out of all his siblings he felt the most for Finn because as formidable in size as he was, he was the most gentle at heart. And perhaps that's why their mother fancied him over her other children. Parents back in those days and times made it obvious which of their offspring they favored. It was the way of life and admittedly it never bothered Elijah. He needed no one's approval, since he mostly did what was expected of him anyways. He could remember his mother looking upon him affectionately in his boyhood days, but those looks were fleeting and lasted for seconds.

When their waitress refilled their drinks, she kept her eyes locked on Finn waiting for him to acknowledge her in some way. Finn merely ignored her existence, picked up the shot glass, and drained it grimacing the whole while.

"Thank you, Eileen. That will be all," Elijah said dismissing her from their table. He watched as she walked away a little dejected but knew she'd recover soon enough. Elijah soon chuckled.

Finn stared at him sharply. "To what do you find amusing?"

"It seems our waitress is taken with you," Elijah pointed out.

Finn snorted. "If she knows what is best for her, she'll learn never to dally with vampires. It isn't fitting."

To that Elijah rolled his eyes. "Seriously are you ever going to give up this ridiculous notion that you can't find honor being what we are?"

"It's never been about being honorable, Elijah," Finn pulled his lips back from his teeth and looked away. "Sure a thief and a killer can have honor, but do you feel a heart beating in your chest? You move at the speed of thought. With a single blow you can turn this entire alehouse into a pile of rubble. A normal person can't do a tenth of the things we can do. We can't die, Elijah unless someone stakes us in the heart with white oak. We are unnatural."

"Through no fault of our own," Elijah replied tersely. He was getting sick and tired of having this argument with Finn. He wanted to know what his brother's next move would be, knowing he was going to make one. "What are you planning to do to ease your suffering?"

"I believe we should go," Finn ignored the question and rose abruptly from the booth.

Elijah hesitated before digging in his pocket for his money clip where he slapped a hundred dollar bill on the table and followed Finn out of the bar.

They were back on the noisy streets of Amsterdam. Finn walked as if he knew where he was going and the two of them ended up in the red light district. The older Mikaelson ignored the naked women who stood brazen in windows offering their bodies for pleasure. Elijah had no idea where Finn was headed but kept stride with him until they turned to a deserted part of the street.

Finn turned around then. "This is where the road ends for us, Elijah. You're my brother…you'll always be my brother, but there's something I have to do."

"What?"

Lightening fast Finn's hands shot out and he twisted Elijah's neck. He watched as Elijah's body dropped. "I'm sorry," Finn said leaving his brother there to rot on the dirty asphalt. "But you never should have awakened me."

And Finn was off.

When Elijah woke up, in a morgue no less, he was in a pisser of a mood. Draining the unfortunate technician to regain his strength, Elijah immediately called Klaus figuring their loveable brother was on his way back to their place of inception.

Klaus of course had been unsympathetic. He told Elijah he got exactly what he deserved since Finn had been the martyr out of the bunch, and it seemed spending time on his back for the past nine hundred years had done little to steer him off that path.

So Elijah was back in that special cave where the other two sarcophaguses remain unopened. He did not want to wake up Rebekah and Kol but if Finn was going to do what Elijah had the tingling suspicion that he might do, well solidarity was best and at least Kol and Rebekah could put up a fight for their lives instead of remaining easy prey.

Feeling dread flow through his veins, Elijah held the last two daggers in his hand and waited for all hell to break loose.

* * *

><p>The following night the entire gang convened at the Salvatore boardinghouse to watch <em>Spartacus: Vengeance<em>. Conversations flowed around Bonnie but her thoughts were a million miles away. She stared blankly off into space and it wasn't until she was jostled on the shoulder that she snapped out of her reverie.

Standing next to her was Stefan. She smiled at him ruefully and went back to her task of making spinach dip.

"You okay? You were out of it for a second."

Absently Bonnie nodded her head that she was fine but that wasn't the total truth. In fact she couldn't escape a foreboding sensation that did nothing but whisper in her ear all day, that this nice calm bubble that had been created in her world was about to burst. She didn't want to jinx anything by speaking it into existence. But she had visions and they always came to pass.

Well, she hadn't exactly had a vision. Not like the ones Emily plagued her with in order to use her body to destroy the crystal. Yet the feelings and sensations that imminent danger was near were just as strong.

"I'm okay…I just have this feeling I got when…people started dropping like flies when you know who rolled into town."

"You think another vampire who only has murder on the mind is coming here?" Stefan questioned, his happy go-lucky mood dissolving and becoming clinical and businesslike.

"Possibly," Bonnie answered unequivocally. "Just not now," she nearly whined. "Things have been going so smoothly lately and I was thinking that maybe the craziness was over, and life could return to normal. There's the back to school party next weekend and then it'll be the first day of school. We can't have another year like we did last year."

Stefan nodded his head. "Have you told Damon?"

Shaking her head, Bonnie stopped stirring the dip. In the background she could hear Elena, Caroline, Matt, and Jeremy argue over how much tequila should be used to make proper margaritas.

"Why not?"

Bonnie pressed Stefan with a droll stare. "Because you know he'll just go looking for trouble instead of waiting for it to find him."

If that wasn't the truth, Stefan thought and tilted his head. He stuck his finger in the dip and sampled it.

"Umm, gross," Bonnie complained. "I hope that finger was clean."

Stefan smiled and pulled one of her springy curls, releasing it, and watching as it curled back into a helix. "I don't think you want to know where it's been," he wiggled his eyebrows.

Bonnie's jaw dropped opened. "Eww…images go away."

Chuckling, Stefan picked up a tortilla chip. "Now you see how I feel. I think you and that degenerate brother of mine forget that I have bionic hearing. I try not to listen but getting from my room to the front door kind of feels like I'm dodging land mines."

Blood rushed to Bonnie's cheeks and the back of her neck felt hot. "And since we're on this topic, how have things been for you?"

Now it was Stefan's turn to look uncomfortable. He was glad he lost the ability to blush the minute he transitioned. "I think your bowlegged friend can answer that question. She won't let me rest."

Bonnie laughed and playfully pushed Stefan's shoulder. "Oh, yeah she's a bad seed that one."

Stefan winked at her and feeling light-hearted tossed his arm over Bonnie's shoulder. He grabbed the bag of tortilla chips while she grabbed the bowl of dip. Together they left the confines of the kitchen and strolled into the living room.

Damon looked up narrowing his eyes on his brother sending him a private message to back the hell off his girlfriend. Instead, Stefan ignored him and kissed Bonnie's hand before walking away.

Caroline entered the room carrying her margarita glass. "Well I'm ready to see some hot naked gladiators."

Matt cleared his throat belligerently. Caroline cupped his cheek. "Not to say you aren't hot but I see you all the time."

"Real sensitive, Care," Elena remarked and joined Stefan on the overstuffed chair.

Bonnie took her place next to Damon and snuggled up beside him. She arched her neck to study him. "Stop killing Stefan in your mind. It makes you looked cross-eyed."

Caroline, having heard that laughed. "It's so true," she agreed and took a sip of her margarita.

Damon dipped his head to whisper in Bonnie's ear. "I heard your conversation with Stefan. We'll talk about that later."

Bonnie nodded her head and then drew her attention to the flat screen as the lights in the living room were dimmed and the DVD started to play.

All eyes were riveted on the screen. Certain scenes caused all the girls to wince and look away, while Jeremy and Matt high-fived one another whenever someone lost a limb or an arc of blood went spraying in the air.

Of course when the graphic sex scenes aired the room became noticeably quiet as everyone was unable or unwilling to look away.

The action was nonstop and unrelenting. But of course the part that got to Bonnie the most was watching Crixus and Naevia fight for their love and freedom. Her eyes naturally couldn't stop traveling up to Damon who in many ways reminded her of Crixus: deadly, a force of nature, supernaturally virile.

As if reading her thoughts, Damon dipped his head and captured Bonnie's lips uncaring of who saw. "I can't _wait _to reenact some of those scenes with you," he whispered in her ear.

In response, Bonnie shivered.

Hours later everyone decided to take a break from watching death and destruction. Bonnie stretched her arms over her head and went outside for a breath of fresh air.

She stared up the sky trying to pinpoint some the constellations she spent a semester of her freshman year learning in Astronomy. It didn't take long for her to give up.

"_Caw!_"

Startled Bonnie dropped her eyes to the huge black crow that landed on top of the balustrade. The oversized bird spread its wings, wings that were the color of coal. It stared at her inquisitively for a minute and then it flew off just as quickly as it appeared.

"Bonnie?"

The girl in question turned at the sound of Caroline's voice. "Yeah?"

"Your phone beeped. I think you might have a message."

"Oh, it's probably my dad. Thanks."

Caroline handed Bonnie's cell over to her and went back inside the house. Putting in her security code, Bonnie saw that she had a voice mail message. She listened to the prompts and then waited to hear her father's concerned voice.

Instead she was greeted with nothing but static. Pulling the phone away from her ear, Bonnie frowned. The static continued for nineteen seconds before it cut off. She was asked if she wanted to save the message but she instantly deleted it. Bonnie opened up her call log to see who the last person was that called her.

At first Bonnie didn't comprehend what she was seeing. It read: My Damon. However, _her _Damon was programmed to show up as "Hubby" when he phoned her.

Then it clicked.

"Oh, shit," Bonnie gasped as her heart began to pick up momentum. "Damon…" she whispered; her brows drawn together in confusion as an infusion of emotions began to gyrate through her.

Her mind was zipping in a million different directions. He was back? Here? Now? In Mystic Falls? What was she going to do? She wanted to see him, but couldn't see him. She was with someone else now. Happy. Content. In love. But…

When a pair of arms slid around her waist she tensed and quickly spun around fully expecting to see eyes as black as night gazing into hers, but instead they were the color of a methane flame.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked without preamble. He knew Bonnie and could clearly see the distress written on her face.

Her mouth opened to tell Damon that the other Damon, the one from Fell's church had called her, but Bonnie's tongue was glued inexplicably to the roof of her mouth. If she told him he'd go ballistic. Bonnie knew he would. But she couldn't keep this from Damon.

"It's…him…" she finally managed to say and stared down at her phone.

Damon didn't understand, at first, put he quickly put the pieces of the puzzle together and the emotion left his eyes. The one thing he dreaded but kept in the far recesses of his mind was happening.

"He's back?" Damon spat tersely as a tick began to hammer in his jaw.

Bonnie shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."

* * *

><p>Bodies covered the courtyard and continued through the main atrium of the house. Elijah carefully placed his feet against the marble floor, mindful not to step into any pools of blood and track it through the house. Sighing heavily, he kneeled next to one drained body. It was a young woman with auburn hair and chestnut colored eyes. She was probably in her mid-thirties her life cut short by the insatiable thirst of the undead.<p>

It was funny how making one bad mistake could quickly tumble into making several.

The click of high heels on the floor caught his attention. Glancing up he saw his sister draped her in flapper attire, the entire front of her dress crimson with blood.

"Elijah…long time…no see," Rebekah croaked.

"Rebekah," he replied emotionlessly. "I see you didn't waste any time making a mess of things." He balled his hand in a tight fist and rose to his feet. "Where's Kol?"

The vampire in question made his presence known by dropping a body from the high vaulted ceiling. The crunch of human bones turning into dust on impact made Elijah's teeth stand on end.

When he turned around to face the young man who was almost his splitting image, Elijah's eyes dropped to Kol's blood stained chin.

"Hello, brother. Where's Klaus so I can give him my thanks for sticking me in a box for close to…how long?" Kol asked.

"Almost a hundred years."

Kol's obsidian eyes turned thoughtful for a nanosecond before they became impenetrable. "I am going to enjoy dancing in his entrails."

"Would that be before or after I stripped his body of its skin?" Rebekah inquired and wiped a corner of her mouth.

Who needed enemies when you had a family like the Mikaelson's? Elijah thought.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Okay so some wanted to know when Bonnie would fess up about being about to hear Damon's thoughts. I'm getting to that, but bear with me. I know I have a ton of loose ends to tie up and they will get tied eventually. I'm just trying to set a stage right now. So I guess the main question is: Is Book Damon back or is something else going on? Finn is now rogue, and Kol and Becks have been resurrected. I'm not completely happy with this chapter and I might make some edits later, after I sleep on it. I'll let you know. But things are about to get hotter than a straightening comb burning skin. Until next time, love you guys!**


	44. Make No Promises

**A/N: Happy Sunday folks. **

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

There were some men who could put the fear of God into people's hearts. And there were others that were born mainly to scare you to death. Damon Salvatore fell somewhere in the middle. He hadn't had to exercise his inner sadistic muscle in a while. That part of him had been lying dormant for sometime, and honestly, Damon missed it. He missed flexing his muscle of invincibility. He had forgotten what it felt like to watch as mortal men tried to take him out in a fist fight. They ultimately broke their hand trying to deliver a punch to his face or abdomen because he was nothing but solid rock under pliant skin.

Many might not take him seriously, or see him as a formidable threat because of the way he looked. His looks weren't a weakness or a precursor to him having no strength, but it was his Thor's hammer. It was the web that shot from his wrists. It was the inner beast in him that could demolish cities with the single stomp of his foot.

He lured you in and then he took you out. Damon needed to remind himself of that because his world was trying to crumble into pieces after Bonnie received that phone call.

Call him insecure. Call him a man trying to stake his claim, but Damon had come too far to lose it all, to be asked to step aside so that Bonnie's prior relationship could resume. No effing way was that going to happen. Ever. They were together now and Damon had every intention of making sure it remained that way.

That's why he enlisted Alaric to help him search the town for any traces of inter-dimensional fairy dust to make sure another portal or whatever it was that the other Damon managed to land in Mystic Falls hadn't opened.

Alaric didn't appreciate being awakened out of his bed at the ass-crack of dawn and ordered to grab his gear and move his ass to Damon's car because they had shit to take of. That was a paraphrase of the greeting he received upon opening his door to see a ferocious Damon Salvatore standing on the other side.

There had been no pleasantries between the two and though Alaric tried to insert his own machismo into the mix, Damon quickly shut him down.

"I don't have time for your bitching, hunter," Damon said referring to Rick by his nocturnal alias which was something he never did.

"You can't expect to show up at someone's door before the sun has risen and not expect them to bitch and complain. You really are an insensitive bastard."

"Love you, too. I mean it, Rick. It's important."

"Harrumph," Rick replied and left Damon standing at the door as he traveled back inside his apartment. He would move at his own pace and if Damon didn't like it, well he knew where the exit was. "Why do all of _your _emergencies turn into _my _emergencies?"

Damon made himself at home in Rick's kitchen, rifling through his cabinets searching for a bottle to crack open. "Are you fishing for compliments, Rick?" Damon taunted.

In response to that question, Rick flipped Damon the bird before disappearing in his bathroom.

Forty-five minutes later the dynamic duo were driving deep into the woods looking for a hot spot. Alaric had recently required some high-tech equipment that could detect energy signatures. It was all a bit technical for Damon and he didn't really care to know the particulars about how something worked. He was only interested in it doing what it had been designed to do.

"So why are we doing this again?" Alaric asked for what seemed the millionth time. He knew that Damon could be vague on purpose because he preferred to work alone, but on the rare occasion where he needed help, Damon only told his accomplice what he or she needed to know and not a morsel more.

Damon had spent the better half of the night dissecting this with Stefan although he hadn't wanted to. Stefan of course had cause for concern knowing his brother's history the way he did, and more importantly how Damon operated when he was under stress. People suffered when Damon was generally unhappy, and things had been good for so long that naturally Stefan didn't want anything to shatter that harmony.

Being candid with his brother was one thing. Opening up to the only other male he spoke to on a regular basis put Damon on another plateau of trust. His history with Rick like so many others in his extensive past was not solid gold. They had unresolved issues between them. Damon could acknowledge that much, but he wasn't one to go out of his way to fix things, make amends. Besides he felt he didn't have too.

There came a level of understanding between two people who had been hell bent on destroying the other. Well, Damon _thought _he had succeeded when he stabbed Rick in the lung, but the man had nine lives and was resurrected. After that incident, Damon used Rick to his own advantage since the man had created and/or acquired devices to take down an enemy that was faster and stronger than him.

In short, having Rick around proved to be invaluable. Whether someone could label it as friendship was a matter of opinion.

"We're doing this to make sure no uninvited guests have shown up in the middle of the night," Damon answered as he magnified his senses to see if he could detect anything.

Alaric still felt perplexed but then looked back down at the device in his hands. Nothing out of the ordinary was being scanned or detected. He headed out on foot, going deeper into the oldest part of the woods.

Damon followed but at a distance.

"That still doesn't tell me anything," Alaric argued. "Are you looking for another vampire? A werewolf? A hobbit? What?"

Damon snickered at the hobbit comment. "Yes, Rick," he felt his irritation stirring. "We're searching for another vampire." Pause. "Me…only with black eyes and a horrible accent."

Alaric stopped walking, turned to face Damon, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You think the other Damon is back?"

The vampire in question simply lifted a shoulder. "I'm not sure. Bonnie got a phone call the other night from Mr. Vampire Extraordinaire."

"Okay so if he called her then why the hell did you drag me out of my bed if you already have proof that he's back?"

"That's the thing, Alaric. He called Bonnie—yes, even attempted to leave a voice mail but all that was recorded was nineteen seconds of static. When she tried to call him back, it said the number was disconnected. So unless her phone rang spontaneously showing a missed call from that prick, he might be here…somewhere…hiding."

The paranormal geek in Alaric rose to the surface. He'd heard, read, and tried to document ghosts making calls from the grave, but someone attempting to do so from another dimension? He began to drool.

To say the least his interest was more than piqued and renewed. However, he kept his eyes on Damon and noted that the vampire was doing a very good job—for him at least—in keeping his temper in check.

It wasn't hard to tell that something else was bothering Damon.

"I'm taking it that Bonnie has been freaking out?" Alaric guessed and framed his question more like a statement.

Damon pressed his jaws together. "Let's just say my girlfriend kept something vitality important from me and she's on my bad side right now."

Alaric's eyebrows lifted after hearing that. The way those two had been acting, Alaric really didn't think there was any offense Bonnie could commit that would get Damon to turn on her.

Intrigued, Alaric asked, "What did she keep from you?"

Damon sighed and looked at the ground for a minute and the mud that were caking his boots. He thought back to the fight they had…

…Bonnie paced back and forth in front of Damon's bed, nibbling her thumb, occasionally glancing at the phone in her hand almost willing it to ring.

Damon found her like that after entering his bedroom. Amid Bonnie's protest he had gone straight to the two-story Victorian to see if that rotten bastard was indeed back. No one had been home. Damon checked a few spots the other Damon had been known to frequent and he hadn't spotted the vampire anywhere. He felt his search hadn't been sufficient enough and decided that he'd go out in the morning and pick up where he left off.

He kept his eyes glued on Bonnie as she looked worried and distracted.

"He wasn't at the house nor anywhere else I looked."

Bonnie glanced at him before looking at her cell again.

Damon reached out to touch her shoulder and to get her to stand still. "What?"

Conflict reigned supreme on her face as Bonnie nibbled a corner of her lip before she forced herself to look at Damon. "I've been calling to him."

Now it was Damon's turn to look conflicted. "What do you mean calling to him? Is that a witch thing?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, calling to him as in a telepathetic mind link thing."

Silence.

Damon felt his pulse racing for some odd reason as all the blood in his body began to beat in his temples. "You have a telepathetic link to him?"

Bonnie's nod was slow. "Had," she stressed. "It stopped working the minute he left. If he was here and I called…I know he'd answer. He always answers me when I call and I've been doing that since you left. I've heard nothing in reply."

Damon relinquished his hold on Bonnie's shoulder and took a step away from her. "When were you going to tell me that you were linked to him?" he could barely get the question out because his throat was closing in.

Of course Damon was trying to tell himself that this was no big deal, but it was. Being entrenched in someone's thoughts, having the ability to communicate using only the frequency in your brain was a deeply intimate thing. Something he didn't share with Bonnie and something she had failed to mention and/or offer. Damon felt excluded for some odd reason.

"In all honesty I forgot about it, Damon."

"You forgot about it?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes," Bonnie reiterated.

Now everything was beginning to make sense. All those times he caught Bonnie staring blankly, she had been holding a conversation with Damon in her head. Or those times she'd answer out loud a question he asked her silently…Damon had just chucked it up to her being psychic and answering a question before it was asked.

To establish that kind of link with a human that meant frequent blood swapping had to occur. And Damon had foolishly thought he had been the only one to swap blood with Bonnie, that she and her boyfriend at that time had abstained because of her aversion.

Apparently he was wrong.

As if she knew what he was thinking and the implication, Bonnie reached for Damon. His hand was stiff in her grasp. "Damon, talk to me."

"What do you expect me to say? I find out that my girlfriend has a telepathetic link to another man…a man she was in love with? Had fallen her ass into a depression over when he left. You want me to say it's no big deal?"

"No, I don't want you to say it's no big deal but there's no reason for you to get upset either. I haven't been speaking to Damon inside my head for the last eight months. And you want to know something else…I can hear your thoughts, too."

Damon's eyes widened. "You can hear my thoughts? Like right now?"

"Not right now, but if I lower the barriers in my mind…I can hear your thoughts. I don't do it because…I see it as an invasion of privacy."

Damon took a seat on the edge of his bed. "But you're still tied to him, Bonnie." That's the part that bothered Damon the most. The fact there was still even a sliver of an intimate connection between them.

Bonnie could almost sense the nature of Damon's thoughts. She approached him, stood right between his legs, and cupped his cheeks. "I'm not tied to him, Damon. I'm not. I'm tied to you."

He wanted to believe her but Damon had front row seats to how heartbroken Bonnie had been when Fell's Church Damon left. And there was that saying that no one forgot their first love. Dark-eyed Damon had been Bonnie's first love. To find out now that they shared this bond he knew absolutely nothing about…Damon was trying with everything in not to go the hell off as he's so used to doing.

In his mind this might be the equivalent of a man finding out his girlfriend was still Facebook friends with her ex. In some situations all it took was having a foothold somewhere to cause problems in a relationship simply because the other person didn't want to let go. To Damon, the lines of communication were still open between Bonnie and her ex.

And he didn't like it.

"You're tied to me?" he asked stiffly. "If that's so then find someway to break the link. For good."

Bonnie stared at him feeling a tad bit helpless. "I told you that the link between us hasn't worked since he's been gone. Plus…I have the faintest idea on how to break something like that."

"Then look in that damn witch's cookbook of yours and _find_ something."

Bonnie didn't mind when someone spoke to her in an authoritative tone, but the minute it turned condescending that's where she put her foot down, drew the line in the stand and dared the other person to cross it. Damon was teetering on the edge.

"Are you asking or telling me, Damon?" Bonnie spoke deceptively quiet.

He didn't answer but his face did.

Thus this made her curious about something. "If I don't do it?"

He stood from the edge of the bed, rising above her, looking down his nose at her. "Then you're basically saying fuck you, this relationship, and your feelings Damon."

The back of Bonnie's neck grew hot. "I love you, Damon. This relationship means everything to me."

"Then act like it!" Damon stormed out of the room only to return a short while later with her grimoire and several candles. He dumped everything on his bed, took a step back, and folded his arms over his chest—waiting.

"Damon, something like this is going to take time. And I'm sure there's nothing in Emily's grimoire that's going to tell me how to break the bond."

"Then the least you can do is look," he nearly growled. "Just know this you aren't leaving this house until whatever bond you have with him is broken."

Bonnie pivoted on her feels to face her boyfriend. "I can understand why you would be upset about this, but holding me prisoner here…now you're crossing a line."

Damon was on top of her in an instant. "No, what I'm doing is preserving what we have so that _you _don't cross a line."

Bonnie's nostrils flared at the implication. For as many times as the Damon before her tried to get her to cheat and made her stumble, the nerve of him to think she'd repeat those actions with someone else, now that the shoe was on the other foot.

"So now I'm some faithless whore that's going to spread her legs at the first sighting of her ex?" Bonnie seethed.

"I'm not going there with you. Just find a way to break the fucking mind link with that motherfucker at your earliest fucking convenience. Thanks," with that Damon stormed out his room, slamming the door behind him.

The minute Damon was done recounting the story Alaric could do nothing but shake his head. Damon had the tendency to go over the deep end. Everyone knew that. He probably already built it up inside of his mind that Bonnie would drop him like a hot potato the minute she laid eyes on the clone.

"Bonnie loves you Damon. I don't know why," Alaric shrugged. "But she does. She's a loyal person. You know she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your relationship."

Damon chortled derisively. "Love makes people do stupid things."

Even Rick had to concede Damon had a point. But he had a correction to make. "It's not love that makes people do stupid things, but the fear of _losing _that love that makes people act irrationally."

Damon didn't say anything but mulled over Alaric's words. In retrospect, Damon could admit that he was a little harsher with Bonnie than he should have been, but had acted on primal instinct to protect what he claimed as his by any means necessary. Time had never been on their side, and if Fells' Church Damon had returned, or was on his way to retuning, then Damon needed this tie he had with Bonnie to be eviscerated.

Alaric voice interrupted his reverie.

"Well, before you brand her with a Scarlet Letter how bout we make sure the other Damon hasn't returned?"

Damon waved his hand telling Alaric proceed. "That's all I've been trying to get you to do since I showed up at your apartment. We could have been done by now."

Saying nothing further, Alaric went back to staring at the device in his hand. Damon went back to sulking.

* * *

><p><strong>Forbes' Residence<strong>

"This color is supposed to be Passion Sunrise but it just looks pink to me. What do you think?" Caroline asked as she wiggled her toes at Bonnie who was seated on the other wicker chair on the front porch.

Bonnie paused in applying a coat of nail polish to her own toes to stare at Caroline's. After a second or two of examination she shrugged. "Nowadays every color is some variation of purple and pink. They give it an exotic name and we're tricked into thinking its going to look like the color it is in the bottle."

Caroline frowned but then went back to giving herself a much needed pedicure.

Bonnie had been at Caroline's since Friday night, after her blow up with Damon. She tried to push their argument out of her mind but it was hard. She had argued with him the past. That had been nothing new. But now when he said things they cut to the quick simply because she loved him and how he felt about her meant a lot more to her now than it did in the past.

He hadn't called, sent her a text or shown up at her house since Thursday. It was now Saturday afternoon, the longest they had gone without speaking to one another since entering a relationship. Bonnie was trying not to worry. Told herself that people fought all the time in relationships, and that getting into a squabble every now and then was actually very healthy. She ran those facts over and over in her head but it did nothing to displace the underlining hurt in her chest.

Receiving a tongue lashing from Damon pretty much came with the territory in knowing him. He was abrasive, said exactly what was on his mind and very, extremely rarely apologized for hurting a person's feelings. Bonnie's skin was tough. She could withstand just about anything, but having Damon call into question their relationship and her love, had her stomach in knots.

She could brush it off and say he was being stupid. But she couldn't. Bonnie understood his concern very well and had placed herself in his shoes. Not that long ago Damon had been in love with her very own best friend. At any time they liked those feelings could resurface and he could be back to chasing Elena around town.

Bonnie didn't want to go there mentally. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of seeing dark-eyed Damon Salvatore again. Just the thought alone sent a hesitant rush through her that made her feel ashamed of herself. She was with Damon now, happy. Being reunited with a prior flame should fill her with dread…not…

Again, Bonnie had to tame her thoughts.

She knew she had to find someway to sever the link, but she would need her boyfriend's help.

Too bad he wasn't talking to her at the moment.

Caroline noticed that Bonnie had been quiet since she arrived last night. When she smiled it didn't reach her eyes. When she laughed it sounded forced. She was putting up a good front, but clearly something was wrong in paradise.

"What's going on?" Caroline said to interrupt the silence.

Startled, Bonnie looked over at Caroline, her chin resting on her bent knee as she applied nail polish to her big toe.

"Nothing," Bonnie responded.

"You've been kind of distracted."

"It's nothing that won't blow over. Besides I'm kind of tired of talking about my problems. How are things with you and Matt now that his mom is back in town?"

To that question, Caroline rolled her eyes. "Kelly has been Kelly. She's putting on a good show for Matt that she's reformed her ways, but I can smell the liquor among other things on her breath. Matt…he's trying to be a respectable son…but it's a struggle because he's been without her for so long that it's kind of hard for him to adjust having her around again. I try to stay out of it as much as possible, but you know me and my heavily opinionated mouth."

Bonnie smiled. Caroline's heavily opinionated mouth was one of the reasons why she loved her so much. "You haven't threatened to beat her up have you?"

Caroline tossed a look at Bonnie. "I'm actually quite proud of myself that I haven't throttled her through a wall. It would be kind of hard to explain that to Matt."

Upon hearing that brought up another line of questions. "Are you ever going to tell Matt about being a vampire?" Bonnie asked.

Inwardly, Caroline tensed. Ever since Tyler approached her and Matt at The Grill it had constantly been on her mind. Caroline was hoping that if she exposed the truth about what she was that Matt wouldn't go kicking and screaming into the night. Luckily for her, he hadn't grown up being taught to hate vampires or anything supernatural, but still…

She would have to exercise caution and be extremely careful. Caroline trusted Matt but she wasn't so sure she could trust him with her secret. He wasn't like Elena. Matt took chances when he was sure of the outcome. And he wasn't one who needed danger in his life to feel alive.

Yet that didn't stop Caroline from subtlety testing him. When they had settled down to watch a vampire movie, she asked Matt if he'd date one—granted they existed. Matt shrugged and said "Sure, why not. Vampire chicks are hot, but they're crazy." Then Caroline had asked him if he could chose between being a vampire or werewolf which would he be. His answer did not please her. "Being a vampire would be cool…I guess. I mean you get to live forever, be super strong and shit, but I think turning into a badass wolf is way cooler."

So she didn't know for certain if it would be wise to confess being a vampire. Not when his answers flirted with ambiguity.

"I want to tell him," said Caroline. "More than anything. And I know he'd only believe me if I showed him. If I did that then I run the risk of scaring the pants off of him and subsequently losing Matt forever."

"Yeah, I see what you're saying. But in the long run it would be best if you told him instead of him finding out some other, less pleasant way."

The girls soon turned their attention to the SUV that pulled into the driveway. Elena hopped out, grabbed her duffel and slid her shades off as she approached the porch.

"Look who finally un-glued herself from her boyfriend," Caroline teased. "Last time I checked, weekend sleepovers begin Friday night."

Elena dropped her bag on the porch and sat down on Caroline who grunted. "I'm here now aren't I? That's the important thing, right?"

Caroline attempted to push Elena off, but the brunette merely wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and squeezed. "Stop it, Elena! "You're going to mess up my nails!"

Elena pouted and stood back up to her feet. "So what did I miss?"

Bonnie looked up at her friend. "A Molly Ringwald marathon, really greasy pizza, and Caroline burning a batch of easy bake cookies."

"It was the stove that burned them. I just forgot to take them out on time," Caroline sniffed in her defense.

"Oh, the usual," Elena shrugged.

"So," Caroline kicked her feet back and forth to dry her nails, "What's your excuse for not showing up last night?"

Elena reached behind her back and scratched. "Do you have an ice pack? I can't believe this thing still hurts."

"What thing?" Bonnie and Caroline said at the same time.

The apples of Elena's cheeks reddened. "Let's go inside. I need to show you something."

The girls had assembled themselves in the kitchen taking up residency on stools. Caroline strummed her hands on the counter top. "So what is it you need to show us?"

Bonnie, of course already knew.

Elena turned around, lifted up her hair and exposed the Roman numeral tattoo between her shoulder blades.

Caroline was up and on her feet, getting a closer look at Elena's ink. "I can't believe _you_ of all people got a tattoo. You used to faint if you so much as pricked your finger with a toothpick."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Very cool," Bonnie complimented. "What do the numbers represent?"

Elena dropped her hold on her hair which came cascading down her shoulders and back. She pivoted on her heels to face her friends. "It's the date Stefan and I met. September 9, 2009."

"Awwww," Bonnie and Caroline gushed which served to make Elena blush like an idiot again.

"Did he get one as well or were you the only pin cushion?" Caroline questioned.

"If you must know," Elena attempted an English accent. "He got one, too. Only his is on his arm underneath his rose tattoo."

"Which is wicked by the way," Caroline threw out. "I always meant to tell him that."

"Did you get that yesterday?" Bonnie questioned.

Elena nodded and picked up a red apple from the fruit basket. "Of course I almost peed my pants the minute the needle touched my skin…but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It was a burning sensation like someone constantly dragging a pin across my skin."

"Well," Caroline began, "you know what the statistics are about couples getting matching tattoos."

"I thought it was getting the person's name tattooed that spelled sudden death for a relationship," Bonnie argued.

"In any case," Caroline continued. "I know getting rid of Stefan would be extremely difficult, but you can never be too sure." Grabbing a hold of Elena by the shoulders, Caroline turned her around to get another look at her tat. "It kind of looks like a barcode."

"Care," Elena whined. Bonnie snickered.

"Well, it does."

Moving away from her delusional friend, Elena approached Bonnie and threw her arms around her. For some reason Elena was extra huggy today. She gave Bonnie a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Bonnie asked.

"That's for giving me that little boost the other day. Since then…things between me and Stefan have been amazing. He's opened up. He's more adventurous. More romantic. Just last week he took me to New York to see a Broadway show and before that I accompanied him during one of his piloting lessons."

Caroline's jaw plunged and smacked against the floor. "Stefan is learning to fly a plane?"

Elena nodded sagely. "Yep. He said learning to fly was one of his dreams."

"You're not the only one who has an adventurous/romantic boyfriend. Matt and I went on a day trip to the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. That house is simple to _die _for. Afterwards we went white-water rafting."

Bonnie began to feel and look a little lost. She had no idea that her friends had been doing these amazing things with their significant other. Had she really been that caught up with Damon?

Suddenly Bonnie found herself under the scrutiny of two pairs of eyes. She squirmed a bit on her seat.

"If you're waiting for me to dispense with something romantic Damon has done for me…all that comes to mind is when he surprised me with those gifts from Europe."

"That's not romantic. That's required," Caroline refuted.

Elena smiled. Bonnie frowned.

"Ladies," Caroline called for all eyes to be on her. "I'm ready to do our dry run for our new look for our senior year. Although there's not much that can do to make perfection look even more perfect," she beamed, and tossed her blond hair over her shoulder.

Elena and Bonnie exchanged looks before leaving the kitchen to set up shop in Caroline's bedroom.

It was the simple things in life that Bonnie missed. Being around her friends and having no more worries or problems than deciding which color eyeliner to use was a far cry from what her life had now become. As much as she tried to focus on helping Caroline with her false eyelashes, her mind was invariably on Damon. She thought she would be happy to have a break, to carve out a little bit of breathing room, but all it did was leave her feeling bereft without him around.

Hours later, with heavily made up faces, Caroline came up with a bright idea.

"You know what we should do that we haven't done in a long time?" Caroline asked.

"What?" Bonnie said.

"We should go roller skating."

Elena and Bonnie groaned.

Caroline was feeling excited. "No, it'll be fun. We practically lived at the roller rink during the summer when we were younger. Remember?"

"But we're not little kids anymore," Bonnie deadpanned.

"Yeah, Care," Elena added in her two cents. "We're starting our senior year in less than two weeks. Roller skating seems a little juvenile."

"Which is why we should do it now. Get the last bit of our fleeting childhood out of our system because this year will be about applying to college, taking the SAT, looking into our future."

After several more rounds of protestations, Caroline as usual had gotten her way. The trio piled into Bonnie's Prius and they were off to embarrass themselves mightily.

Bonnie hadn't gone skating since she was a freshman. Skating parties were all the rage when you tried to trick yourself into thinking you were living it up in a posh bar or a ritzy club in New York or LA. That wasn't the case, but it didn't stop one from trying.

Holding on to her friends' hands for dear life, round and round in a circle they traveled, laughing at the inexperienced skaters who clung to the wall, or those who missed a step and went crashing to the floor. Next to the adults who worked here, the trio were the oldest patrons of the roller rink. There might have been the odd couple who simply wanted to relive their earlier days, but the crowd was mostly composed of tweens and their slightly older although not by much chaperones.

Elena was the first to call for a break. She was thirsty. Caroline had tried to follow but was detained by a pimple faced fifteen year old who wanted to skate-dance with her. She decided to do her one good deed for the day and agreed.

Elena and Bonnie skated as best they could over the carpet as they headed to the concession stand.

"If Stefan found out what I was doing he might really start to feel his age."

Bonnie laughed. "Why? He's forever frozen as a seventeen year old. Sure, he might have been seventeen for the last hundred and forty-five years but…" Bonnie shrugged and didn't bother to finish her point. She didn't have to because Elena understood.

"Don't you ever wonder if we're too young to be with the Salvatore brothers?" Elena asked while they waited in line. "I mean…they've been around for a really long time and have seen and done so much and the two of us…we're still new to the world," Elena went on to add.

"Yeah," Bonnie agreed. "But if they wanted be with someone who had more life experience, then they'd be with much older women."

Elena nodded and hunched a shoulder.

This conversation had put some unsavory thoughts in Bonnie's head and she no longer wanted to wait in line with Elena.

"Hey, I'll be right back. I gotta make a phone call."

"Okay."

Skating off as best she could, Bonnie found a dark, semi-quiet corner and called Damon. She really hoped he'd answer considering they hadn't spoken in nearly two days.

Bonnie kept her eyes on the crowd as she listened to his phone ring, ring, and ring. Right before his voice mail clicked on, he picked up.

Relief flooded her. "Hey, I'm glad you answered."

"Oh, hey Bonnie."

And her hope was dashed when she heard Stefan's voice. "Stefan," Bonnie muttered trying not to let the disappointment ooze out of her tone. "Is Damon around?"

"No, I got home a little while ago but he's not here."

Damon never went anywhere without his cell phone. Like most people he felt naked without it. Something was up.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie pressed. "Can you check?"

Stefan's hearing was pretty fantastic and he would be able to hear his brother moving around even if he was trying to be as quiet as a cat burglar. But Stefan quickly checked Damon's room, the library, the basement, even the attic. Nope his brother was nowhere to be found.

"I'm sorry, Bon but he's not here. He was out with Rick earlier so he might still be with him. When I see him I'll let him know you called."

"All right, thanks," Bonnie hung up and slumped against the wall.

And the minute Stefan put Damon's phone on the table was the minute said vampire entered the house.

"Hey where you been? Bonnie just called."

"Hmm," was all Damon said before climbing the stairs to his room.

That shocked the hell out of Stefan. Damon, when in love turned obsessive so to see him act so nonchalant about missing a phone call from his girlfriend made the alarms go off in Stefan's head. He followed his brother's scent straight to his bedroom. When he got there, Damon was digging through one of his drawers.

"Is everything okay with you, Damon?"

"I'm fine, Stefan. Everything's fine. Did Bonnie say what she wanted?"

"No," Stefan folded his arms over his chest. "I think she just wanted to talk to you. She didn't sound like it was something urgent."

"Hmm."

Another "hmm" that was not a typical response from Damon. Tilting his head a bit, Stefan kept his eyes on his brother. From the rigid lines etched on his face and the fact Damon made no move to try to call Bonnie back immediately, he knew they were still fighting.

"I'm assuming you and Bonnie didn't resolve the issue from the other night."

That caught his brother's attention. Damon straightened to his full height and narrowed his eyes on his younger brother. "No, Stefan. We haven't. I've been trudging through the damn woods all day with Rick and found diddly squat."

"I see why you would be frustrated but I don't see how that's Bonnie's fault."

Damon sighed heavily. "I'm not blaming her for anything."

"So why haven't you talked to her?"

"Because I don't freakin feel like it, all right. Shit, can I get a break from her every once and a while?" Damon exploded.

Damon must thought that Stefan fell off the turnip truck and couldn't see the ruse he was trying to maintain. Damon was upset but he wasn't so much upset about finding no trace of the other Damon, but rather he was upset at the fact that Bonnie apparently had yet to break the link.

"She will find a way to break the link, you know that, Damon."

"Stefan…just…I don't want to talk about this. I know she'll come through like she always does…"

"You're just hoping that it won't be too late."

Damon's silence was answer enough.

"Well, in the mean time how bout you stop acting like such an ogre and talk to her. This is not her fault. And she's still young in her craft. She won't always have the answer to every problem or know how to fix something at the drop of a dime."

Not saying anything, Damon pursed his lips together. He wanted a drink and a back massage. "Thank you, Ellen. You can go now."

Snorting, Stefan exited his brother's room.

Deep down, Damon knew Stefan was right. He wasn't mad at Bonnie per se it was the feeling that karma was going to bite him in the ass that had him on edge and snapping at everyone in sight.

Damon didn't go rushing off to see Bonnie right away. He knew she was with her two besties. Yeah, just because he wasn't necessarily in the mood to talk to her didn't mean he wasn't keeping tabs on her whereabouts. The hours wasted away and Damon didn't leave his home until he was sure Bonnie had returned to hers for the night.

There were no impediments getting inside her house. Finding Bonnie curled in the fetal position on her bed, eyes closed, breathing lightly, Damon loomed over her just observing her.

What Damon dreaded the most was the possibility of Bonnie leaving him for the other Damon if he ever returned. How many relationships had Damon tried to bust up throughout the years? Too many. He attempted to wedge himself between Katherine and Stefan and then Stefan and Elena. Although with Katherine, in Damon's mind he had been with her first. Nevertheless, that part of Damon's conscience that still believed people should pay for their sins felt it would serve him right if the other Damon showed up and took Bonnie from him.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to fucking happen.

Sliding into bed beside her, he wrapped one around her waist, drawing her closer. He kissed the shell of her ear.

Bonnie stirred and then her eyes fluttered until they opened. She shifted when she felt a weight pressing against her back. Looking over her shoulder she saw that it was Damon. The last visages of sleep fled her body and she was wide awake.

"Lay back down," he told her gently.

"Damon…"

He traced her bottom lip with his finger. "I've been M.I.A and I'm sorry but I just needed some time."

Bonnie remained quiet, but then replied. "I still don't know how to break the bond. I was thinking of asking Lucy or Luka."

Damon didn't want her going anywhere near that loser but if he wanted this accomplished and the only way for that to be achieved was if Bonnie consulted with another witch, then who was he to stand in the way?

"Okay," he said. Pause. "I'm taking you to Miami this week. It'll be our last big hurrah before you start school."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You sure you want to spend a week with someone you're not sure you can trust?"

"I trust you, Bonnie."

Shifting until she faced him and propping herself up on her elbow, Bonnie raised a skeptical eyebrow in the air. "Are you sure about that?"

Damon adopted her same pose on the bed. "Yes, because I know you love me even when I have a tendency to act like an ass."

"No, you are an ass," Bonnie corrected. Damon smirked. "And I know this isn't an easy situation for you. But that part of my life with Damon is over. He'll always be special to me, mean something to me, but I love _you_, Damon. It's always going to be you."

The feeling that crashed through Damon was unlike anything he had experienced before. Until now, he hadn't realized how long he had waited to hear someone say that to him. To declare that out of all the men in the world, _he _was the only one the woman he loved wanted. In that moment he felt his love for Bonnie grow exponentially that it was amazing it hadn't demolished the walls of her bedroom.

His aim was sharp and precise as he dove in to taste her lips. Bonnie moaned under the onslaught.

When she needed breath Damon pulled back. "I overreacted only because…I don't want to lose you. I am crazy in love with you, Bonnie. Please…don't break my heart."

Damon showing his vulnerability made Bonnie's heart flutter. She cupped his cheek and kissed him again before coiling around him and using his chest as a pillow.

Bonnie thought back to her earlier conversation with Elena about them being too young to be with Damon and Stefan. Bonnie was mature beyond her years, but she was still wet behind the ears when it came to certain real life situations. That being said, she knew to exercise caution when it came to making promises.

Never make one you had no intentions of keeping. That's what Grams had taught her.

And it didn't escape Damon that Bonnie didn't say she wouldn't.

Sometime during the night, Bonnie rolled over in bed finding a cool spot on the sheets to rest her cheek against. Damon was slumbering behind her, which made a small smile grace her lips before her eyes drifted and she was back in bliss again.

A black crow watched from the branch of the tree that was right outside of her window.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I would have written more, maybe thrown in a scene featuring the Originals, but my hand and wrist were starting to bother me. And I know some have concerns about me breaking up TV Bamon…like Bonnie I'm making no promises in that regard. Like this confession I saw on Tumblr which made me question the survival of the human race when it comes to critical thinking skills, JP isn't to blame for what the characters do and they should be held accountable for their actions although she's the writer. *smh* Well, from here on out, I am not to blame for what happens. It's all my characters fault. They are in control. JK. Hoped you enjoyed this. Until next time. Love you!**


	45. Heartkiller

**A/N: Hi people. This chapter is kind of long. You know how I do. A lot is going on as usual. Enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Bennett Residence**

"Now, I want you to have an excellent first day of your senior year. You're not nervous are you?"

Bonnie stared at her father peculiarly, a perfectly arched eyebrow hitched in the air, lips twisted in a condescending smirk, but laughter dancing in her green eyes. "Am I going to kindergarten, dad?" she chuckled a bit. "It's okay. I'll share my crayons with the other girls in my class."

Thomas Bennett rolled his dark brown eyes. "Cute," he muttered sarcastically before leaning forward to plant his lips on her forehead.

Taking a deep breath, Bonnie stared up at her father as they stood on the front porch. He was off to work and she would be leaving in half an hour to start the final year of her high school career. This moment was beginning to feel surreal to Bonnie because for so many months following the revelation that she was psychic and a witch and having to combat evil in the form of vampires and vengeful werewolves, school stopped being a priority.

Honestly she didn't expect to make it this far.

Her life was back on track and where it needed to be, but that wasn't the crux of why Bonnie was feeling bemused so early on a Monday morning.

She could count on one hand the number of times her dad saw her off for her first day of school. Once she made it into junior high Bonnie was too cool to be seen being dropped off by her dad. She rode with her friends, tried to make herself feel like an official teenager who didn't have to be in bed by nine-thirty. Yet here she was, off to start her forth and final year of high school with her dad wishing her good luck.

Bonnie wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Her relationship with her father had vastly improved over the course of the last few months. Like she suspected, participating in the cotillion had brought them slightly closer together. Bonnie wouldn't haul off and coronate herself a daddy's girl, but she absorbed his memories about his own cotillion like a thirsty man drinking water. Inclusive with the walks down memory lane twice a week they had dance rehearsal to learn a traditional waltz. Bonnie had to learn three dances overall, but the one she was most looking forward to was the father/daughter waltz.

"I may be home early tonight. I can pick up some take out. You have a taste for anything?" Thomas asked.

Well this is surprising, Bonnie thought as she shrugged and shook her head. "Whatever you decide will be fine. I have a club meeting after school and might do something with the girls. Should I be home by a specific time?"

"No, I'll call you when I'm on the way. Have a good one, baby."

"You too, dad. Love you."

"Love you more."

Bonnie smiled, watched her father walk to his car and pull out of the driveway before she moved from her spot and reentered her house.

Her satchel was waiting for her in the kitchen to be filled with essential school items. Humming a nameless tune, Bonnie stuffed a notebook in her bag.

A rustle of wind brushed against her back and she didn't bother turning around. "Good morning, Damon."

Arms like steel wrapped around her from behind and cool lips touched the skin of her neck. "Good morning, beautiful. Daddy made if off to work okay?"

Bonnie didn't answer. Instead she turned in the arms that were holding her and looked up into those pale blue eyes framed with ridiculously long and full black eyelashes hidden under dark sinisterly arched eyebrows. A corner of mauve colored lips lifted in that cinematic smirk that equally got her visitor in and out of trouble.

"Showing concern for my father? I didn't know you could be polite when it comes to parentals."

"I have my moments. Or maybe I'm just trying to win some brownie points. I was rude the other day."

"When are you never _not_ rude?"

Damon's face morphed into a look of uncertainty. "Yeah…you're right. I'm always a prick but I'm a prick on principle. It keeps me looking young."

Bonnie chuckled. She leaned up on her toes and quickly kissed Damon before turning back around to finish getting her bag ready. However she was soon distracted when a black gift bag was placed on the kitchen table.

"What's this?" Bonnie asked, tone full of suspicion.

"Open it and find out."

Digging her hand inside the bag, pushing the black tissue paper around and out of the way, Bonnie withdrew a bundle. She held it up to her ear and shook it but couldn't discern what it might be. Ripping into the wrapping paper, the smile that had been forming on her face flattened into a straight line.

"No you did not go and buy me a pair of safety scissors, glue, colored pencils, and foam erasers. Damon," Bonnie said dryly.

And the vampire in question did not try to hide his amusement. He grabbed the items out of Bonnie's hands and put them off to the side. "I just wanted to see the look on your face," he teased and then dropped a kiss on her temple. "Keep digging there's more."

Huffing, Bonnie dug until she hit the bottom of the bag and pulled out another bundle. This one much heavier than the first. She quickly flashed her orbs up at Damon to gage his facial expression. She didn't have time for his shenanigans this morning. Quickly ripping the package open her jaw dropped, eyes widened, and she began hopping on her feet.

"YOU GOT ME THE IPAD 2!" she squealed and threw herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist koala bear style. Bonnie then proceeded to set the feminist movement back by peppering kisses all over his face.

"You hate it, I can tell," Damon chortled as he was assaulted with sloppy kisses.

"You've given me so much…and I have nothing to give you in return," Bonnie admitted softly. Damon had her at a huge disadvantage because he was older and richer than she was. Bonnie realized she was only seventeen but sometimes Damon could make her feel like a kept woman. She knew that wasn't his intent when he went above and beyond what a boyfriend should do, but she also knew it was never wise to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Damon had something in his arsenal to refute her claim. "That's not true, Bonnie. You've given me _you _and that's more than enough. More than I could ask for. And definitely more than I deserve."

Although he would never admit it, Bonnie knew that Damon Salvatore was a true romantic at heart. His words made her feel shy suddenly and Bonnie jumped off of him.

Bonnie was prepared to rip the box open and play around with her new toy. However, yet another bag was presented to her. This one smaller than the first.

To make a long story short, Damon had blessed her with a limited edition Gucci case for her iPad. It was amazing her butt hadn't hit the floor from swooning.

They had only returned two days ago from their week-long excursion in Miami. Bonnie had had a ball and she and Damon definitely spent that time hitting the water, the beach, and the bed. He certainly had killed her with his kindness and generosity. Nothing had been off limits to Bonnie yet she maintained her decorum and never ever took advantage of the situation. Besides she wasn't the type of women who needed to be bought because honestly no price would ever be right when it came to her heart. It was something she gave free of charge and willingly. She said as much to Damon, but he ignored her words—naturally—and spoiled her rotten.

"There's one more thing," Damon told her.

"There couldn't possibly be more. Damon you've already done enough. Thank you so much."

He winked at her. "You're welcome." Damon grabbed her by the hand and proceeded to tug her through the house. Once they were at the front door, he threw it open and parked along the curb was his 1977 Corvette. Fishing the keys out of his pocket he dangled them in front of Bonnie, who at first didn't comprehend what was happening.

"You're letting me drive your Vette?"

"Yes. Babe, I love you but your car is for little old ladies with vision problems."

"Hey," Bonnie frowned and punched his arm. "I happen to love my Prius. It's safe, has excellent gas mileage."

"And looks like a turtle. You are Damon Salvatore's girlfriend so you should be driving something as badass as me," he boasted.

"Whatever, ninja," Bonnie dismissed but then snatched the keys out of his hand. "You know what this means I have to go change."

As if finally taking note of what his girlfriend was wearing, Damon frowned. He would second that. Bonnie's jeans were low rise and flared with some stupid embroidered crap on the side. She was wearing a paisley purple camisole top with a ruffled bottom that did absolutely _nothing _for her figure. He had no idea why she would select such a mousy outfit to parade around in on her first day of her senior year. Maybe she just wanted to be comfortable, but one can be comfortable and stylish at the same time. It wasn't exactly impossible.

Bonnie left him by the door as she quickly ran upstairs to strip and change.

He made himself right at home by snooping through one of the Bennett family photo albums. When he came to a picture of a younger Shelia Bennett, a look of reflection crossed Damon's face. Shelia had been the first witch in his long life to literally fry his brain. She was feisty, and he liked feisty women. He didn't know much about Shelia but he thought it a fair assumption to make that she was a lot like Bonnie. Took no shit from anyone, said exactly what was on her mind, and stood up for the little people.

The tapping of heels along the steps caught his attention. Snapping the book closed, Damon rose from the couch and waited for his girlfriend to reveal her new and improved look.

Bonnie turned the corner, but her eyes were focused on the bracelet she was fastening around her arm and not the dumbfounded expression on Damon's face. She had removed her hair out of the ponytail it had been pulled into and now flowed pin straight down her arms. The jeans and top had been replaced with a curve hugging tuxedo black twisted strap Bamboo belted tank dress compliments of Gucci and something Damon had personally picked out.

He blinked his eyes. "That's what you're wearing?"

Bonnie lifted her head. She recognized his tone of disbelief, looked down at herself and shrugged. "Why not? It matches the car," she smiled.

Shaking his head, Damon zoomed into the kitchen, retrieved her satchel and handed it to her. "Have a good day at school. And I have one rule with the car: no neurotic, self-absorbed blondes or long-haired brunettes in my baby."

Snorting, Bonnie accepted her bag and sauntered to the front door. She hesitated before opening it. She craned her neck to look at Damon. "Thank you."

Damon tipped her chin up with his thumb and forefinger, leaned forward and captured her lips again, savoring her taste and smell. Like always the heat rose and consumed his body and Damon reluctantly ended the kiss.

"You should get to school before I rip your clothes off, and I should head home to take a cold shower."

Bonnie grinned. "Like that's going to do anything."

In response to her sassy little mouth, Damon spanked her butt. Bonnie jumped and wiggled her way to her loaned vehicle for the day.

* * *

><p><strong>Lockwood Mansion<strong>

Taking a final sip of his orange juice, Tyler Lockwood grabbed his car keys, and shouldered his book bag. His eyes were glued to the TV in the kitchen the channel tuned to ESPN.

"Hi, honey," Carol Lockwood glided into the room dressed impeccably as if she were about to host a cocktail party.

"Hey, mom," he quickly kissed her cheek. Tyler couldn't remember a time where he didn't see his mother with full makeup, hair perfectly coiffed, and adorned with her finest jewelry. He didn't think she owned a pair of sweats, jeans, or sneakers.

Carol opened up the fridge. "Do you have everything you need for school?"

Tyler nodded and eyed his mother. All summer he grappled with confessing the truth of what he was. She was his mother and figured that she might be a little apprehensive in accepting him. He knew his mother, and knew she would be worried about what this might do to her reputation overall, but she wouldn't disown him outright, Tyler hoped. That was the issue which bothered Tyler the most, his uncertainty about his mother's reaction to the news.

His dad was gone and now knowing what he knew, it was apparent Richard Lockwood had the werewolf curse as well. It explained a lot when it came to his overbearing expectation and how he was always quick to anger and using violence against Tyler. All this time he simply thought his dad was a pompous dick because he could be one.

That hadn't been it at all.

Tyler recognized this wasn't the most opportune time to spill his guts, but keeping such an enormous secret from the woman who gave birth to him, was slowly killing Tyler everyday that passed, and every full moon he had to endure.

"Mom…?"

Pausing in pouring a cup of coffee, Carol stared at her son expectantly, a bright smile on her face. "Yes, honey?"

Tyler's mouth opened and all the words he wanted to divulge suddenly got tangled. "Nothing. I'll be home late because of practice."

"Yes, I know. I'm glad Principal Watkins was able to find a coach so you boys wouldn't have to forfeit another season. Do you think you'll be a contender for the state championship?"

Tyler hunched a shoulder. "A lot of us haven't played in two years so I think right now we're just hoping to win five games out of the entire season. So we'll see. Let me get a move on."

Carol watched her son walk to the living room before she decided to call him back. "Tyler?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"I love you."

Inwardly Tyler rolled his eyes but he tossed his mom a placatory smile before mumbling, "Love you, too."

All his life Carol had tried to turn him into a bonafide mama's boy, and all his life Tyler resisted. He wasn't a daddy's boy either, he was simply Tyler. Did he wish he could have been born to another set of parents? Not until a few months ago. A lot of things needed to happen for Tyler this year outside of getting into a really good college. He had to find someway to manage this werewolf curse and then…find someway to eliminate Damon and Stefan Salvatore without getting his hands dirty.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls High<strong>

Unblinking eyeballs were glued to the sleek black vehicle that pulled into the senior lot. Feeling strangely empowered, Bonnie cut the engine, grabbed her back pack, and swung open the door. She placed one fuchsia wedge sandal on the pavement followed by the other and stood to her feet like a feline taking a long stretch. Her long chocolate hair flowed in the wind, eyes covered with dark Aviator shades, Bonnie drew a crowd of stares as she began her trek across the grassy quad.

Guys stopped their conversation and horseplay to admire her saunter across the field as if she were on a runway. Girls whispered furiously to one another speculating if Bonnie might have a sugar daddy out there somewhere and what she had to do in order to get a whip like that vintage Corvette.

A telling smirk curved her lips but otherwise she ignored the happenings around her, searching the crowd of returning students for familiar faces.

"Nice car," a smooth, satiny voice said to her left.

Not pausing in her trek Bonnie looked up at Stefan and smiled. "It is a nice car."

"My brother must really be in love if he's given you the keys to one of his coveted rides. He won't even let me _wash _his cars thinking I'll have a vindictive episode, and start slashing tires and scribbling obscenities with a key across the hood."

"Yeah, that sounds like your brother. And I'm sure that today will be the only day he'll let me near it without him chaperoning."

Stefan nodded and thought back to the man—vampire—Damon had been when he first returned to Mystic Falls. He had been monstrous, murderous, spiteful, and deceitful. Stefan had doubted there was a shred of humanity left in Damon and he no longer questioned it the night he set up and ultimately killed his best friend Lexi in order to get the council off his back.

What seemed like a lifetime ago had only occurred a little over a year ago, and to see his brother now, he wasn't the same person in Stefan's eyes. Stefan had always been of the belief that love could change people for the better, well under the right circumstances. Damon just needed someone to love him, someone to put his needs first, who would honor him. Of course Damon foolishly thought that person was Elena, and even Stefan could admit that Elena had been the inception of Damon remembering his humanity.

However, it had been Bonnie who hammered it into place, held Damon accountable for the atrocious acts he pulled, made him realize that he had always been worthy of receiving and giving love. Needless to say Stefan was very grateful that Damon had Bonnie in his life.

"Where's Elena?" Bonnie asked and looked around trying to spot her raven-haired friend.

"She's inside at her locker. I forgot something in my car and had to jog back and get it."

"Should I be worried? Vampires don't usually forget things. You aren't developing Alzheimer's are you?" Bonnie bumped Stefan with her shoulder.

"No…what was the question?"

Bonnie laughed and Stefan smiled.

"So how was Miami?" Stefan questioned. He tried to get some dirt out of Damon, but his brother had been uncannily tight-lipped.

Bonnie shrugged. "It was Miami. We had fun, partied _a lot _but now its time to buckle down and get stuff done because this year will be over before we know it."

"Yeah it will be," Stefan agreed.

"Have you given much thought to applying to college? Elena always wanted to go to Dalcrest. That's where her parents met."

The two of them entered the school, Stefan holding the door open for Bonnie. Digging her schedule out of her bag, Bonnie began to head towards her locker.

"As cathartic as learning can be," Stefan's tone hinted towards cynicism, Bonnie chuckled, "I might take a year off and pursue other avenues to keeping myself busy."

"Like?"

Stefan smiled, "I'll let you utilize your psychic powers and figure that out."

Bonnie poked her bottom lip out but then shook her head.

"Not another step you two."

Both Stefan and Bonnie halted and pivoted around to face the commanding voice. It was Caroline of course, armed with a small digital camera.

"Say cheese!" Caroline beamed and snapped a picture. "I have to record memories of the first day of our last year in high school. Yasssssss! I can't wait to blow this hick town."

"Hey, you grew up in this hick town so what does that make you?" Bonnie asked sassily. Caroline didn't reply but merely stuck her tongue out at Bonnie. She then handed the camera to Stefan.

"Can you take a picture of me and my super-short albeit well-dressed best friend?" she said and nodded approvingly at Bonnie's outfit.

Sighing, Stefan plucked the object out of her hand and waited for Bonnie and Caroline to strike poses. They stood next to one another, cheeks pressed together, wide smiles drowning their faces.

Elena strolled up to the group, shouldering her bag. "You guys are taking pictures without me? Feelings—hurt."

Caroline threw her arm over Elena's shoulder and drew her closer. "Stop with the pouting."

As soon as the picture was taken, Bonnie felt her phone vibrating. Her heart kicked into overdrive. She retrieved her cell and blew out a relieved breath upon seeing who was calling.

"Hi, Uncle Elijah."

"Bonnie, I wanted to catch you before you started class."

Bonnie was a bit taken aback. She hadn't seen or much spoken to Elijah since the day they cut their trip short in St. Thomas to rush back to the States. "You knew that I was starting school today?"

"I do keep abreast of what's going on in Mystic Falls."

"How are things…with your family? Were you able to find them?"

On Elijah's end he pinched the bridge of his nose. Yes, he found his family and he wished he never undaggered them. Kol had already cleaned out the house staff at his estate in Southern England. Rebekah wouldn't cease whining and complaining of her boredom that Elijah had developed a slight twitch to his right eye. He had no idea where Finn was and what he might be doing. Klaus was currently on his way to England with no knowledge that his siblings had been resurrected. A showdown was surely to occur and that was probably the only positive Elijah had going for him at the moment.

"As you can imagine…things are complicated," Elijah said through clenched teeth. "I don't want to bore you with the drab details. I only wanted to wish you well on your senior year. If you need me for anything, you know how to reach me. I'll keep in touch as much as I can, but my brother and sister…they require constant supervision."

"I'm sure they do. Do you think it was the right thing to do to wake them up?"

It was a question Elijah had been pondering since the moment he did. "With time I'll find out the answer to that soon enough."

"Well, be safe, Uncle Elijah and thanks for calling. I was starting to worry."

Elijah smiled. "You have no need to worry."

Something crashed in the background that had Elijah roaring at Kol. Bonnie held the phone away from her ear. For the first time in a long time she was actually happy to be an only child.

"Well, I must bid you adieu. Take care, Bonnie."

"You, too, Uncle Elijah."

Elena wrapped her arm around Bonnie's. "Everything all right with Elijah?"

Bonnie shrugged. The two of them began making their way to class. Bonnie would be beginning her morning with French III, while Elena would be headed off to Economics.

"I just hope he'll be able to control his siblings and that hopefully they'll stay on their side of the pond."

* * *

><p><strong>Cambridge, England<strong>

"I am bored, Elijah," Rebekah lamented. Currently she was poised on a red velvet couch, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, her elbows propped up on the arm of the sofa, a half-finished glass of champagne dangling from her tapered fingertips. "I haven't been permitted to leave your sight for longer than an hour. Haven't I proven that I can be trusted?"

Elijah pulled his lips back from teeth and pocketed his phone. "How many times must you ask me that insipid question, Rebekah? The world has changed dramatically since you've last been awakened."

The blond vampire yawned—exasperated. "And how to do expect me to assimilate to the world if you won't let me go out and enjoy its exploits? We're in bloody England for God's sake. How much trouble do you _really _think I'm going to get into?"

Kol at that time strode into the room having ditched the 19th century threads he had been buried in for a more contemporary look. "Haven't you figured it out, dear sister…Elijah wants to protect the humans he's grown so fond of." A dangerous look flashed in Kol's dark brown eyes, the same color eyes as his older brother. "You have a niece…Bonnie right if I'm not mistaken. She sounds…succulent. Does she taste as good as she sounds?"

Elijah having had enough of Kol's antics sped over to his misguided fool of a brother, smashing him into the adjacent wall, his forearm pressed tightly against Kol's throat. Rebekah rolled her eyes and studied her nails.

"Have her name come out of your mouth again in a disrespectful tone and I will make you eat your tongue."

Kol laughed jovially. "So touchy, Elijah. I didn't remember you being this way. That's more Klaus' speed, the insecure_ bastard_. Still lamenting over the fact that mum and dad didn't hug him enough as a child?"

"I'll let you ask him that yourself," Elijah spat and flung Kol away from him and pulled down the sleeves of his custom-made suit.

Rebekah perked up. "My favorite brother is on his way here?"

"Yes," Elijah answered without taking his eyes away from Kol while ignoring her barb about Niklaus being her favorite brother.

"Good," Kol taunted and maneuvered around Elijah, traveling deeper into the living room and fingering books on a nearby table. "I can't wait to chisel his fangs out with a rusty wire."

Rebekah snorted, rose from the sofa and stretched her arms over her head. "Have you nothing better to do with your immortality, Kol than to think of devious ways to kill and torture people?"

Kol flashed his canines. "It's the reason why I live, dear sister. It brings me great joy."

Just then the three siblings turned when they heard someone enter the premises. A maniacal smile lit up Kol's face whereas Rebekah's expression became impassive.

Klaus, unbeknownst entered the family room fully prepared to get into a verbal argument with Elijah for summoning him here under some false pretense. His blood-red lips were poised to form his opening soliloquy, but the moment he noticed that a man and woman were in the room with Elijah who bore a startling resemblance to Kol and Rebekah, the words disappeared like Nessie the Loch Ness monster.

A cross between horror and disbelief morphed Klaus' handsome veneer into something that would be comical under much different circumstances. Stumbling to a stop, Klaus' eyes volleyed between Elijah, to Kol, shifting to Rebekah, before going back to Elijah awaiting an explanation or an ambush.

"What is the meaning of this?" Klaus seethed, instantly taking a defensive stance. "You woke them!" he accused Elijah who didn't appear apologetic in the least.

"Hello, brother," Kol unsheathed a serrated edge blade, held it up, and ran the tip down the side of his face. "Long time…no see."

"Kol," Klaus said warningly. While keeping his eyes on his loose cannon brother, Klaus didn't see that Rebekah was advancing on him like a lioness hunting.

The two predators backed Klaus into a proverbial corner. Elijah did nothing but fold his lean body on a wing back chair, and crossed his legs.

The whistle of the blade slicing through air was the distraction Rebekah needed as she launched herself at Klaus, latching her fangs deep into his neck while he caught the blade before it struck him in the center of his head.

"Gotdamnit, Rebekah!" Klaus roared and tried to pry his sister off him but to no avail. Kol was on him next, kicking, punching, smashing objects at him.

Elijah observed. He wouldn't let things go too far. They were family after all and it wasn't like Kol and Rebekah could actually succeed in killing Klaus. They unfortunately didn't have a white oak stake nearby. Watching the action unfold, Klaus holding his own against two infuriated vampires, Elijah wished he had a cup of tea.

* * *

><p>Sitting outside to enjoy the warm weather before it dissolved into chilly mornings and cold days, Caroline and Bonnie chatted amicably until they faced their last class of the day. Bonnie both loved and hated the first day of school. It was a time to catch up with the friends you didn't get to see over the summer, stare at your unrequited crush hoping that this year would be your year to finally fall in love, but it also meant enduring those horrible getting to know you games some teachers insisted on doing to pass the time.<p>

Caroline chomped into her sandwich, chewed three times and swallowed. It was a good thing she was immortal and her looks and weight wouldn't deviate because with her appetite she should be entering doors sideways. Food usually burned out of her system as quickly as it entered. That's why she was hungry _all _the time.

"I can't believe he let you…what am I saying? Of course I believe it! Whatever Bonnie wants, Damon Salvatore will make happen. Does he not realize how pussy whipped he is?"

They had been discussing Damon's early morning surprises.

"I think he knows it's just that he is by someone who loves him in return," Bonnie defended her boyfriend's actions.

"Are you guys trying to be the perfect couple," with everything in her Caroline tried not to sneer. "You fight, fuss, and argue and to say he's sorry he goes out and buys you expensive gifts and hands over the keys to his ride. You were supposed to stay mad at him for two weeks for showing his ass the other day," she chastised Bonnie. "That's what I would have done. He would have been sleeping alone in Miami."

"I share entirely too much of my business with you. Contrary to popular belief I don't like fighting with Damon, at least not when it comes to him questioning my loyalty to our relationship."

"I understand that. I just don't want you to turn into one of those chicks who lets her BF get away with murder—pun intended—because she loves him or thinks its sweet."

"When have you known me to look the other way when Damon does something deplorable?"

Caroline knew she had to concede the point. Out of everyone, Bonnie was the most successful in keeping Damon in line. In her honest opinion that was simply too much work, having to constantly monitor someone's behavior. That's why she loved plain ole Matt. He came with little baggage and was an upstanding guy. Her heart fluttered just thinking about him but then dread soon invaded her chest. If he ever found out the truth of what she was, things might not end so well for them.

Yet once again Caroline was brutally reminded of the parallels which separated her relationship from her best friends' relationships. Stefan and Damon were in a position to flaunt their wealth and spoil their girlfriend's rotten whereas all Caroline got to look forward to was eating a free meal and playing a game of pool.

She was trying with everything in her to keep her jealousy at bay. Caroline was well aware of the fact that vampirism magnified her human emotions. She ignored that seething burn that tingled under her skin whenever she sat and listened to the marvelous things and adventures Elena but more so Bonnie got to experience.

Caroline didn't want to trade places with them. Stefan was too much like the wise older brother she never had, and Damon…

She tried to not think about him at all. He had treated her like a whore, annihilated her self-esteem, wiped her memories, made her do things such as lie to her best friends. She had been blinded by his hotness and was more concerned about one-upping Elena. That's all that really mattered to Caroline back then. No, she never loved Damon. No, she seriously didn't want to be his real girlfriend. It had been about getting something that Elena couldn't get.

Caroline really regretted her decision to get involved with Damon, but then in reality it hadn't been her explicit choice.

However, it was still a semi-tough pill for her to swallow to see Bonnie profiting from Damon's softer side. Okay, so Damon tried to kill Bonnie. Who in this town hadn't Damon tried to kill? It never failed to leave a nasty taste in the back of Caroline's throat when she thought of her best friend loving the monster who tried to ruin her life. A vampire could flip their switch whenever the mood struck them. Damon could so easily revert back to the uncaring butthole he was in the past.

Bonnie noticed that Caroline had been silent for a while. There was a part of her that liked being candid with her friends on all the amazing things she's done with Damon, but the other part of her kind of felt like she was gloating or flaunting Damon's generosity in their faces. Bonnie made a promise with herself to retain some type of privacy in her relationship. Her girlfriends, as much as she loved them, they didn't need to know everything.

Just then, Bonnie spotted Luka Martin headed over to another vacant picnic table to eat his lunch. Rising from the bench, and pushing the skirt to her dress down, Bonnie excused herself.

Luka saw Bonnie approaching. He quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin and thought if he should check his breath. "Hey, Bonnie."

"Hey, Luka," Bonnie tentatively sat down across from him.

"I think it's going to snow tomorrow," he said.

Bonnie stared at him strangely. "Why do you say that?"

"Because this is the first time you've approached me. I'm assuming you want to talk something spell related."

Color tinted Bonnie's cheeks. She didn't like asking favors of people she barely knew, but unfortunately for Luka and his dad who she didn't trust, they were her only source of information.

"It's tacky, I know. You've been trying to get to know me for months and I've kind of…"

"Brushed me off, given me the cold shoulder," Luka hunched his shoulder. "I can't really blame you for that. You don't know me or my dad from Adam. What we are…what we can do we have to keep under wraps because not everyone is open-minded. Distrust breeds distrust."

Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"So what is it you want to know?"

A nervous smile split her face. "You're not going to try to guilt trip me or tell me to get lost, kick rocks?"

Luka chuckled a bit. "Believe it or not, I am a nice guy. And I don't believe in dismissing a very beautiful young woman just because she might have crushed my male ego a few times."

Bonnie clutched her hands in her lap and looked down guiltily. "You do have the option of saying no."

"You're right, I do. Under much different circumstances I probably would."

Intrigued Bonnie asked, "What kind of circumstances?"

Luka looked away, letting a group of wanna-be rap stars distract him for a moment. "You're dating a vampire," Luka said point blank. Bonnie stiffened. "That's reason enough for me to end this conversation right now."

"I get that you have a bias against vampires…I did, too but," Bonnie cut off her words. There was no point in divulging her ugly past with vampires, more to the matter the one she was currently dating.

"Things changed," Luka speculated.

"Things changed," Bonnie agreed. "I used to hold the belief that all vampires were evil. Not all of them. I can't condemn an entire species just because of the horrible acts of a few."

Luka sucked his tooth. "Yeah," he mumbled in a non-committal fashion, not really agreeing or disagreeing. He cleared his throat. "What did you want to ask me?"

Bonnie took a deep breath. "Do you happen to know a way to break a bond?"

"Like a blood bond?"

Bonnie made a restless motion with her shoulders. "Not exactly blood related, more of a mental thing."

Luka's eyebrows lifted as uncertainty crossed his caramel features. "Wow…um…yeah no," he chortled. "My dad might know something. He's a lot more mature in the craft than I am…studies, practices religiously. I could do some digging and get back with you on what I find. _If_ I find anything."

"Oh, okay, great," Bonnie said amid feeling slightly disappointed. She rose from the table. "Ah…let me give you my number in case you out find anything."

Luka quickly whipped out his phone and keyed Bonnie's number into his contact list. "I'll try to have something by the end of the week. Is that soon enough or too late?"

"There's no rush, but the sooner the better. Thank you for doing this, Luka."

"No problem. I'll see you later, Bonnie."

"Yeah, sure, bye." Bonnie quickly scampered off and rejoined Caroline at their table.

"What was that all about?" Caroline asked with suspicion marring her face.

Bonnie shook her head. "Just a little project I have to work on."

* * *

><p><strong>Cambridge, England<strong>

Standing in front of a wash basin, scrubbing dried blood off his face, Klaus slapped the soiled towel in the sink. Elijah joined sometime later, blocking the doorway as he ran his eyes over the discolored bruises that peppered Klaus' upper torso.

"Originals do pack a powerful punch, do we not?"

Klaus ignored his brother knowing it was a rhetorical question. "I hope you're pleased with yourself, Elijah. Kol and Rebekah are destined to destroy the world. Finn is off trying to locate our mother and the two of them will be right back at trying to end the lot of us," he sighed heavily. "I hope you're happy," Klaus whispered.

"No, I'm not happy with any of this, Klaus. At one point we used to be a respectable family. Glorious. Now…we've been reduced to sniveling monsters. I never wanted this in-fighting."

Klaus shrugged, unsympathetic to Elijah's plight. "Yeah, after being betrayed by their brother, daggered, and trussed up for dozens of years, how did you think Rebekah, Kol, and Finn were going to react? Did you think they would be grateful to have their freedom back? You've known since the beginning that Finn was the suicidal one. What were you hoping to achieve by waking him?"

Stuffing his hands in his pants, it wasn't often that Elijah had to explain his actions to anyone. Yet he felt he owed an explanation to his brother. "I had hoped to entice him to change his lease on life. I didn't make this offer when he and I were in Sweden-,"

"Ah, yes," Klaus smiled fondly, "where he twisted your neck and left you for dead in a grubby alley. Wished I had been there to see it. You waking up in a morgue would have been a real knee slapper, that's for sure."

"Shut up, Klaus," Elijah replied tersely.

"What was the offer?" Klaus switched back to the original conversation.

"Finn…he had a lover. A woman he turned just thirty years before you daggered him."

Klaus thought for a moment, quickly running through a backlog of nine hundred years of memories. A sinister smile curled his lips. "Sage. That red-headed vixen."

Elijah nodded.

"Do you have any idea where she might be if she's even still alive?" Klaus asked.

"I'm sure with our resources combined we can find her."

"Now _that's _the Elijah who used to be my right-hand man. I'm glad he's still in there somewhere."

The brothers were now standing toe-to-toe with one another. Elijah had a concern though. "What are we to do with Kol and Rebekah?"

Klaus smoothed out the lapels to Elijah's suit. "Since you woke them, I'll let you figure it out. We're off to find Sage first thing in the morning. Pack light."

Brushing past Elijah, Klaus cricked his neck. He had business to take care of.

And by the expression "pack light" Elijah knew without asking that Klaus was telling him to leave the gruesome dynamic duo behind.

* * *

><p>The first week of school had been hectic to say the very least. Between her late-night dalliances with Damon, fulfilling her community service for the cotillion, dance rehearsal with her father, and of course listening to endless chatter with Elena and Caroline, Bonnie was glad it was the weekend.<p>

She had the chance to loiter in bed and was taking full advantage of it. Getting her body to adjust to going to bed at a set time usually took about a month coming off summer vacation, but because of the endless, strenuous activities she was involved in, Bonnie was out before her head even hit the pillow most nights.

Arching against the bed, stretching her arms over her head, she refused to open her eyes to the bright new day until she worked the clinks out of her body.

There was a lump next to her causing her eyes to spring open. Bonnie twisted her head to the left. She smiled at the sleeping form that was sprawled next to her, arms crossed behind his head, pale skin nearly blinding her in the sunlight. Rolling over in bed, Bonnie placed her hand on Damon's chest and shook him.

He didn't budge. His eyes didn't even flutter as if they were going to open. She shook him again, this time a little harder. He moved, but he didn't appear to be waking up.

She snaked closer to him, flattening her body next to his. She began to tickle his chin. Still nothing.

"Only possums play dead," she murmured.

Finally he smirked and then the next thing Bonnie knew, she was on her back and a pair of determined lips were smothering hers. Bonnie moaned into the kiss, making room for Damon between her legs as he ravished her mouth. Tunneling her fingers through his crop of ink-black hair, Bonnie's skin began to tingle. The last slumbering neurons in her body were waking up and responding to the awesome stimulation.

She didn't get a chance to speak again until Damon began to plant deep kisses to her neck. She giggled a bit, and arched against his hard body not wanting him to stop but very much aware her father was home and she needed to keep the noise level down.

"Good morning," she sighed happily, her eyes momentarily going to the ceiling before dropping to Damon who was making a southern pilgrimage down her body, stopping to pay homage to all of her hot spots under the covers. "Daaammmoonnnn," she moaned when he lifted her right leg and tossed it over his shoulder. She felt lips against her inner thigh, as his dark hair teased her skin.

"I love the way you say my name."

Bonnie froze. Hearing lost. Sight gone. Pending horniness no longer pending. Her heart was no longer beating inside her chest. This had to be myocardial infarction better known as a motherfucking heart attack! Her body instantly broke out into a cold sweat, her mouth which was already dry as cotton was now a desert at high noon in July. Blood was redirected from the apex of her body and rushed to her ears and temples.

Throwing the covers off them both, Damon's head was implanted on her stomach, looking away. Perhaps she heard him wrong, had imagined what sounded like an Italian accent. It couldn't be? She was tired. Maybe this was a dream? Yeah, it was a dream, Bonnie told herself and was about to pinch her arm, but then the head on her stomach shifted, the chin now resting on her belly, closed lids were opening to reveal…

Eyes as dark as night.

"Aaaaahhhhhh," Bonnie let out an ear piercing, window shattering scream.

One minute she was staring into orbs that had the ability to put her under a spell, the next second she was alone in her room, and then her father burst through the door, pistol in hand.

"Bonnie!" Thomas' eyes first went to his daughter and then to the open window. "What's wrong? Was someone in the house?"

Bonnie couldn't talk because she was trying to simmer her heart down. Her eyes trailed after her father who went to the window, peered out and closed it. He locked it for good measure.

Thomas lowered his gun, approached Bonnie and felt his stomach churn at the horrific expression on her face. "Baby, talk to me, what's going on?"

Blinking, coming out of her stupor, Bonnie stared at her dad and then said, "I…it was…a bad dream."

Thomas studied her for a second before accepting her lie as truth. "I told you about reading those Charlaine Harris novels before going to bed. Are you sure it was just a bad dream?"

Bonnie only nodded. She was too traumatized to use her words like a big girl.

"All right." Thomas left the room, closing the door after his departure.

A gush of wind told Bonnie her visitor had returned. Bonnie slowly turned her head to face the fatally handsome vampire who was perched on the edge of her bed.

"Hi, angel."

Bonnie's heart began to pound—again. She licked her lips trying to band together a coherent stream of words. Instead, her chin quivered, water formed at the bottom of her eyes and she buried her head in her hands sobbing, "You came back."

"I told you," Damon leaned over and lifted her chin up forcing Bonnie to look at him. She was still as beautiful as ever, just as he remembered. "No dimension would be able to keep me away from you."

Her eyes blinked rapidly in a fatal attempt to keep the rest of her tears at bay. For months Bonnie mourned the loss of this man. Would curl up in the center of her bed wishing she could at least hear the sound of his voice. And now was he was back, she could touch him, see him, as if he never left. Everything about him was the same. He shared Damon's face, they were twins in every way outside of their eye color, age, and temperament, but that punched-in-the-gut feeling socked Bonnie upside the head as she stared at his face, _really _looked at him.

He was perfection, but so was her current boyfriend. His face was perfectly symmetrical, but so was her current boyfriend's. Those mischievously curled lips had done scintillating things to her body, but so had her current boyfriend. Bonnie's thoughts and comparisons were giving her a headache, but she just needed to touch _this Damon_.

Without her realizing, Bonnie's fingers were stretching forward, and brushed against his cheek. "How are you here?" she carefully enunciated the question.

Damon closed his eyes to savor her touch. Her fingers burned his cold skin. His heart took off and exploded in his chest. He wanted to crush Bonnie to him, smother her lips with kisses, bury his fangs in her, and that hardening rod in his pants, but resisted by the skin of his teeth. "I have my ways, angel. I came back. For _you_."

Bonnie shook her head, jerked her hand away, tears running down her cheeks. "You don't understand. Everything's different now."

His face puckered for a bit before it smoothed out becoming ridiculously handsome once again. "I know things have changed."

"Then…" Bonnie sputtered, climbed out of bed to put some space between them. This was too much. She couldn't deal with this right now. Bonnie felt like her heart was breaking, mending, breaking, and mending over and over again.

"How long have you been back?" she was thinking of the phone call she missed and subsequent voice mail.

Damon's face revealed nothing. "Not long," was all he'd commit to saying.

"You called me..." she said numbly.

"I tried," he confessed. "I was still in my world at the time."

"I don't understand..."

"Somethings are better not being understood," he told her and was standing in front of her, his cool hands touching her shoulders gently, cupping her face, wiping her tears away. His head was lowering.

Bonnie freaked and stumbled as she attempted to twist out of his reach. Her back was up against the wall, and Damon was yet again crowding her space, infecting her with his presence making her remember the way she used to burn for his touch. Her tongue had increased in size in her mouth.

"Look at me," he said quietly.

Bonnie refused. She kept her eyes planted on everything except him.

"Look at me," his voice was low and a bit more demanding yet it reminded Bonnie of chocolate being poured over strawberries.

She took the plunge and stared up at him.

Now that he had her attention, "I love you."

Bonnie wanted to wail like a baby but then, something finally came to mind that she could say to him. "When Damon finds out…he's going to kill you."

A cocky smile broke across dark-eyed Damon's face. "Then tell him I look forward to the massacre." He picked up Bonnie's hand and, keeping his blazing eyes on her, he kissed the palm of her hand.

A zing definitely went up Bonnie's arm.

Releasing her, Damon took a step back and then with that calculated gait of his which drew attention to his best assets, he paused before leaping out the window, "I fight to win and guess what, angel, I _always _fight dirty."

Alone, the room swirled around Bonnie and she grasped the wall, resting her cheek against it. Her body felt like it had been super-heated and she instantaneously experienced vertigo, nausea, hope, dread, love, hatred, and a dozen other unidentified emotions.

What the hell was she going to do?

An idea came to mind. Bonnie hastily grabbed her cell phone and called Luka. He had called her the first night she had given him her number so she had his stored in her address book. He better have good news for her in finding someway to break a telepathetic mind link.

The phone rung and rung until his voice mail clicked on. "Hey, Luka," Bonnie tried to sound as normal as possible. "Have you made any leeway in that favor I asked you? I really, really, _really _need it. Call me back! Thanks."

"Are you stepping out on me, Bonnie?"

Once again, Bonnie froze. Her cell phone tumbled out of her hands and smacked against the floor. When she turned around it was blue-eyed Damon Salvatore holding up the wall.

"I…"

Damon approached her, ready to kiss her, when Bonnie felt her mouth watering. She slapped a hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom, barely got the toilet seat up before bile splashed in the water waiting below. Damon was behind her, holding her hair back as she purged her system. Retching and dry heaving.

"Uh-oh, I didn't knock you up did I?"

Bonnie ignored his asinine question and flushed the toilet. What a morning, she thought grumpily and moved over to the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth. She had to tell Damon the truth about the other Damon being back.

The earth whirled around her again.

Unfortunately Damon's cell phone ringed. It was the sheriff calling. Bonnie eyed him while he talked with Sheriff Forbes. From the pieces she was able to put together on Damon's end of the conversation something had happened last night.

Ending the call, Damon looked at Bonnie. "I was going to take you to breakfast but it looks like that's going to have to be postponed. The sheriff found a dead body out in the woods, wants me to have a little look see."

"Damon there's something I need to tell you."

"It'll have to wait. I have crime fighting to do. Love you, baby." He kissed her hard and quick.

He was gone in an instant.

Slumping against the bathroom door, Bonnie muttered, "He came back."

* * *

><p>Running a hand over his face, Luka padded barefoot into the kitchen. He saw his father sitting at the table, several books opened and spread out around him.<p>

"Morning, dad."

"Luka. You're cell phone ringed earlier. I think you might have a voice mail."

Forgetting about getting a bowl of cereal to chase his hunger pains away, Luka retrieved his phone and sure enough he had a missed call and voice mail from Bonnie. He turned his back to his dad and listened to the message. Bonnie sounded panicked but was trying not to let it show. Leaving the living room altogether, Luka went back to his room for some privacy, listened to Bonnie's message again and then returned her call.

She answered on the first ring. "Hi, Luka. Sorry to call so early on a Saturday morning."

"It's no problem. About that thing you asked me…I've been looking. My dad is here at the moment but he usually has a meeting around noon. If you want, you can drop by and we can look together. Two heads might be better than one when dealing with something like this."

"Okay. Just call me and let me know when it's cool to come over."

"Will do. Talk to you later."

"Thank you so much, Luka."

There was desperation in Bonnie's voice that automatically drew Luka's attention.

Hanging up, Luka made his way back to the kitchen. His dad was right where he left him.

"Helping Bonnie with something?" Jonas Martin queried.

"Something like that," Luka wouldn't divulge anymore details than that.

Jonas kept his hawk-like stare on his son. "Just exercise caution, Luka. She's _very _powerful."

Feeling his irritation rising to the surface, Luka couldn't disguise the annoyance in his voice. "I know."

Jonas chortled, collected several journals and rose from the table. "She's not a friend to us, Luka. Remember…Bonnie has something we need, and…we might have to take it by force."

Luka didn't say anything to that, but maintained eye contact with his father, nostrils slightly flaring.

"Have a good day, son."

Chapter end.

**A/N: I already know I'm going to get a lot of heat for bringing back Book Damon. Unlike JP I actually do care about the overall happiness and well-being of my characters, but I'm a realist as well. Here's the thing, your ex at some point is bound to pop back up into your life. It happens—that's reality. He's an ex and like most exes he's going to want his old girlfriend back. How Bonnie and TV Damon respond to Book Damon being back will determine the actual strength of their relationship. Everyone is tested at some point, faces challenges and obstacles. In writing this story I never intended everything to be sunshine and rainbows, that's not reality, and I'm all for reality even in fiction. So like TV Damon said: may the best Damon win. There's more I'd like to touch on, but I won't, I'll just let this little puppy speak for itself. A lot still has to happen mostly with the Originals, the Martin's and how the subplot will unfold, so if you decide to stick around after this chapter GREAT if not aw well, I'm not going to bend over backwards to change your mind. Just know I love you guys regardless and thank you for reading! All things aside: Team TV Damon, Team Book Damon, I'm Team Bonnie/Happiness above everything else. So until next time...  
><strong>


	46. Go Hard or Go Home

**A/N: Hi everyone. I felt inspired to update a little earlier than usual. Here is the latest.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

"One-two-three…four-five-six…" the choreographer counted as he looked over each couple critically assessing who needed to work on turns, timing, and foot placement.

Bonnie was concentrating with everything in her sometimes playing too much attention to what she was doing. As a result she inadvertently added steps to the dance, effectively causing her father to lose focus and accidentally stumble into another couple. Thomas stared at her sternly in silent admonishment to get her act together because all morning she had been behaving out of character by being absent-minded and then laughing for no apparent reason.

Another round of uncontrollable giggles began to bubble and Bonnie bit her lips to keep the laughter inside, but it simply wasn't working. She looked away, at some point over her father's shoulder hoping it might be enough of a distraction. Yet when she saw some of the other father-daughter pairs fumble the steps of the Viennese Waltz, Bonnie exploded.

"Bonnie," Thomas hissed between clenched teeth while pinching her fingers. "Cool it with all that giggling. You're acting like a pre-schooler."

Several eyes stared at Bonnie disapprovingly and she wanted to roll hers in return, but instead inhaled a deep breath and tried to find her equilibrium again.

"I'm sorry…it's just…" she chuckled once more. "Learning this dance is so dang boring." She chanced looking at her father hoping he might see a little bit of humor in what they were doing, but Thomas Bennett's face was impassive. "I'm sorry," she muttered again, quietly.

"I know this isn't your thing, but this is important. You don't want to be an embarrassment on the night of the cotillion, do you?"

Bonnie shook her head at the appropriate time but she could really careless about embarrassing herself.

"I don't know what's gotten into you. You've only had one week of school so you can't be stressed out about that," Thomas speculated feeling at a total lost. He knew teenagers could be a weird breed, speaking their own language, and doing some incredibly dumb things from time to time, but Bonnie always had a good head on her shoulders. Her behavior from this morning to now baffled him, and Thomas made it a point not to meddle too much in her affairs, but Bonnie was beginning to concern him.

If her behavior was the result of dabbling in drugs—recreationally—he'd have to put a stop to that immediately. Her record being a debutante had to remain squeaky clean and above reproach. One poor reflection against her and she'd be out earning the family a bad reputation.

Yes, it was a lot of pressure to put on such a young woman, and a lot was riding on Bonnie completing the program with flying colors and being presented before society as a woman, but Thomas knew she could handle it.

"I'm fine, dad," Bonnie reassured him once she had her chuckles under control. "But," she hesitated. "Never mind."

"What?" Thomas prompted.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Bonnie finally said. And prayed it would be true.

"Are you sure, Bonnie?"

"Yeah." Only she wasn't.

Bonnie wanted to blurt her ex-boyfriend was back who looked exactly like her current boyfriend only he was from another dimension. It went without saying that the probability of her dad's head exploding where pretty high considering Thomas didn't know his daughter was seeing anyone exclusively, nor the fact people could actually travel through different dimensions, or that different dimensions even existed. There was a lot Bonnie kept from her father because one) he didn't want to hear about it and two) she was trying to protect him. Knowledge was power but that didn't mean being knowledgeable about everything was good either. Knowledge in the wrong hands could be deadly.

Nevertheless, Bonnie desperately needed some relationship advice, but her father's romantic life had been as dead and barren as Bonnie's before she fell in love with dark-eyed Damon Salvatore. What could he tell her? What would he say if he found out she was dating _and _sexually active? Inwardly Bonnie cringed. She didn't want to envision her dad's reaction to hearing that bit of telling news.

Thomas stared at his only child—assessing. He wouldn't claim to know Bonnie like the back of his hand. She was as much a mystery to him as he was to her. And it wasn't her fault. Thomas never made it easy for Bonnie to come to him, seeking his opinion, asking for his help. He had drilled being independent into her head at an early age because his work kept him away from home seventy-five percent of the time. In retrospect, Thomas could see he deprived not only his child but himself of much needed quality time, growth, and bonding between them.

It seemed too little too late for him to bond with Bonnie now, but he was trying. That's why he was taking these dance rehearsals so seriously. This was one of those rare moments they could experience together and reflect on later in life. Thomas had the sneaking suspicion that Bonnie wanted to ask him about boys and, not knowing his stance on the subject made her back off.

Thomas wasn't so sure his blood pressure could handle talking about sex or learning his daughter was no longer a blushing virgin.

He was no idiot. His daughter was beautiful and built like a grown woman. Of course boys would stand up and take notice. Hell, Thomas already caught several young fools staring at his kid's backside.

The choreographer walked over to Thomas and Bonnie to inspect them. He was a very hands on instructor, and directed the pair on holding the correct frame and where to put their feet on the floor. He tipped Bonnie's chin up at the angle it should be, muttered something about her bone structure, and moved on.

Bonnie let out a sigh and continued through the cadence, ignoring the pain of the tight shoes on her feet, the grumbling in her belly since she hadn't eaten anything more than toast, and finished out dance practice.

Being a month into the program Bonnie had made a couple of friends. She wished she knew them well enough to ask them for advice of the personal nature. It would be good to hear a different opinion on how she should handle the new drama that literally landed in her lap this morning. Just thinking about Damon from Fell's Church made her heart speed, and sweat to break out in uncomfortable places.

If she told Elena and Caroline, which Bonnie would, she already knew that they would say: stay away from him.

Did they not know who they were talking about? Staying away from Damon _any _Damon would end up being pointless. When they wanted you to know they were around, they made sure you knew. When they were determined to get something they stopped at nothing to get it. Staying away sounded good in theory, but dark-eyed Damon had full access to her house. He could come and go as he pleased. And Mystic Falls wasn't that big of a city. So the chances of them running into one another on the street was unavoidable as well.

But Bonnie stood amongst her small little clique consisting of two girls who were in their junior year of high school, and three guys who were seniors like Bonnie. She laughed at their jokes and promised to keep in touch over the week via Facebook or Twitter.

"Do you have all of your stuff?" Thomas asked while fishing his car keys out of his pocket.

Bonnie double checked her bag just to make sure. "Yeah, I have everything."

"Good. Well, I'm hungry. We should stop at Checker's on the way back."

Bonnie wasn't in the mood to eat, but her stomach did growl. It must be operating on a different system from hers.

Pushing the crash bar on the door, Bonnie walked out into the dry heat of Virginia adjusting her eyes to the sudden brightness. Then suddenly she came to an abrupt stop causing Thomas to run into the back of her.

"Bonnie?" she heard her father's voice but her eyes were glued on the man loitering across the street, dressed in all black, pale skin glinting in the sunlight, dark eyes zeroed in on her.

Breathing deeply, Bonnie's mouth opened but no sound followed.

"Bonnie, what's wrong with you now?"

She couldn't answer not nary a question Thomas threw at her. Bonnie was too busy staring at the statue across the street.

Bonnie jumped a little when a hand landed on and shook her shoulder. Flashing scared orbs upward, Bonnie was grateful it was her dad and not…

When she turned back to confirm that Damon was still standing across the street, he was gone of course.

Had she imagined it?

Thomas was doubly concerned now. Taking Bonnie by the elbow and pulling her out of the way since they were blocking traffic, he shuffled them to his car.

"Get in," he ordered softly.

Bonnie did so obediently and strapped on her seat belt. Climbing behind the wheel, Thomas started the engine, blasted the air conditioning, and began making the trek back to Mystic Falls. The dance hall where they practiced was located twenty miles north of it.

"All right, talk to me. Something has preoccupied your mind all day."

"There's nothing to say…only that someone I thought," Bonnie took a moment and regrouped. "A friend of mine moved away and now he's back."

_He, _Thomas thought incredulously. His frowned—severely and when it was safe, took his eyes off the road to look at Bonnie. "Were you involved with this _friend_?"

Why lie, Bonnie thought. She nodded.

Thomas' hand tightened on the wheel. "How serious was it? And why hadn't I met this boy? I know I've made it pretty clear that I trust your judgment and ability to make decisions, but I at least have the right to know who you're getting involved with, Bonnie."

"I know, dad but," Bonnie shrugged helplessly. "Things happened so fast and I wanted you two to meet-one day."

"And he just left and now he's back?"

"Something like that."

"Did you love this person?"

Bonnie swung her gaze over to her father, "That's the problem…even with him gone I don't think I ever stopped. And now I'm with someone else."

Thomas' eyes bugged and he felt blood pounding furiously in his temples. When had his daughter turned into a rolling stone?

"You have _another_ boyfriend?"

Bonnie could hear the disbelief yet ultimately the hurt in her father's voice that he had been kept out of the loop when it came to her personal life.

"Yes, I have another boyfriend," she admitted tentatively.

"How long have you been with this cat?"

A tiny smile split Bonnie's face. Her father was definitely old school. "About three months. I've known him a lot longer than that," she added.

Thomas cleared the frog out of his throat and was amazed he was still driving in his lane. "Have you…were you…are you still a virgin, Bonnie?"

There was nothing but the sound of the tires flying over the asphalt and cars passing them on the highway. Bonnie's answer put an abrupt end to that.

"No."

Tires swerved against the road, horns honked, and Thomas resumed control of the car. "You're only seventeen, Bonnie. You shouldn't be having sex."

Shifting until her back was against the door, Bonnie stared at her father's profile, more to the matter the tick in his jaw. "How old were you when you had sex?"

"Old enough," Thomas replied vaguely.

"Come on, dad. You want to know the intimate details of my life but you won't divulge any of yours. I get it. You're the parent, but...if you really want me to be open and honest and tell you these things, and come to you for advice, then I need something."

Sighing, Thomas felt old. Times certainly have changed from when he was Bonnie's age. He wouldn't dream of questioning his parents about their sex lives. In his mind, his parents never knew what the other looked like naked. He was delivered by a stork, and that was the lie Thomas lived with until of course he lost his virginity and found out what all the hype was about. But to tell his seventeen year old girl who was already active...?

He felt like he failed as a father. Hadn't done enough to protect her from fast-talking guys who only thought with one head, and no it wasn't the one of their shoulders.

"I was sixteen when it happened," Thomas confessed.

"Was it with a girlfriend?"

A dark chuckle escaped Thomas' lips. More like the neighborhood slut, but he wouldn't put it so bluntly. "No, she wasn't my girlfriend. Just a girl who went to my school. We had a class together. I thought she was cute."

"But she wasn't cute?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that..."

Bonnie smiled. "I know. I was just teasing you."

"I was young and foolish, Bon, I shouldn't have been having sex at that age, but I wanted to fit in with my friends. I was probably the only guy in my class who regretted losing his virginity. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but I wanted to be in love, I wanted to have a girlfriend, but it wouldn't happen until I turned nineteen."

"Who did you meet at nineteen?"

Thomas flashed his eyes at Bonnie momentarily. "Your mother."

A soft gasp escaped Bonnie's mouth. "You met mom at nineteen?"

Thomas nodded and changed lanes to pass a slow moving vehicle. "We didn't hit it off right away. I was too much of a square. She was a free spirit. But eventually I wore her down. It took years though," Thomas sighed again, this time wearily as if a huge weight had been taken off his shoulder or either put back on. "I don't want you to go through what I went through, Bonnie. Putting everything on the line, making that person into your end all be all just for that person to walk away from you like you never even mattered. Like your love meant nothing to them. I want more for you."

Bonnie felt the threat of tears because she could tell her father was struggling not to cry as well. He never talked about her mom and it was obvious that Abby had been the love of Thomas' Bennett's life and then one day she just vanished into thin air.

Bonnie had no way of explaining to her father that she didn't run the same risk of experiencing what he went through. She had predicted that her future mate would have the initials DS. She was with a Damon Salvatore...although there was two of them...but her future was set in its own way.

"Just promise me that you'll be careful. Are you on the pill, using condoms, taking precautions? I don't want to be a grandfather before I'm fifty."

Biting her lower lip Bonnie couldn't tell her dad that her boyfriend went bare back. "We're being careful," she said.

"I want to meet this young man and see where his mind is at," Thomas directed at her. "_Soon."_

"Yes, sir," Bonnie mumbled.

The next time he spoke to her, they were ten minutes from home. He pulled into a Checker's and then patted Bonnie's knee. "I'm glad we had that discussion."

That made two of them, Bonnie thought.

* * *

><p>Sheriff Forbes had monopolized most of Damon's morning. He wondered—idly—if he should start charging her for his services. Running the council thankfully hadn't turned into a full-time occupation and Damon hated doing grunt work of any kind. That's why he delegated the real tedious assignments to the unlimited supply of mindless humans whom he interacted with on a daily basis. Still it made him feel slightly useful and less homicidal when he put his beautiful mind to being more productive and less destructive.<p>

All of that being said he felt like he had neglected the most important person in his life today—himself. Damon chuckled as he blew out the flame to the match after lighting a candle. If Bonnie were here and heard him say that, she'd roast him. In all seriousness, he did miss being with her today and couldn't wait until she arrived to the nice quiet and catered dinner he had planned for them.

Some might accuse him of not having a romantic bone in his body. Damon was not a puss but he did like putting a smile on Bonnie's face because it made him feel as if he accomplished something. And if she were smiling then she wasn't railing at him and his one thousand faults, but even she would have to admit he had been on his best behavior.

Sometimes Damon did wonder if all the changes and alterations he made to his life and personality was because _he _wanted to make them or because he wanted to impress Bonnie. Perhaps it was a little of both, and he wouldn't say that he liked and/or agreed with the changes but there was that thing called compromise.

If you knew Damon, which many people couldn't say they did, then you knew he was no expert on how to have a healthy relationship. All of his entanglements up until this one had been toxic. Either he came on too strong, loved too hard, spilled his guts on the floor with no one standing around with a mop and broom handy.

But that wasn't the case with Bonnie. They were on the same page, and Damon couldn't tell you what a relief it was to know that when Bonnie said she loved him, she not only meant it, but she showed it.

That's why he had a feast prepared with more of that special libation he gave her where they had an incredible night of sex and lovemaking outside, but that was chilling on ice upstairs in his bedroom.

The door bell tolled and stopping to admire the beautifully decorated table for two, Damon flashed to the front door and threw it open.

He smiled at the person on the other side. "Well, hello," Damon greeted in a voice that was several octaves lower in pitch.

Bonnie entered the boardinghouse hoping her smile was believable. "Hi."

Damon closed the door after she entered and then quickly pulled her into his arms. Bonnie wrapped hers around his torso and craned her neck, lips ready.

She sighed the minute she felt his mouth seal over hers, stealing her breath, ability to think, making her body vibrate. Bonnie created an opening for Damon's tongue to slide right in, and brush over that muscle in her mouth.

Damon angled his head, eager lips seeking more of Bonnie's decadent taste which clouded his senses, made him feel blind with need. He hugged her just a little tighter to his body which was getting worked up the minute he stabbed his tongue in and out of her mouth simulating another act he desperately wanted to do. Damon cautioned himself and began to slow down so he could enjoy it, savor it like a fine and perfectly aged wine.

His hands traveled the length and curvature of her spine before grabbing on to her succulent ass.

The blood that flowed through her body seemed to increase in volume and spread out leaving solar flares in its wake. Her heart pounded in its confined cage, and the ache between her legs metastasized, drowning the room with her heady arousal.

His fangs lengthened and he pressed Bonnie up against the wall. "Please," he whispered.

She knew what he was asking for, angled her head, and waited for the puncture of double bee stings against her neck.

Damon slid his fangs easily into her dermis, going right to the vein. He drank slowly as not to make a mess. Her blood was potent enough that he went from half-mast to full salute in his pants. Damon groaned and wished he had thought about opening up the vein in his wrist first as an offering to Bonnie so she could experience the titillating sessions that coursed through him like an infusion.

In increments he lifted his fangs out of her neck, and licked the blood that seeped from his teeth impressions.

He stared at her intensely. "Do you want to eat?"

Bonnie wasn't sure. She was light-headed, slightly dizzy, and malnourished after not eating anything substantial all day. If it weren't for Damon's arms being around her, she'd be on the floor.

"I should probably get something in me."

Damon's grin was less than innocent. "I'm available."

Bonnie pursed her lips and shook her head. "I'm assuming you missed me today?" Bonnie purposely ignored his statement, and finally spotted the table that was waiting for them.

"I did," Damon said and took her by the hand, lacing their fingers together. "I didn't get to greet you the way I wanted to this morning. But then I don't make it a habit of kissing girls while they're upchucking."

Bonnie's cheeks colored with embarrassment. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Like I told Stefan if I haven't seen something before I'll throw a dollar at it."

_This morning_, Bonnie had tried all day not to think about this morning. Damon pulled out her chair and then kissed her shoulder as she took a seat.

He quickly sat across from her, and Bonnie tried to get her quivering lips under control. The secret she was carrying was threatening to burst out of her mouth.

The minute she and her father made it back to their home, Bonnie had done nothing but look over her shoulder expecting another ambush. She didn't need to question if dark-eyed Damon had followed her; she already knew the answer to that. And she didn't need to question why he was back. In plain English he said he was back for her.

Her stomach rumbled.

"What I said this morning…about you possibly being pregnant…"

Bonnie held up her hand, blushed, and laughed nervously. "I'm not. No need to set up child support payments and a visitation schedule."

"If you were I'd just marry you."

Bonnie wondered if her eyebrows were still attached to her forehead. By the expression on Damon's face, he wasn't playing around, he was being dead-up serious.

"You're not joking are you?"

Damon shook his head. "I might joke about a lot of things, but not when it comes to my responsibilities. God, I sound like an after-school special," he grimaced.

Bonnie laughed, high cheekbones on full display.

He picked up a wine bottle and filled their glasses. Bonnie looked down and saw that she and Damon would be dining on roasted duck, steamed veggies, and wild rice pilaf.

Bonnie picked up her fork and merely pushed her food around. Damon kept his eyes on her.

"Joking aside, Bonnie I never actually saw myself as a father…not even when I was human."

Looking back up at her boyfriend her curiosity was definitely piqued. "Why not? Because of your relationship with your dad?"

Damon shrugged. "That's one reason, but…my genes being used to create another person…why curse a child with that kind of bad luck."

Bonnie stared at Damon as his eyes widened in that crazy way they did.

"I know how I was as a boy, and then as a teenager, and finally as a young man…why inflict that on someone else?" Pause. "But when I think of possibly having a baby with you it doesn't seem like a terribly bad idea. I just don't know how that would work, though."

"I don't know either and I'm glad we don't have to think about that at all."

"Are you saying you wouldn't want to have my kid?" Damon tried not to feel strangely offended by that.

"No," Bonnie skewered a piece of duck on the tines of her fork. She plopped it in her mouth and chewed. It melted like butter on her tongue. "No, I'm not saying that…I don't want to be pregnant at seventeen, is all."

"If I were human would you want me to be your baby daddy?" he grinned.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Why are we even talking about this? I'm not pregnant. You can't have kids. End of discussion."

Damon sat back in his chair and then picked up his fork. "Someone's testy."

"I don't mean to be but why waste our time talking about something that will never happen, not even hypothetically? It's only going to make me think about the future and I don't want to think about the future. Not yet at least."

Then it dawned on Damon. If he and Bonnie made it through the odds, and their love actually stood the test of time, Bonnie would be giving up the chance of having a family of her own. She would never be able to have his children. He would never be able to plant his seed in her and watch it grow. It was a rite of passage most women wanted to experience yet if Bonnie tied her future to him, she would never get that chance.

There were other options such as artificial insemination but she'd have to be inseminated with another man's sperm, and sorry but Damon wasn't going to allow some random guy's jizz to swim around in her uterus. There was adoption of course, but it wasn't the same as giving birth to her own biological entity.

Bonnie tapped her fork against her plate. "I told my dad about us."

Surprise flashed on Damon's face. "You did? I'm sure that was an interesting conversation."

"Well, he knows we're sleeping together. He wants to meet you."

Damon paused in taking a sip of his wine. "I'm going to have to get a bulletproof vest aren't I?"

Bonnie smiled. "I think you'll be all right so long as he doesn't use wooden bullets." Her heart began to speed because there was something else that she needed to come clean about. "Damon, I need to tell you something and you're not going to like it."

And he did not like the sound of that. Damon wiped his mouth and slapped his napkin on the table. "What is it?"

The sound of the grandfather clock ticking was the only sound heard in the room. Bonnie looked at Damon, holding his gaze. "It's Damon…he's back."

Damon merely blinked and then chuckled. Bonnie watched as his shoulders jumped up and down, crinkles formed around his eyes, as his face went into Joker mode. His chuckles turned into maniacal laughter until Damon simmered down, sobered, and wiped a tear from his eye. Then it was like he flipped his switch. All emotion aside from rage fled his face.

"You're being completely fucking honest with me right now?"

Bonnie nodded her head.

"You saw him?"

And it didn't escape Bonnie his question sounded more like an accusation.

She licked her lips that were turning dry as if she were standing out in a blizzard. "This morning…right before you showed up. I was sleeping and when I woke up I thought it was you lying in bed next to me."

Damon shut his eyes and held up a hand. "Gotdamnit you didn't!" his mind automatically jumped to one conclusion.

Furious at what he was implying, Bonnie dropped her fork on her plate. "I didn't! But…"

"Fuck…" Damon's hands balled into fists and it was amazing he was still in his seat.

"I thought it was you and then he just…he started kissing me. I didn't know it was him because his eyes were closed the whole time, and then he opened them and I screamed. My dad came bursting in the room brandishing his gun, and Damon left but then he came back and we had words and then he left again," she finished in one breath.

Bonnie would not add more fuel to the fire by telling Damon that the other Damon said he loved her. She could see that Damon was teetering on the edge as she spoke fighting with the darkness that lived inside of him that had a penchant for destroying whatever it touched.

"He _kissed _you," Damon ran frustrated hands through his hair, not something Bonnie had ever seen him do before.

"It didn't last that long."

"It lasted long enough," his words came out clipped. "Did the two of you… Speak. At. All?" or were you too busy rolling around on your mattress, Damon wanted to add but refrained.

"Only a little. Damon it doesn't matter what he said because I'm with you."

He wanted to believe her, but Damon knew better.

It was a hard fight reining in his temper. When Damon looked at Bonnie again he tried to do so without the hurt, anger, hatred, and bitterness he felt kicking around his insides like a soccer ball.

Bonnie kind of recoiled from the look dancing in his powder blue eyes. She wasn't sure if that glare was meant for her specifically or just the situation in general.

All sorts of questions and scenarios were flying through Damon's mind. Did Bonnie stuff her tongue down his throat like she did his the minute she walked through the door? Did she moan? Did her clit get hard? Had she touched his dick? Did he touch her pussy? How far had things gone before that fucker opened up his gotdamn eyes?

Everything turned red and Damon flipped their beautiful table over, their half-finished meal painting the floor.

Bonnie sat there stupefied and then puckered her lips. "I wasn't finished with my duck."

As if on auto-pilot Damon stood up and walked away. Bonnie thought it best not to go after him. Damon was in a volatile state right now.

Staring at the toppled over table, the broken dishes, spilled wine, Bonnie sighed and figured she could tackle the mess she actually _could _clean up. She got to her feet.

"I see my arrival has spoiled dinner."

Bonnie tensed, turned around and there he was. Her eyes immediately went to the ceiling. "What the _hell _are you doing here?" she whispered fiercely knowing it was pointless.

Dark-eyed Damon stood across from her, head tilted, smirk on his face. "I felt that you were in distress. I was right."

"_Shit_," Bonnie rubbed the side of her neck. The stupid bond. She had spent the better part of the morning combing through grimoires with Luka, impressed with the collection he and his father had, but they hadn't been able to find anything. She needed to break Damon's access to her thoughts and feelings right now before everything napalmed in her face.

He was standing on top of her by the time she looked up. Damon cupped her face. "Bonnie, I don't mean to make things difficult for you…"

"Damon, you can't be here right now," she interrupted. "_Please_ go."

The urgency in her voice smacked Damon in the face but he didn't trust to leave her with the unstable barbarian who was furiously pacing and destroying things upstairs.

"I'll only leave if you come with me."

Her jaw plopped open but then Bonnie recovered. "Are you insane?"

"I know you want, too," he traced her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. "I can sense it in your thoughts. You're blood is calling out to me, Bonnie," he deliberately lowered his voice, eyes smoldering. "You're just as drawn to me now as you were when we first met," he smiled a bit shyly and Bonnie couldn't recall him looking anything less than cocky.

Her heart was still beating a mile a minute but for another reason. The horrified expression on her face dissolved into raw openness.

No matter what came out of her mouth, Damon could read the signals her body gave off. Her temperature had risen, and her breathing deepened. Her viridian eyes told the story of her inner emotions and the tumultuous nature of her thoughts.

His hand never dropped from her skin and it was burning him. He shifted closer and Bonnie didn't move because she was lost.

Fully prepared to kiss her fears away, Damon unfortunately had to stop the stake that was currently en route to his back. Catching it in mid-flight, Damon growled and stepped away from Bonnie.

Bonnie hadn't noticed what happened. One minute she felt like she was being pulled under a wave, and the next she had been splashed with ice-cold water.

Blue-eyed Damon Salvatore could have said one of his famous one-liners but he simply had murder on the mind which took precedence over being witty. He pulled the trigger of the crossbow. Another stake whistled through the air, which dark-eyed Damon annoying caught.

"Is that all you've got!" dark-eyes said and threw the stake down on the floor, advancing on his opponent.

Bonnie heard herself scream, "Damon stop!"

Next came the flame thrower.

Dark-eyed Damon dove to the side, as far away from Bonnie as he could possibly get, hoping Damon would track his movement with the flames. "You asshole!" he snarled from behind a couch. "Bonnie was standing right behind me! Are you that blind with rage you would endanger her life!"

"Both of you just stop! _Now_!"

Mystic Falls Damon ignored Bonnie. He was under direct orders to seek, kill, and destroy. Damon compressed the trigger again. Nothing happened. His eyes shifted to Bonnie who was chanting and staring back at him. He threw the useless piece of equipment aside and then flew at his adversary like Superman.

They went sailing out of the stain glassed window. Grunts, snarls, and curses filtered through the night air.

Bonnie threw up her hands, "Jesus, take the wheel. I'm out." They wanted to behave like idiots, fight to the death, she'd let them. Her stomach had been mad at her all day, she was cranky, a tiny bit horny, and just wanted a nice quiet evening with her boyfriend. Apparently she couldn't have nice things since those two boneheads were more concerned about killing one another. Looking at the ruined living room once more, Bonnie shook her head in disgust and left.

* * *

><p>Stefan entered the boardinghouse and stumbled on his feet. The living room was a mess. Furniture was destroyed, a window was broken and flies were circling around what appeared to be a once elegant dinner that was smeared on the floor. Sighing heavily, Stefan was prepared to bellow for Damon when the vampire himself strutted back into the house.<p>

Stefan's concern went up another notch. His bluish-green orbs slowly calculated the damage that had been done to his brother. Damon's shirt was ripped and barely handing on, his entire left knee was exposed in the tear in his jeans. He had a black eye. When he grimaced, Stefan noticed Damon was missing a tooth. His hair which typically erred on the disheveled side looked like a bird's nest.

Damon silently walked to the bar and poured a drink. When he took a sip it stung his mouth because his fang had slashed his tongue and the inside of his cheek.

Crossing the room, Stefan stood next to his brother and fixed his own drink. "Please tell me that whoever you fought tonight, you at least pinched them."

Damon would have laughed but his jaw was on fire. "If you think I look bad you should see the other guy."

"Yeah? What does he look like?"

"Like he just had reconstructive surgery on his face," a sharp pain lanced through Damon. Probably as punishment for telling a lie. "Could you get me a blood bag?" he croaked and sat down very slowly in a chair. One of his ribs was broken and he probably had some internal bleeding. He needed blood and fast because he was fighting against losing consciousness.

Quickly leaving the room and returning just as fast, Stefan handed Damon the bag. Once in hand, Damon wasted no time plunging his fangs into the pouch and slurping like it was going out of style.

"What happened?" Stefan righted the overturned table and then took a seat on the arm of the sofa.

"The other Damon…he's back," blue-eyed Damon wanted to spit.

"What?" Stefan was flabbergasted. "When did he get back?"

"I don't know."

"I'm assuming that's who you got into a fight with tonight."

Damon pointed at his brother. "You would be correct. My beautiful girlfriend told me that the little fucker impersonated me early this morning, buried his tongue down her throat, and then had the balls to show up here trying to steal her from me right from under my own roof."

"Is he alive?"

The dark glare Damon sent Stefan's way answered that question. Damon from Fell's Church had age and experience on his side. Of course he'd wipe the floor with his brother, Stefan amended.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to lend a hand," Stefan apologized.

"I assure you, we'll have plenty more opportunities to duke it out. He has plans to stay and win Bonnie back. I have plans to make sure that doesn't happen under any circumstances." Damon listened for a moment. "She's not here."

"I don't think Bonnie wanted to stick around and watch you two beat the crap out of each other. She's already been a witness to your beatings so many times in the past," Stefan tried not to snicker.

Damon flipped him the bird. "A little compassion might be nice, Stefan."

"I got you a blood bag didn't I? What more do you want?" Stefan replied flippantly.

To that, Damon rolled his eyes and then got to his feet. His brother was enjoying himself a little too much at his expense.

Damon's body was healing itself and he felt a little better, but not one hundred percent. He needed to see Bonnie. Damon made his way to the door.

Stefan rose from the sofa. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go check up on my girl. Don't wait up for me."

"Umm…don't you think you should change first?"

Damon looked down at his clothes, lips tilted up in contemplation. Closing the front door, Damon went upstairs to do as Stefan suggested. He'd throw in a shower as well.

* * *

><p>She was worried about her boyfriend. That was the only reason why she came back.<p>

Bonnie found Damon on his bed, lightly snoring. Apparently the fight took a lot out of him. When she first arrived at the boardinghouse, Stefan was in the living room cleaning up the mess from earlier. She apologized for not doing more to stop what happened, and Stefan asked her what could she have done. Bonnie had no answer for that. She then asked about Damon, and Stefan pointed towards the staircase saying he was up in his room probably feeling sorry for himself.

So there she stood, at the foot of his bed, watching him sleep. Bonnie felt responsible for what happened to him tonight. Although Damon had been the one to take things overboard instead of just hashing it out like an adult, he used violence over logic once again.

Sighing, she rounded the bed and peered closely at his face. There was some light discoloration around his left eye, and his bottom lip was a little swollen and a deeper shade of pink, but other than that, he appeared perfectly fine. Bonnie didn't want to disturb him and was comforted by the fact he was alive and wasn't seriously injured. Besides, vampires healed quickly from their wounds. It was the emotional damage that left its real mark.

Leaning forward, Bonnie kissed his cheek and then left his room.

"You're not staying?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "It's been a very long and emotional day and I just…" she sighed and sat down on the couch. "What am I going to do about this?"

"Why do you assume it's your problem to fix?" Stefan countered. "You didn't ask the other Damon to come back."

"Maybe I did on some unconscious level."

"Bonnie," Stefan sat down next to her on the sofa. "I understand that he was your first love and you had to let him go, and of course there's unfinished business between you two, but you shouldn't feel like you have to shoulder the weight of this problem."

"But if one of them manages to kill the other over me…I can't have that on my conscience. They've barely been civil to one another since Damon first landed in this dimension. I can't deal with this shit, and I don't want to."

Stefan nodded in understanding. He felt for Bonnie. "All right then you're going to have to lay down the law."

Bonnie blinked. "Lay down the law?"

"Yes. You're going to have to make it painfully clear to both of them because they are alpha males: pig-headed, arrogant, and conceited that you are in a _committed _relationship and Damon from Fell's Church needs to respect that. And you need to let him know that he had his shot, his time is over, and he needs to move on.

"My brother, on the other hand, is going to have some serious impulse control problems, and his possessiveness is going to kick up another notch. You're going to have to let him know that you may be together but he can't push you around. Dictate your every move. Because the minute you start letting him, is the minute he'll start losing respect for you."

Bonnie thought over Stefan's advice. "Okay…but what if they ignore me? Don't take me seriously?"

"Then you're going to have to _show_ them what happens when they try to bulldoze your life. Get messy, get creative. Make a statement. Because trust me, that's the only way to deal with Damon Salvatore. Go hard or go home."

Chapter end.

**A/N: This chapter pretty much speaks for itself. TV Damon now knows the truth about Book Damon returning and he of course flipped his lid, got violent in the age old tradition that is so him. Yes, I know Bonnie could have stopped the fight with her powers if she really wanted to, but deep down she knew that sometimes you just have to let people fight, get it out of their system. And I feel this chapter might draw some Delena parallels, let me go ahead and shut that down right now. If you know Damon, which I think we all do, he is controlling, and highly volatile. He acts rashly when he feels threatened, and that's what this chapter was about. Bonnie has a backbone and uses it especially with him. I have no plans on turning Bonnie into some simpering Mary-Sue. Yes, she might feel conflicted at times and be indecisive but who wouldn't be in her shoes? That's the beauty of emotion, because they change so often. All righty, peeps, I've spoken enough. Thanks for reading! Love you guys! **


	47. The Rule Maker

**A/N: Bonjour everyone. Happy Monday. Here is the latest. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Cold water rushed through her fingers. Birds squawked overhead. The land was so peaceful here. The leaves were changing color from bright green, to cherry red, to sunshine yellow. The air was crisp and sharp that Bonnie could taste it every time she breathed. This place brought about serenity; made her feel safe and secure.

Standing up from the brook's edge, Bonnie admired the forest for a minute before turning around. The grass crunched under her boots as she walked towards a fallen tree to use as a makeshift bench. Sighing, her eyes went up to the blue sky. A few clouds drifted by lazily. She loved it here, wherever here was.

The air next to her shifted.

"I used to come to this place when I was a child."

Bonnie looked to her left. Emily was sitting beside her. She was dressed exactly as the last time she saw her, bonnet and all. What was missing for Bonnie this time was fear. The first time she encountered Emily, Bonnie had no idea who she was. She ran from her only for Emily to pop up right where she tried to escape. Bonnie didn't understand at that time she was being haunted, that Emily was trying to use her in order to destroy her talisman. Part of her couldn't help but feel betrayed because she was hurt as a result of Emily backing out of the deal she made. But those feelings were long gone now and had been replaced with something Bonnie couldn't exactly put her finger on.

"What did you used to do here?" Bonnie found herself asking.

Emily never took her eyes away from the flowing stream that dissected the forest. "I used to walk along the stream, wondering where it flowed to, if it led the way to freedom. I would come here when I wanted to escape my duties. I came here to learn my craft. I had no one back then, only instinct. I listened to the earth when it spoke to me, Bonnie."

"Why am I here?"

Emily turned to face her then. Bonnie was always blown away by how beautiful she was. She couldn't exactly say she saw herself in Emily. They might have shared the same Mona Lisa smile and determination to do the right thing no matter the personal cost to themselves, but maybe that's where the line was drawn between them.

"You're looking for answers."

"And this is where you can come to get them," another voice joined the conversation.

Bonnie quickly snapped her head to her right. "Grams!"

Sheila Bennett smiled at her granddaughter, before leaning a little forward to greet her ancestor. "Hello, Emily."

The witch in question inclined her head at the other member in her lineage. "Sheila."

Being sandwiched between two different generations of her family made Bonnie feel as if she had finally arrived home. She reached for her grandmother's hand, and gasped because her touch felt so real.

"I miss you, Grams."

"I know, baby, but now is not the time for tears. Your birthday is coming up. It's a time to celebrate."

It was hard for Bonnie to swallow. She didn't want to celebrate her milestone birthday without her grandmother. "It doesn't matter because you're not here with me."

"Let the dead worry about the dead, Bonnie," Sheila admonished her.

Bringing up the dead made Bonnie think about her vampire-boyfriend problem. She looked down feeling a little ashamed and embarrassed wondering if she who she had chosen to be with, was it an insult to the two women's memories that she was seated beside.

Emily chose to answer Bonnie's inner musings. "Damon Salvatore was never a friend to our kind, Bonnie. Yet he upheld his word. He protected our family. For what he did, I'll always be grateful to him for that, but it doesn't erase the bad he's done."

Sheila picked up where Emily left off. "I'm not here to tell you how to run your life. You know what's best for your heart. And I've always told you to listen to your instincts. If your instincts are telling you that he's who you should be with…then it's as simple as that. Am I happy about it? Of course I'm not. There's nothing I can do to change what's been predestined by nature."

Bonnie was a little taken aback by that. "What are you saying, Grams? That no matter what…I would have ended up with Damon?"

Sheila looked at Bonnie patiently. "It's a very real possibility. Yet you're starting to have doubts."

"I'm having doubts about everything. Not just him."

"What else is bothering you?" Emily asked.

Bonnie couldn't really put a finger on what was bothering her. She shrugged, which she knew her grandmother hated when she did that because it was an unintelligent way to describe her feelings, thoughts, emotions.

"I just get the sense that something bad is coming."

"The Originals," Sheila and Emily answered in unison.

"You know about them?" Bonnie was flabbergasted.

Emily nodded. So did Sheila. All three women returned their attention to the flowing stream.

Sheila spoke, "This land used to belong to our family. During the time when the originals were still human."

"How do you know that?"

Another woman entered the picture next. Bonnie had no idea who she was but she got the sense that she was family. She was the same height as her grandmother. Her salt and pepper locks were twisted into a beautiful design, pulled back from her face that was filled with nothing but serene wisdom.

"I was here when they arrived. This land used to be filled with peaceful people, and mythical creatures no one had ever encountered before. Our people looked to me to keep them protected, so I did. A plague was coming, and the mother of this unknown family, asked me to make her children impenetrable to the disease. I refused because what she was asking of me was an abomination of nature. She turned against my advice and created a new race, a new species that she couldn't control."

"Esther," Bonnie said.

The woman nodded.

"You're Ayanna? Elijah told me about you. He said that you asked him to protect our line."

Ayanna stood before Bonnie. "Elijah has always been the most honorable amongst his family. Yet this doesn't change the fact of what he is."

"He didn't ask to become a vampire," Bonnie felt the need to defend her uncle.

"You're right, he didn't. There's going to come a time when you're going to have to choose a side, Bonnie. There hasn't been a generation in our family that has not been hurt, broken, or killed because of what Esther created. I know you feel for Elijah, and that you have your beloved…just never forget what they are…"

Bonnie's eyes opened slowly.

A muted blue light filtered into the room through the blinds. It was very early Sunday morning, far too early for her to be awake, but her body didn't want to go back to sleep. Rolling until she lied completely flat on her back, Bonnie stared up at the ceiling and replayed the last images of her dream. It felt more real than a dream, like she had been there in the moment with her thousand times great-grandmother, her two times great-grandmother, and her grandmother. Four generations of Bennett women, each of them powerful, three of them dead, one of them alive.

What Ayanna shared with Bonnie scared her more than anything else. She would have to choose a side, and Bonnie got the sense Ayanna wasn't talking about the winning side. Something was going to happen, and apparently it would be up to Bonnie to do what was necessary to stop it. That meant, possibly betraying the people in her life she knew and trusted.

She wasn't sure what to make of any of that.

There were days where it just didn't pay to be the moral compass of a group. Her voice may have been small compared to others, yet when she spoke they listened, and things got done. It wasn't always easy, but then no one said walking down the road of righteousness would be easy. For once she'd like to make mistakes and fudge things up like a normal teenager. But being a part of her family, being a part of a powerful bloodline meant she had duties and responsibilities that were inescapable.

A toilet flushed down the hall. Sitting up in bed, Bonnie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, rose, stretched, and then walked out of the guestroom she had been sleeping in.

Matt came out of the bathroom, his blond hair sticking up oddly around his head. He nearly bumped into her because his eyes were barely open.

"Oh, hey, Bon, sorry."

"S'okay. Are you getting up now, or are you going back to bed?"

Matt cleared the frog out of his throat, scratched his arm, and yawned. "I need a few more hours of sleep, but I have a team meeting at ten. I need to stay up."

"All right. I'll get breakfast started."

"Thanks, Bon," Matt stumbled his way back into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Snorting, Bonnie already knew he would flounce right back on his bed and fall into another deep sleep. She went into the bathroom to make herself presentable.

An hour and a half later, Matt entered the kitchen more alert than he had been when he ran into Bonnie in the hallway. She was standing in front of the stove, spatula in hand as she made what smelled liked pancakes. His stomach growled loudly drawing Bonnie's attention away.

Color flooded his cheeks, as he went to grab a glass out of the dishwasher.

"Breakfast will be ready in about two minutes. Do you think you can wait that long?" Bonnie teased.

Matt poured himself a liberal amount of orange juice while rolling his eyes. "I can manage. Trust me when I say I've learned the art of fasting."

Scooping the pancakes off the griddle, Bonnie slapped them on a plate and handed it to Matt. The two friends settled at the table, ready to dig in and pig out. Along with pancakes Bonnie cooked, eggs, and turkey bacon.

Matt was glad he was finally getting the chance to eat eggs that weren't too runny or burned beyond recognition. His mom tried the best she could but she was giving him future gastrointestinal problems. Swathing his buttery yellow pancakes with maple syrup, Matt took a hearty bite and moaned as his taste buds went wild.

Bonnie grinned. She had shown up at Matt's late last night because she was trying to avoid another encounter with her ex and her boyfriend. Being the subject of grown men coming to blows might be thrilling for some girl out there, but it didn't do a thing for Bonnie. Okay, it was a little flattering, but it certainly didn't make her swoon. So Bonnie went to the one place she could think of where neither Damon had been extended an invite. She hated to put Matt in the middle of her love life drama, but if her father hadn't sold her grandmother's house, Bonnie would have taken up refuge there.

Matt didn't ask too many questions when she showed up with an overnight bag. He merely stepped aside, and showed her to Vickie's room. Bonnie was worried about what his mom would say about her sleeping over considering they weren't kids anymore, but luck had been on Bonnie's side. Kelly was in Ocean City, Maryland for the weekend with an old flame.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night," Bonnie said.

"It was no biggie. Why didn't you want to crash at Care's or Elena's?"

Bonnie twirled her fork around in her hand. "Do you remember that hypothetical situation we talked about when you were going through Damon's closet and you were worried about him coming back?"

Matt nodded.

"Well, it's not so hypothetical anymore."

Matt's eyes widened and he looked absolutely surprised. "He came back?"

"Yeah," Bonnie dropped her fork and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And he's done so at the worst possible time."

A million scenarios flashed through Matt's mind. "I'm assuming he's not here to get his stuff."

"No, he's not."

Matt was astute enough to figure out why he returned. "Does Damon know?"

Bonnie nodded.

"And I'm assuming he didn't take the news so greatly."

"No, he didn't. He blew a freaking gasket. Damon, the one from…Italy," Bonnie had to get her partial lies straight, "he showed up the boardinghouse last night when Damon and I were having dinner. And then…the both of them went at it."

Matt looked positively riveted. "You mean they went all Jerry Springer on each other?"

"More like WWE Raw."

"_Dayummn _I'm sure that was a good fight," Matt cleared his throat after he saw the less-than-pleased look on Bonnie's face. "They're basically twins, and from what I can tell they don't back down, or forfeit easily. How are you dealing with all of this?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I've been trying not to think about it which is impossible."

"But how do you feel about the other Damon being back? Do you think you might try to rekindle what you had?"

That was a subject Bonnie wasn't going to touch with a ten-foot pole nor entertain. As far as she was concerned, she was with blue-eyed Damon Salvatore.

Bonnie sighed and picked up her fork. She resumed eating. "There's no point in me going there mentally. That part of my life is over, Matt."

"I get that but I know how it is, Bonnie. To be confronted with your ex everyday. You want to move on but you can't even when you see that person is happy with someone else," a far away look came into Matt's blue eyes. "You don't know how many times I tried to get Elena back after we broke up."

Actually Bonnie did know but she wouldn't tell him that.

"And then Stefan came outta no freaking where and it was like…he hung the moon and the stars for Elena and she couldn't see anything else. I know for me, I wanted her to be happy, I knew that was the right way to feel about the situation, but I also wanted her back. We had history, you know, and then it seemed like everything came to an abrupt end. So I kind of understand how the other Damon, the one from Italy feels about wanting his old girlfriend back."

Bonnie stared at Matt knowing that his breakup with Elena was difficult for him since they knew each other from the time they were kids. He had been hoping that their puppy love would turn into happily ever after, but something was missing for Elena and she found that in Stefan.

That wasn't the case for Bonnie, though.

"But," Matt continued, "If Caroline had an ex who tried to come back into the picture there's no telling what I might do to make sure she stayed as faraway from him as possible."

"Why would you feel as if you had to do anything? If you have trust in your relationship and trust in Caroline, why do you think you have to _do _something to assure she won't leave?"

Now it was Matt's turn to shrug. "I guess it's a guy thing. We want to protect and shield what we perceive as ours. I know it sounds archaic."

"No, it is archaic," Bonnie refuted.

Matt pursed his lips. "Remember when we learned about evolution and fulfilling basic human needs?"

"Yeah," Bonnie said with uncertainty not sure where he was going with this.

"Men were programmed to hunt, protect, and procreate. It's our evolutionary job to protect our home, women included. Your boyfriend is going to do what he feels is necessary when he senses another threat i.e. your ex is lurking around. That means fighting him. That means cursing him out. That means doing everything in his power to make sure you two don't have any contact with each other."

Bonnie face palmed herself. "I understand all of that, Matt but what I don't get is why he feels he has to _act _and why can't he trust me and my commitment to our relationship?"

"That you're going to have to ask Damon. I can't speak for him, but I can speak for myself. It would bother me tremendously if Caroline and her ex started speaking on a regular basis. What she's basically telling me is by having any kind of contact with him, is that she still values that relationship. And if value is still there, then that means love is still there. And if love is still there, then that means there's a real possible chance she might dump me to give him another shot."

_Oh_, Bonnie thought and looked down guiltily at her plate. She recalled admitting to her father just yesterday that she never stopped loving her ex. And Damon knew her prior relationship did not end on bad terms.

This was going to be a clusterfuck.

Matt studied Bonnie very closely and could tell she was pensive, which she had every reason to be. He wished there was something he could do for her, but this was out of his league, and technically none of his business. But he'd be there for Bonnie in any capacity he could to offer some assistance.

Matt reached over and rubbed Bonnie's shoulder. "You're going to be okay, Bon. I know you will be. And you're going to do the right thing for you."

Just then someone started banging on Matt's front door. Both of the teenagers jumped. Matt got up from the table, but Bonnie already knew who was standing on the other side. Very calmly, she placed Matt's empty plate along with her half finished one in the sink.

Peaking out of the curtains, Matt saw who it was and then turned to face Bonnie who was looming on the outskirts of the kitchen. She nodded her head that it was all right for him to answer.

"Sup, Damon."

"Where is she?" he barked.

A no-nonsense look enveloped Matt's face. He tilted his chin up just a little higher. "Good morning to you, too," he replied succinctly. "Bonnie you have a visitor. Do you want to see him?"

Bonnie came to the door, and took one look at Damon's semi-enraged face. He had spent half the morning looking for her, and to find her with another guy after the night he had, he was vexed to say the least.

"Get your stuff and let's go."

"Not until you fix your attitude, Bonnie isn't going anywhere with you."

_Ah lawd Jesus_, Bonnie thought. Now was not the time for Matt to antagonize Damon. He remembered things and got even.

Bonnie placed her hand on Matt's shoulder. He reluctantly tore his gaze away from Damon to focus on her. A silent understanding passed between them.

Damon stood on the porch feeling like an outsider. He was already upset; he didn't need to be given anymore reasons to want to kill today.

Bonnie shifted her eyes to Damon and narrowed them. Neither one of them looked away from each other—challenging and horns locked. Damon got the sense that Bonnie was cussing him out, and once they were alone there was no telling what she might do to him.

"I'll be right back," she said and disappeared in the house.

Matt took great joy in slamming the door in Damon's face.

Bonnie emerged ten minutes later. "Thank you, Matt," she leaned to give him a hug.

"Don't mention it and I'm here if you need me for anything. I'll drop your car off later."

She smiled at her friend and then turned to face her boyfriend. Damon reached for her bag. Bonnie released it intentionally so he'd have to catch it. Damon growled and watched as she walked to his car. Before departing, he turned to Matt trying to contort his face into some semblance of humility. Grudgingly, Damon's respect for Matt increased by a tenth of a centimeter since he stood up to him in his own way. But he rather have his toenails removed than admit that to anyone.

"Thank you for keeping her safe for me."

Matt stood with his arms folded over his chest. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Bonnie because she's my friend."

"Whatever," Damon grumbled.

Walking to his car, Damon dumped Bonnie's bag in the backseat and then gunned his engine.

Things were silent and tense. Bonnie noticed that the evidence of the beat down he sustained by the other Damon had completely vanished. He was impeccable and stylishly dressed in all black. His cyan eyes were basically lit on fire, but the fire wasn't born out of passion.

Bonnie didn't like the distance she sensed between them, and Damon's silence definitely unnerved her.

"I forgive you."

Bonnie's head snapped sharply to the left. Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"For kissing him."

"_WHAT?!" _he was unbelievable, Bonnie thought. "I didn't do it on purpose! Where is he, Damon?"

His lip curled. "I don't know, and why the hell do you care where he is? You're my girlfriend. Not his. You're not breaking up with me."

Bonnie wanted to throttle him. Yet something else caught her attention. "Damon, slow down."

"You think I'm jumping to conclusions?"

"No, I mean _slow down _because you're going ninety in my neighborhood and there're kids out."

Damon looked at the speedometer and sure enough that little red dial was stuck on the number ninety. Easing his foot off the gas, Damon slowed down to forty-five miles per hour, and slowed his speed even further as he pulled into Bonnie's driveway.

She was out the car and up the steps before he even had the chance to cut the engine and get her bag out of the back. Bonnie opened the door and walked into her home feeling several levels of pissivity.

Damon shut the door behind him and watched Bonnie as she made her way into the kitchen. Daddy Bennett wasn't home and Damon wondered very briefly where he might have been.

Bonnie knew that her father went to play golf with a few of his co-workers on Sundays and anticipated he'd be gone for most of the day, arriving at home later so they could have a traditional Sunday dinner together. When he was in town that was. But she was glad he was nowhere around because now would not have been a good time for her father to meet Damon considering if he pulled out his shotgun, Bonnie wouldn't stop him.

She poured herself a glass of water and chugged it down. Damon kept a respectable distance away from her knowing she used water as an accelerant to start fires.

"Why were you at Matt's?" Damon shattered the silence.

"I went to Matt because I didn't want to be bothered."

"You could have stayed with me last night. You didn't have to leave and you sure as hell didn't have to go over to Matt's house."

Bonnie looked at him then. "Damon, I was too pissed to be anywhere near you last night. What the two of you did was completely over the top and unaccept—you know what forget it. No matter what I say you're going to do what you want as you always do."

Damon breathed hard through his nostrils. "Look, I don't want to keep fighting with you about this. So I've come up with a viable solution."

"And that is?"

"You stay as far away from that prick as humanly possible. If he texts you, I want to know about it. If he calls you, I want to know about it. If he wants you to retweet something I want to know about it. Whatever he does, whatever move he makes, I should be the first to know about it. Oh, and I'm officially appointing myself your personal chauffer. I'm going to drop you off each and every single morning, and pick you up promptly after school. If you're not with me, you're to be with Caroline, Elena, and on the extreme rare occasion, my brother. If I know where you are, then I know I can trust you."

Bonnie's mouth was catching flies. She blinked at him. Damon vaguely became aware of the fact that it was darkening outside.

Bonnie giggled, then chuckled, and before long she was cackling. Just as soon as her laughs began, it was over and she glared at him.

"Have you lost your mind!" Bonnie exploded. "Maybe you lost it somewhere in the middle of the night and in between your pillow. How hard did he hit you in the head? Because he must have knocked you stupid if you think I'm going to let you run my life as if I'm your property." Bonnie strutted up to her boyfriend who didn't move a muscle. She poked him in the chest. "Let's get this straight now because I'm not having this conversation again. You're my _boyfriend_. You're not my husband, and you're not my father. I don't do as you say and not as you do. So just go ahead and try that caveman dictatorship crap with me, and I'll shove my size six and a half foot so far _up _your ass you'll cringe whenever someone mentions the movie _Happy Feet_. Now is any of that unclear?"

And to add the exclamation point to her tirade, thunder boomed outside. The house vibrated.

Damon ran his eyes over Bonnie and saw she was being completely serious with him. She was beautiful when she was pissed, she was beautiful period, but there was just something about an incensed Bonnie that did morbid things to Damon.

Bonnie waited for Damon to attempt to throw his weight around. He could try to dictate orders to other people but when it came to her, he better realize she was no pushover.

Damon licked his lips ready to give it back to Bonnie just as good as she threw it, but then his protestation died and was replaced with, "God, you're so hot."

"Ugh!" Bonnie's hands went up in the air and she stomped out of the room. In one ear and out the other, she thought.

* * *

><p>No one really taught him how to court anyone. Dark-eyed Damon learned by trial and error, but he really didn't make a lot of mistakes. In the past he really had no interest in paying humans attention, unless of course he wanted to feed on one, but when he wasn't in the mood to slate his hunger, he passed them by like a phantom. It wouldn't be until he met a small pack of humans that his eyes were opened to how disconnected he truly had been. And not just from humanity, but from making personal connections that would shape him irrevocably.<p>

Bonnie McCullough had chipped away at that rock which encased his soul, but it was Bonnie Bennett who freed him from his own self-imposed oppression. For five hundred years, Damon had done nothing but satisfy his own needs, lived life according to his own rules. He didn't care about the consequences his actions brought on other people, for what did it matter? As long as it didn't affect him directly he really didn't give a shit.

Damon wouldn't go so far as to say that he changed for Bonnie Bennett. In many ways she opened up his eyes, just as much as he opened up hers. It was a mutual giving and receiving between them. She was in his system, living subcutaneously within him. Oh, sure he tried to purge her but no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried to fall in love with golden-haired Elena Gilbert again, and no matter how much he tried to love his little red bird with the purity he never felt he had, it did nothing to diminish his love for Bonnie Bennett.

Resigning himself to his fate, Damon had to see her again. His brother was relatively safe and so were his band of humans. Damon felt his obligation was over and he was now free to move on with his life. Yes, red-haired Bonnie cried, begged him to stay, and he did want to remain with her, but while he had been gone, she had fallen for someone else. He left her with the promise that she would always be special to him, and that he loved her in his own unique way, but it really couldn't hold a candle to how he loved Bonnie from Mystic Falls.

Before leaving, Damon ran through the worst-case scenarios on what he might find once returning to Mystic Falls. Bonnie could be with the pest with his dashing good looks but none of his charm. Or, she could be with someone entirely new. Of course he second-guessed his decision on plopping himself back into her life without warning, but Damon rarely played things safe. Bonnie was his mate and no one could tell him anything differently.

So when he felt a burning sensation in his head, he _knew _she was attempting to break their telepathetic bond.

Damon moved through the city, breaking the sound barrier. He expanded his powers and sensed she was somewhere on the outskirts of the downtown area, high up.

As suspected, he saw glowing candles from the rooftop of what appeared to be an abandoned building. He cloaked himself in the shadows and flew up to spy on what she was doing. Damon caught her, holding hands with the young warlock, couldn't remember his name and not like it mattered anyways. The flames from the candles burned like mini blow torches as they chanted. Bonnie was wincing and grimacing but still continuing on with the spell. The pain in Damon's head intensified. And then like someone turning off a television, it was gone.

He was alone in his head once more.

Bonnie opened her eyes. They were a little unfocused and opaque but then she smiled. "I think it worked."

Luka smiled back at her, pleased with the results.

Damon stepped out of the shadows causing them both to jump. Luka stood in front of Bonnie acting as a barrier. Didn't little Harry Potter know that Damon could snap his neck, play a game of cards, and shine his shoes before he could utter a single word of a spell?

Bonnie must have read that so plainly on his face, that she softly said to Luka," It's okay. He won't hurt me. But you should go."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Luka," and in that one spoken word, Bonnie dismissed him. "Thank you for helping me."

Luka hesitated. Keeping his eyes on Damon who tracked his every move, he collected his things, and then left the rooftop.

"You had no right to do what you just did," Damon growled at her.

"I had every right. We're not together anymore, Damon. I can't have you in my head and its as simple as that."

"Oh, yeah, and what if something happens to you?" he argued. "How will anyone be able to help you, then?"

Bonnie swallowed and looked away. "If I can't protect myself with the power I have then we have a serious problem. Besides I have reinforcements."

Damon chuckled—humorlessly. "Yes, Dumb and Dumber. Thank you for refreshing my memory. I am surprised you're all still alive and functioning with those two holding down the proverbial fort."

Bonnie was growing irritated with his superior attitude. Waving her hand through the air, all the flames from the candles expelled.

"Don't come in here and act you're king of the fucking vampires. What I did tonight, I did for our own good."

"No, you did it because you're scared. You're scared that you're going to learn the truth that deep down you know the other Damon isn't right for you. Sure, your body, your mind, and maybe even your heart might burn for him, but what does your soul want? The heart is a fickle muscle. It can change from day to day, but your soul it never changes."

"That's not true," Bonnie stared into those black-on-black eyes only now realizing how close he was to her. Bonnie could smell his cologne, the freshness of his clothes, and the tepid heat of his body. "A soul can change. A soul that was once dark could become born again in light. It happened with you didn't it?"

Damon gazed at her, mesmerized. "I stand corrected."

Bonnie looked away. "Damon doesn't want you anywhere near me. And you should have respect for my relationship-,"

"Just as he had respect for mine?" Damon interrupted. "How many times did he kiss you, or crowded your space, or stole you away for a little vigilante adventure while we were together? You expect me to just step aside, and pretend you mean nothing to me?" he grazed Bonnie's cheek with his knuckles. He always found it impossible to keep his hands off her. "Then you really don't know me at all."

Bonnie grabbed his hand to pull it away from her face, but Damon linked their fingers together. That zing ran up her arm again, warming her, and percolated through the rest of her body.

"Bonnie, I might not ever hear you say you love me again, but I see the truth of it in your eyes. For months I dreamt of nothing but your eyes and kissing your skin," he brought her hand up to illustrate his point. "Of tasting your mouth, of being next to you. I died everyday we were parted and for the first time I feel like I've been resurrected. I'm not asking you to turn your back on your relationship. I merely want you to question, are you _really _with the right Damon Salvatore?"

Bonnie couldn't feel her legs or the rest of her body, but when Damon leaned forward and gently pressed his mouth against hers, she jerked. His kiss was chaste and it made her heart speed. Damon let go of her hand and then he was gone.

The clusterfuck continues.

* * *

><p>By the time Luka made it home he had debated with himself if now would be the appropriate time to call Bonnie and verify that she made it home in one piece. Taking his keys out of his back pocket, he unlocked the door and then hesitated.<p>

His father was home but he wasn't alone.

"Hey, dad," Luka said tentatively, never taking his eyes off the back of the gentleman's head who was seated at their dining room table.

"Hey, Luka. There's dinner warming in the oven if you're ready to eat."

"Naw, I'm good," and with his eyes he asked his father who their house guest was to which his father ignored.

"All right. Can you give me a minute?"

"Sure," Luka said and headed off to his room but not without looking over his shoulder to see if he could catch a glimpse of the man's face. He couldn't really make out his feathers, yet Luka was sure he never met him before. Something was up, Luka knew that much. His father wasn't sociable by nature. He preferred his own company and the company of books to hanging around other people, so imagine his surprise at seeing an unknown person in their home whom his father didn't bother introducing.

Jonas didn't return his attention to the man seated across from him until he heard Luka's bedroom door close.

"Your boy?"

"Yes," Jonas replied curtly. "Now back to our discussion. Are you sure she can be found here?"

The man nodded his head. "We'll have to hurry. Others are looking for her."

Jonas said, "I'm well aware that Elijah has been looking for your mother for years."

"If he finds her first it'll be all over with."

"Agreed."

"Was there anything else you needed, Dr. Martin?"

"There are three things I have to get and they'll be easy enough to procure. I have the others on standby. They've been waiting a long time for this."

"Well, they aren't the only ones. I'll take my leave of you now."

The two men rose from the table. Jonas showed his guest to the door. They shook hands. "I guess the next time I'll see you is when we convene to wake up your mother."

Finn kept his face perfectly blank. "And what a glorious day that will be. Dr. Martin."

"Mr. Mikaelson."

Finn disappeared down the hall. Jonas kept watch until he vanished from sight. Going back into his apartment he was only mildly surprised to find Luka standing right behind him.

"When is everything supposed to go down?" Luka questioned.

"Two days. I'm going to get the last few things we need and then we're on a flight to Montenegro."

Jonas bypassed his son and walked to his bedroom. Luka waited a second before following. He paused under the doorway.

"Dad, I don't think we should do this."

Jonas sighed heavily. "How many times do I have to explain this to you, Luka? So long as vampires exist, we'll never be anything more than their hired help, their indentured servants. Is that what you want?"

"But there are other witches and warlocks out there who have no ties to vampires and aren't indebted to any of them."

"For now. We," Jonas tapped his chest for emphasis, "keep getting caught in the middle to clean up those assholes shit and I'm sick of it, Luka. And you want to know how they repay us? By using our loved ones against us as leverage. By wiping out an entire bloodline because _one_ person pissed them off. It isn't right. It isn't fair. And we're changing it."

Luka knew his father was pissed because he rarely if ever used profanity.

Jonas approached his only son and took him by the shoulders. "Look, I know you feel there's another way we can go about changing the balance of power, but Esther is the key to undoing everything that started a thousand years ago. She will look after us because she understands what those monsters are capable of. She wants the best for nature and the best for this world. We can trust her."

Luka didn't believe that. "You're going to get us all killed, dad."

"No," Jonas shook his head. "I'm going to save us. Are you with me?" his dark-brown eyes bored into Luka.

Folding, Luka nodded.

"Good. Now go finish up your homework."

Luka backed out of his father's room. "What's the point? It's not like I'm going to graduate high school," he mumbled.

* * *

><p>Sitting lotus style on her bed, Bonnie rubbed Nivea lotion on her arms. She was on a conference call with her besties filling them in on all the events that happened since yesterday. Had only one day passed? Bonnie felt tired and exhausted.<p>

"I can't believe you didn't call us as soon as he showed up! What were you thinking?" Caroline practically yelled at Bonnie. "Oh, my gosh you should have called an emergency sleepover."

"No, what I can't believe is the way Damon would try to dictate your life. I'm glad you stood up to him, Bon," Elena said.

"I'm putting the advice your boyfriend gave me last night into use since he knows Damon better than anyone," Bonnie explained. "I expected this from Damon and I just wanted to…ugh he drives me nuts, but I love his ass to pieces. Sometime must be wrong with me. I'm defective."

"You're not defective," Caroline rebutted. "Damon is. He's like a club foot."

Elena laughed, Bonnie snorted.

"Your whole entire body is fine except you have this club foot that trips you up occasionally. That's Damon."

"So," Elena interjected. "You and old dark-eyes kissed. Was it good?"

"I'm not answering that."

"That means yes," both Caroline and Elena giggled like little girls.

"You guys are so immature."

"And you are so full of shit, Bonnie," said Caroline. "You can try to fool yourself, and Damon, and the other Damon but you can't fool us."

Bonnie shook her head.

"She's right," Elena agreed. "We know you. And we know you're feeling a sense of obligation to your current beau, but you're also doggedly curious if the heat is still there with your old one creating a very hazardous situation."

"Hazardous to everyone in a hundred mile radius," Bonnie sighed. "I have too much respect for myself and them to try to play two guys off one another. Damon, the one with the blue eyes may behave idiotically but I know at the end of the day his heart is in the right place. It's only his execution that calls things into question."

"I'm so glad I'm not in your shoes, just being real," harped Caroline. "They are both hot and treat you like a queen. Damon is an asshole, the one with the blue eyes, but even I know he genuinely loves you for who you are."

Elena chimed in. "And that's important. But the darker-eyed Damon Salvatore has shown you nothing but respect, and love since day one. You don't have to fight with him at every twist and turn. He's never hurt anyone you love or care about. He left his world behind for you."

"You're swooning, aren't you?" Bonnie asked.

"Maybe a little bit," Elena blushed on her end of the phone line.

"I'm guessing, Elena, your vote is for dark-eyed Damon?"

"Oh, no don't try to pin this on me. My vote is for you and happiness, that's all. And I know you're happy with blue-eyed Damon…but you were happy with dark-eyed Damon…so…"

"Well," Caroline interrupted. "You have two arms."

There was silence on the phone all around before everyone burst out into laughter.

Bonnie chastised, "Caroline you are sick."

"Don't act like you didn't think about it at least once."

Bonnie's cheeks colored and she diplomatically ignored the question. "It's late you guys. We have school in the morning."

Caroline and Elena groaned. "Okay fine, deflect all you want, but this conversation is far from over, Bennett," Caroline threatened.

"Yeah, it is because I'm with the Damon I want to be with and that's final."

"Un-hun," that was Elena.

"We'll see," Caroline added.

"Goodnight, hussies," Bonnie held her cell phone up to her mouth. Ending the call, Bonnie tossed her cell away. Next she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

When she stepped back out, she wasn't terribly surprised to find ole blue-eyes seated on her bed, propped up against the headboard.

He held up his hands. "I come in peace."

Bonnie crossed over to the other side of her bed. She pulled the covers back and climbed in.

"I got your text. So you were able to severe the mind link?"

"Yes."

She was going to play hard, Damon thought. He also knew that the other Damon showed up, and kissed her. Blue-eyed Damon was proud that he didn't punch his fist through a wall, but he was glad Bonnie was open and honest about it.

"How…do you feel about that?" he asked carefully.

Bonnie merely looked at him like he grew a nipple in the center of his forehead. "You mean you actually _want _to hear my feelings about that? You're not going to argue me down on how much of an inconvenience it was for _you_?"

"Okay, look I know I did not handle this in the best way possible. I'm flawed, Bonnie. I say and do stupid things sometimes."

"Damon, I understand you're not perfect but the thing I've always loved about us is that we're a partnership. We're partners. We're friends, and that means more to me than just being your girlfriend. If you ask something of me, I'll do it so long as you ask me in a respectful manner. But the minute you start demanding things, that's when I'm going to shut it down. So if you're looking for some chick who's going to be subservient and say, 'Right away, Mr. Salvatore', 'Whatever you say, Mr. Salvatore'" Bonnie said in a voice several octaves higher than her normal pitch, "then you need to get out of my bed and go look for her because she's not in this room."

In a situation like this, Bonnie didn't need to beat Damon over the head with her magic. Her words were just as effective in getting her message across. He pulled her closer and naturally Bonnie snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I feel like I'm screwing this up," he admitted softly. "And instead of giving you reasons to stay in this relationship, I'm only giving you reasons to leave. I come on strong, that's what I do. But I don't ever want you to feel like I don't respect you because I do."

"I'm glad you do," Pause."You're a rookie at this. So am I. Just know I love you."

"I love you, too, Bonnie, more than anything."

Bonnie pulled away from him and shifted so she could face him. "Then love me."

Damon got the distinct impression that Bonnie was making a request of her own.

"As you wish," Damon said, bringing Bonnie closer and kissed her deeply. Feeding this connection between them was able to quell the lingering fear he felt creeping around in his insides. He would fight for Bonnie. He would fight to alter and change his ways because he knew if he attempted to pull another macho stunt like he did last night and this morning, he'd lose Bonnie. And he couldn't let that happen.

A hundred and seventy years he waited for her. And a hundred and seventy years he'd love her. Tack on forever, and then he was in business.

Chapter end.

**A/N: I don't plan to spend too much time on the whole Esther thing, and in truth I really don't want to write about her period and that whole storyline, but I've already come this far in terms of build up that I have to see it out to the end. I don't want to cheat you guys out of anything because you've been so wonderful in showing this story so much love. (And to NYOFACE the Caroline bit at the end was for you) Oh, and if any were hoping that I might touch on the Damon/Damon fight, I decided not to because after awhile it gets redundant, and I've shown them beating each other to a bloody pulp so much in the past, that even I get kind of annoyed by their antics. That doesn't mean the feud is over, they'll just have to alter their tactics. But as usual, thank you for reading! Until next time…love you! **


	48. Loophole

**A/N: Hi, I know it's been longer than usual in getting an update. I've been grappling with if I should inform you guys that I'm starting to get tired of this story. I've been writing it for nine months now, and truthfully I want it to be over with lol! So this chapter is longer because I don't know when the next update will come. I'm taking classes online, and providing daycare for an infant full-time so I won't be able to get around to this as often. Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Her palms were sweating. Bonnie had never introduced her father to any guy she had been dating because until things happened with Damon from Fell's Church, her love life had been an eternal wasteland of misery. Bonnie had been too wrapped up in activities, cheerleading, and spending time with her friends to really try to settle down with someone. And sadly the prospects around town didn't lean in her favor. Bonnie couldn't name one guy who didn't have a crush on Elena, or one guy Caroline hadn't kissed if he scored over a seven on the hot meter.

Technically Damon already met her dad but they weren't dating when that interesting meet and greet took place, and Bonnie thankfully had been nowhere around. Bonnie grappled with telling her father that he already met her boyfriend but she chickened out.

The doorbell chimed and Bonnie went to go answer it.

She beamed at Damon and pulled him in. Damon was geared up to nibble on her lips but he caught sight of Mr. Bennett looming in the living room and merely pecked her cheek. Closing the door, Bonnie shifted until she faced her father.

Almost immediately she could see her father was unhappy and outraged. Swallowing nervously, Bonnie blindly reached for Damon's hand and tugged him after her.

Damon extended his hand towards Mr. Bennett, placing a gentle and hopefully believable smile on his face. You'd have to be blind to miss the rage that puckered Thomas' face.

The two men shook hands. Damon was consciously aware of how much pressure to use, yet he could tell that Thomas Bennett was trying to squeeze the hell out of his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Bennett. I'm Damon Salvatore."

"Don't you mean nice to see you again? We've met before."

Damon pulled his hand back and nodded. "We did but Bonnie and I weren't together at the time. She was dating this loser back then."

Bonnie's eyes closed. No matter what, Damon was going to be Damon. Thomas puffed out his chest and then with his hand indicated they should take a seat.

Bonnie and Damon sat down on the sofa while her father occupied the love seat. Thomas cleared his throat when he noticed how close they were sitting next to each other. Bonnie slid over and placed her hands in her lap.

Thomas kept his gaze locked on Damon. "Bonnie tells me the two of you have been seeing each other for the last three months, but you've known each other longer than that. How long did you know my child before you started dating?"

Damon looked thoughtful for a moment. In all honesty he never really kept up with stuff like that. He showed up last September, but he didn't officially meet Bonnie until mid-October.

"Almost a year ago give or take a few months."

"Hmm, so how did you meet and how did you decide that my daughter was someone you wanted to be in a relationship with?"

Damon chanced a look at Bonnie. Mr. Bennett wasn't a physically imposing man, but Damon knew he had to tread very carefully.

"We met through mutual friends. We didn't hit it off at first. I kind of grew on her like a fungus and she was there for me when I was…going through a hard time. After that, my eyes were opened that Bonnie was someone worth pursuing."

"Hard time? Were you battling with drugs, alcohol addiction? I only ask because I need to make sure the guy my daughter is seeing is on the up and up. Not trying to hold that against you, but Bonnie is young and she really doesn't need that type of drama in her life."

"It was nothing like that. I mean, don't get me wrong who doesn't like a shot of Johnnie Walker every now and a then, but I was going through…emotional issues," Damon slightly grimaced.

Thomas didn't like the sound of that and to him it sounded worst than if Damon struggled with substance abuse.

"Are you in therapy for your…emotional issues?"

Yes, technically if one could consider sexual healing therapy. Damon decided not to share that. "No, I'm not in therapy. Never been and I have no plans to go. I'm fine. For the most part."

"I'll bet," Thomas grumbled yet continued on with his inquisition. "I can see you're much older than my daughter. In fact, what is your age?"

Damon cleared his throat. Go with the truth or the lie? Decisions, decisions. "I'm twenty-three."

Thomas' eyes widened in disbelief when Damon revealed his age. "You're twenty-three! Bonnie is only seventeen!"

"I know that. She'll be eighteen next week," Damon grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

Bonnie resisted planting her head in her hands. This meeting was sinking faster than the Titanic. She looked at her father who was busy gawking at her in silent reproach.

Silence lapsed before Thomas resumed his interrogation. "Your age aside I hope that means you're working."

"Actually I'm not."

Thomas' jaw fell open again—incredulous. "So what do you do for money? How do you make ends meet? I remember you telling me you have a younger brother. Are you his guardian and if so, how do you support him?"

Damon threw his arm over the back of the couch. If his life was about to be ransacked with a fine tooth comb he might as well get comfortable.

"Our father, the late not-so-great Giuseppe Salvatore left me and my brother a great deal of money. I guess I should find employment because Bonnie is one expensive girl and I love to spoil her rotten."

"Damon," Bonnie whispered between her teeth in warning and only at a decibel he'd be able to hear.

He ran his eyes over her. "Well, it's the truth, honey."

Thomas laughed dryly. "Let me make sure I have the facts straight so far. You met my daughter a year ago, and you started dating three months ago. You're unemployed yet you're a trust fund baby, and you're twenty-three years old who sees no problem in dating a girl who is still in high school."

Damon nodded. "Yep that sounds about right. About the employment thing. I'm not sure if this counts but I do a lot of volunteer work for interim Mayor Carol Lockwood."

"Such as?"

"Whatever she needs me to do. I answer the phone. I go and get coffee. I fax, I do filing, and update her calendar of events. I run errands. I troubleshoot unforeseeable problems that arrive by terminating them. I'm a behind the scenes kind of guy."

Bonnie couldn't believe it. She wanted to laugh at the ridiculous things that came flying out of Damon's mouth, but she didn't want her father to know he was being condescending.

Luckily for her, Thomas was well equipped with a bullshit meter. His was going off the charts.

"So can I assume you don't have a college degree or are working towards one?"

Damon shrugged. "School was never my thing. But I support Bonnie and her schooling. I know it's important to her."

Thomas looked doubtful. Damon was a grown man with grown man needs. He was sure helping Bonnie with projects and homework was the last thing Damon was doing.

Thomas looked at his daughter. "Bonnie has plans to go away to college. If you're still together by the time she graduates what are you going to do?"

Damon planted his eyes on Bonnie as well. "We haven't exactly discussed that. Whatever she wants to do, I'll support it. Nothing means more to me than her happiness. I just want the best for her."

That was probably the most sincere thing Thomas heard come out of Damon's mouth so far. He couldn't help but notice the way Damon was staring at Bonnie like she hung the moon and the stars just for him. And Bonnie returned his besotted look. For a minute he felt like he was intruding on a private moment as vibes passed between his little girl and this man-child. But then he remembered this was his house and they needed to cut that out.

Thomas cleared his throat—loudly—effectively breaking the spell.

"Sorry," Bonnie mumbled.

Damon slid to the edge of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees. "Mr. Bennett I know you have no reason to trust me or think my intentions towards your daughter are honorable, but I really do care and _love _Bonnie very much, so much that it scares me sometimes. She's the best thing to happen to me in my entire life and that's not an exaggeration. I've been through a lot, lost a lot, and I have little to show for my life other than my brother, and this woman beside me," Damon reached for Bonnie's hand. "Our relationship may seem unconventional and controversial, but we have so much in common its mind-boggling." Damon fixed his eyes on Thomas. "I would never do anything to hurt her. To steal a line from that sparkling vampire, she is my life. I know Bonnie would like me to ask for your blessing on our relationship, but I don't need it because no matter what, I'm going to love her the way she deserves to be loved. And it's as simple as that."

Finally the side of Damon she wanted to show her father had emerged. Thomas held Damon's penetrating gaze and had to admit the boy was being sincere enough and had dropped the nonchalant act. Yet Thomas was still a skeptic. He wasn't sold that Bonnie could handle being in a long-term relationship with someone like Damon Salvatore. Thomas had listened very carefully to the words Damon spoke. Several phrases jumped out at him, which raised little red flags: love her so much it scared him, unconventional and controversial, and Bonnie being his life.

If Damon was referring to them being an interracial couple it wasn't as taboo as it had been over sixty years ago. Unconventional—Thomas could take that to mean their difference in age. And sure love was scary who wouldn't be petrified?

But it was Damon's admission about Bonnie being his life that alarmed Thomas. Was Damon one of those guys who couldn't let go when a relationship ran its course and was over? He didn't want to have to worry about some guy stalking his daughter, showing up at the house at all hours of the night, ringing the phone off the hook.

Bonnie was young but she wasn't stupid. And she never really followed the crowd, she always stood a part. For her sake, Thomas hoped that Bonnie didn't get herself so wrapped up and caught up in this boy that she began to neglect other aspects of her life; that she lost sight who she was in the process.

Damon didn't come off at the type who would let Bonnie go if Thomas said he didn't want him anywhere near his daughter. And he knew Bonnie well enough that when she was passionate about something, it was impossible for her to drop it. Keeping them apart would be futile and pointless on his end; still Thomas didn't have to like their relationship.

"Well," Thomas slapped his hands on his legs. "You love my daughter. I suppose I can buy that. Just bear in mind what I, as her father, would have to do if you hurt my child in anyway."

Damon nodded.

Thomas continued. "I won't endorse this relationship—fully. Truthfully I don't think Bonnie is old enough to be with you, but I know she's mature beyond her years. You say you care about her happiness and she appears happy, but I have rules. Rules the both of you will have to follow if you wish to continue seeing one another."

_Oh, great_ Damon thought yet kept a straight face.

"Bonnie has a ten o'clock curfew on weekdays and until she turns eighteen she's to be home at midnight on the weekends. Once she's legal I can be lenient and extend that to two in the morning. There are to be no and I mean _no_ sleepovers, and if you two are having sex… I ask that you stop and wait until Bonnie turns eighteen. I'm sure you don't want to be slapped with a statutory rape charge."

Damon felt light-headed suddenly. Was this guy seriously telling him not to sleep with his girlfriend? Was he crazy?

"Okay, dad," Bonnie readily agreed. Damon snapped his head so fast to glare at her, he almost forgot that Thomas was in the room and didn't know he was a vampire. If Thomas noticed he didn't say anything about how quickly Damon just moved.

"It's only a week," Bonnie mumbled for Damon's ears only.

A week? He couldn't go a minute without being buried in her. Damon decided this was some bullshit.

He plastered a smile on his face and looked back towards her father. "I think that's fair," Damon said tightly.

"It's not about being fair but doing things in order. I shouldn't have been made to wait three months to meet you officially. I'm away on business a lot but that's no excuse." Thomas rose to his feet. The meeting was over.

Bonnie and Damon did the same as well.

"Bonnie and I have dinner together on Sundays. You're welcome to join us," Thomas extended the invitation to Damon.

"Thank you, sir."

Thomas grunted. "Well, I'm sure the two of you have plans. I won't keep you."

Damon reached for Thomas' hand to shake again. "Thank you again for letting me date your daughter. I promise to treat her right."

"You better," Thomas pumped Damon's hand. "Because I'd hate for you to have to meet the General. Just know I have my eye on you, Damon Salvatore."

Thomas winked at Bonnie before vacating the living room.

Once he was gone, Damon faced Bonnie. "What does your father do again?"

"I'm not at a liberty to discuss it, but he's a director at a place called S.H.I.E.L.D. I forget what the acronym stands for."

"I'll keep that in mind," Damon said worriedly but directed his attention to Bonnie. Finally he could admire how pretty she looked in her tank dress with a belted waist. "You look good enough to eat. Speaking of eating…"

Bonnie placed a hand on his chest when Damon moved in to nibble her neck. "Damon…my dad might pop back in here at any minute."

"Then let's go out. Besides I owe you dinner from the other night."

"Yeah, you do," Bonnie grabbed her purse and cell phone. "Dad! I'm going out!"

"Be back by curfew!"

Damon's eyes went heavenward. Thomas said they couldn't have sleepovers but usually when he and Bonnie were together, sleeping was the last thing they did. Damon grinned. There was always ways to beat the system. You just had to know where to look for the loophole.

* * *

><p>Things seemed to have improved in his relationship since meeting Bonnie's father, Damon thought as he vacuumed the carpet. Damon had a lengthy inner debate on how to keep his relationship from crumbling to pieces now that Bonnie's ex was back. Instead of flying off the handle like he had no home training, Damon vowed to love Bonnie as hard and unconditionally as he possibly could. Acting suspicious and concocting ridiculous scenarios and being demanding of knowing her every move would only serve to drive Bonnie away. So to save his relationship, to make it ironclad, Damon decided to drown Bonnie, saturate her in love.<p>

So everyday after she was done with school and when she didn't have dance rehearsal for the cotillion, they went walking through the pavilion, holding hands, window shopping, doing all that sappy shit Damon saw people do in music videos. Bonnie loved it and he bore in mind that was the point. At night, it didn't matter whose house they were at, they cooked dinner together. Afterwards, Damon would help Bonnie with her homework, or he merely sat next to her, reading while she tackled an assignment.

When she was at his house, they bathe together. Bonnie was adamant about washing his hair, had effectively taken it under her custody to which Damon didn't mind. Having her pamper him increased the bond that was already between them. He soaked up her attention as much as she lapped up his. They fed off one another and when they were forced to be apart, it was almost painful for Damon.

A piece of him felt he should be alarmed by this need he had for Bonnie's attention. Damon had been obsessive in the past—that was nothing new—but his obsession with Bonnie was different. When he said she was his heart, he meant that shit. Whenever they were parted by duty or obligation, Damon felt like his chest was hollow. He could barely keep his concentration focused on the task at hand, but relief would wash over him the minute he was reunited with Bonnie.

He hadn't shared any of that with her and he had no plans too. The last thing he wanted Bonnie to do was pump the brakes. He didn't want to give any kind of foothold to anything or anyone who might disrupt the flow of their relationship should Bonnie decide to take a timeout.

But Bonnie's father had brought up a few interesting points that he and Bonnie failed to think about. What were they going to do once she graduated? Bonnie had said in passing that she wanted to attend Dalcrest where her grandmother taught, and she fiddled with the idea of maybe going to Duke because of its parapsychology program, but shied away from that idea as of late.

Dalcrest was only half an hour away. Damon could see her everyday so that wouldn't be an impediment, but if Bonnie did apply and subsequently got into Duke, long-distance relationships seldom worked.

He could pack up his bags, find a nice two-story house in the suburbs of Durham and play house while Bonnie attended class if Duke was in her future. Or she could move into the boardinghouse with him if Dalcrest was where she wanted to be.

Damon couldn't stomach the idea if Bonnie wanted to attend college in New York or worse California. But again, he could just pack and go with her. Other than Stefan, there was nothing tying him to Mystic Falls. And Damon was sure that wherever Elena decided go Stefan would follow.

Damon refused to think about what punks he and his brother would be if they packed up their lives and followed behind a pair of teenage girls like they were the second coming. Love made you strong but it also made you weak because you could never say no to the one who held your heart.

Janelle Monet was singing about dancing on a tightrope when there was a knock on the door. Shutting off the vacuum, Damon made his way to the front door.

He wanted to slam it shut once he saw who it was. "What the hell do you want?" he questioned brusquely.

A face that was his splitting image with coal-black eyes smiled at Damon. "Obviously not to marry you. I'm here to talk to you."

Damon annoyed and irritated that his happy mood was now gone, attempted to slam the door in his adversary's face. "Seriously, man get the hell off my property."

Fell's Church Damon stopped the door's forward momentum by bracing his hand against the wood. With slight force, he threw it back open. "You increasingly rude little insect. All I need is a moment of your time and I'll be out of your hair. Humor me."

If he was searching for humor he should go watch The Chappelle Show, blue-eyed Damon thought. But then figured if he got this over with the sooner he could return to his happy mood. Damon turned his back and stepped into the living room.

"Make this quick because I have things to do."

Dark-eyed Damon entered the premises closing the door after his entry. He then curiously looked around and saw he had interrupted the other Damon's cleaning schedule. Somehow he found that ironical that Damon could clean his house, but his life was oftentimes a mess.

Licking his lips, dark-eyed Damon sighed. "I'll get right to the point, then. I'd like to call a truce. Bonnie doesn't like it when we fight one another, and I don't like it when she's displeased, especially not when I know I'm the source of it. Besides, we've proven that our quarrels really have no effect on the other so what's the point in continuing to come to blows? All we'll end up doing is driving Bonnie away and into the arms of another man. And I'm sure neither one of us wants that."

Blue-eyed Damon resisted tapping his foot against his newly vacuumed carpet. "What's with this whole 'we' business? There is no 'we'. Bonnie is _my_ girlfriend. You lost the right to claim her the moment you left."

Black-on-black eyes rolled. "Yes, as the two of you are so quick to remind me as if I could forget." Pause. "Although I hate to tell you she's only with you by default. And Bonnie will realize this one day."

"What?" Damon blinked his blue eyes and was instantly livid.

"I was the one who came into her life and made her see herself for the true goddess she really is," dark-eyes scanned Damon disapprovingly. "I never harmed a hair on the head of anyone she loves or cares for. And I never _once _told her that her life meant nothing to me. Unlike you."

The palms of Mystic Falls' bad boy itched furiously. Yet he couldn't refute a single thing the imposter just said which served to further drive his mood into the pit. Damon stood there and listened as dark-eyes continued his oration.

"I taught her things you wouldn't even know how to fathom. She fell in love with me first and whatever residual feeling she had for me after I left, she displaced them on you."

Blue-eyed Damon couldn't contain his snort. "Funny, I thought you came here to call a truce but it sounds like you're asking to get your ass handed to you on a silver fucking platter."

A teasing grin played around the corners of dark-eyed Damon's lips. "I am here for a truce. Not my fault if you can't accept hearing the truth. I love Bonnie more than anything, but I only want to see her happy."

"If that's the case why the hell are you determined to stick around? Why punish yourself and stay here knowing the woman you love is in love with another man?"

Those were good questions indeed, but dark-eyed Damon felt he wasn't obligated to answer a single one. He sighed. "I really don't have to explain my reasoning to you. Just know…I have no more attempts planned to crush you like a jelly bean in the near future." He extended his hand. "Truce?"

"I don't trust you."

"Of course you can't trust me but what other options do you have? I'm not going anywhere unless Bonnie orders me to go, and until said time comes, I'm here to stay. "

Damon folded his arms over his chest and let the other vampire's words sink into his head. Dark-eyed Damon had every reason in the world to want to fight to the death to get Bonnie back. It's what he would do if the situation was reversed. For him to want to call a truce seemed out of character and didn't fall in line with what he knew of Fell's Church Damon so far. But maybe he had an epiphany and realized he had lost Bonnie forever, and to make the best out of a bad situation, he wanted to call an end to their brawls once and for good.

Or maybe he was doing this so he'd look good in Bonnie's eyes, blue-eyed Damon's mind suggested. The both of them were well aware of how Bonnie felt about them coming to blows and especially over her. She didn't like it. She hated it. It didn't make her swoon or feel like the bloody Queen of England. Bonnie reviled their petty fighting, name-calling, their constant need to do one another physical harm. It was engrained in their nature to take out a threat, to stop it by any means necessary, and those ways and measures never fell in line with how Bonnie would tackle a problem.

Trust was never an easy thing for a vampire to give or receive. That went without saying. In all seriousness, blue-eyed Damon was tired of being treated like a piñata. And not just by dark-eyes, but by everything that seemed to go bump in the night. If he literally wasn't fighting himself, then he was wrestling with his past, werewolves, and people's expectations in terms of his behavior. He wanted a break,_ needed_ a break, so if dark-eyes wanted to thrown down their boxing gloves, then so be it.

Reluctantly he stretched forth his hand towards dark-eyes. "If you go back on your word…I will kill you."

Dark-eyed Damon clasped blue-eyed Damon's hand. "If I go back on my word…I'd like to see you try."

The two of them shook on it, but then dark-eyes flipped Damon on his back and pressed his foot down on his chest.

Damon's eyes were lit like matches as they glared up at those dark, mysterious orbs in a fit of rage. "Sonofabitch!"

The 500 year old vampire peered down on the neophyte, his face no longer buoyant, but menacing. "I have a condition of my own, _Damon_, hurt her whether it be emotionally or physically and I will put you down like a rabid _fucking_ dog. Are we clear?"

Dark-eyes didn't use profanity because he felt if you were intelligent enough you could make your point without being crass, but his composure typically went out the window when he had to deal with light-eyes. He couldn't understand Bonnie's reasoning in wanting to be with this lesser vampire knowing their history had been anything but stellar. He was equipped with the knowledge that the Damon Salvatore's of the world were seldom punished for hurting those around them, so dark-eyes wanted to make it pointedly clear that light-eyes should never underestimate his loyalty to Bonnie and what he—dark eyes—would do if Damon crossed the line.

He didn't remove his foot until he was sure the message had been received. Light-eyes slowly came to a sitting position while he continued to glare. It was taking everything within in him to remain parked on the floor.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Damon," dark-eyes said and flashed a here-and-gone smile. "Well, I'm off to go pick up our girlfriend from school."

Blue-eyed Damon was on his feet, outraged. In his mind the ceasefire was now over. "You are so full of shit! Stay the hell away from Bonnie. She's not in love with your ass anymore, take notes, jot it down and commit it to memory because if you go near her I swear to God…"

Cool as a cucumber, dark-eyes pivoted in his boots to face Damon. "Perhaps you should get your hearing checked. I said that _we _should stop fighting. But I didn't say anything about staying away from Bonnie." Winking he threw open the door, sunlight poured in.

Growling, blue-eyes vampire sped to tackle his opponent when he got a nasty surprise. The minute he hit the sunlight the skin of his arms and face began burning.

"Arrrgghhh!" Damon hollered and quickly bolted into the shade as his skin turned from angry red, to pink, to finally becoming unblemished marble yet again.

Dark-eyes observed him and held up Damon's day walking ring. "Missing something?"

This naturally provoked the beast that was already prowling around in its cage looking for a weak spot in order to rip its way to freedom. The snarls and curses that fled from light-eyes mouth sounded positively inhuman. His eyes bled red before they became incandescent blue once again.

Dark-eyed Damon was sure the other would have had a lovely time dismembering him were he not standing in the protection of the sun.

"Don't be too upset," dark-eyes told him. "I do believe the meteorologist called for rain later on today. Who knows you might be able to leave before nightfall." With that he left the boardinghouse.

* * *

><p>Bonnie, like many people, was a creature of habit. Typically she did the same thing after school everyday and that was to go get something to eat from The Grill, hang out with her friends, or Damon before going home to finish her homework. Today she wanted to change it up. She sent a text telling Damon that she would be jogging around the pavilion and if he wanted to join her, that's where he could find her. Yet she had forgotten she had placed her phone on silent during her physics class to take a test.<p>

Stretching her arms above her head and then bouncing on her feet, her ponytail swishing against the back of her neck, Bonnie took off on an easy jog through the park. It was semi-packed as people were enjoying the warm weather before fall started, which was only days away.

Bonnie wouldn't consider herself a runner but she liked pounding the pavement, of feeling her breath rush in and out of her lungs, and her muscles burning. The park was large enough that if she ran along the path twice it was the equivalent to running a mile give or take a few feet.

Her heart pumped furiously as she began the slow down portion of her run. It was never good to just stop abruptly.

Sweat dotted along her hairline, and pooled in the center of her back and chest. Bonnie finally eased her way to a stop. Planting her hands on her hips, and continuing to pull oxygen in her nose and exhaling through her mouth, Bonnie began to stretch her quads and hamstrings.

Out of nowhere someone handed her a bottle of water. Startled, Bonnie looked up and saw her ex standing before her looking impeccable in a tight black T-shirt that hugged his broad chest and showed off his sculpted biceps and triceps that he paired with black jeans. Bonnie got trapped into the net his eyes cast whenever they were alone. Those swirling black eyes of his sometimes saw too much.

Bonnie quickly diverted her attention. "What are you doing here?" her words came out in stucco pants.

Damon continued to extend the bottle of water out to her. "I came to see you." His eyes roamed over her honeyed skin that glistened with a fine sheen of perspiration. She smelled like a meadow and feminine musk which wasn't a turn off but a major turn on. Damon cleared his throat.

Bonnie shifted in her sneakers prior to accepting the water. "Thanks," she twisted the cap and greedily drank. Bonnie reluctantly look up at him again. "I guess I should ask how did you find me?"

Damon stepped but a hair closer to Bonnie, his eyes never leaving her face. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's finding you."

Bonnie didn't have a follow up to that. The two of them stood awkwardly in front of one another. This had played out much better in Damon's head. He didn't have a shy bone in his body, but there was something about the way Bonnie now made him feel as if he were crossing a line. Of course it was preposterous considering how they used to be. Still, it wasn't easy. Her guard was up. Bonnie had effectively built a wall around her keeping him out specifically.

And that hurt more than anything. The exclusion.

The muscles in her body that were already tight were squeezing the life out of one another underneath her dermis. Bonnie had always been hyper aware of Damon and that was no different now.

"Damon you can't…do stuff like this anymore."

The smile that was forming on his face vanished. "Why?"

Bonnie stared up at him incredulously. "Because I have a boyfriend."

The redundancy of that statement was grating on his nerves and he let it show on his face. Bonnie swallowed—hard. "You don't have to keep pointing that out. I didn't ride the lame donkey to school."

That statement made Bonnie's brow furrow. Damon really just put his age on blast.

"And because you have a boyfriend that means I can never have a place in your life?"

"No…yes…I don't know! Just leave me alone," Bonnie said lamely and walked around Damon. They were beginning to draw attention and that was the last thing Bonnie wanted to do.

Damon of course fell in stride next to her. Bonnie's irritation was beginning to flare. He had no right to look like an airbrushed model while she was a sweaty, musty mess.

"I don't understand why you're treating me like I cheated on you with the whole town, Bonnie. I've done nothing to hurt you so why are you behaving as if I committed some horrible crime against you?"

His voice was much too close to hear ear and his arm occasionally brushed against hers causing the hairs on her body to rise. Her heart was beating fast but it had nothing to do with the run she just completed. Bonnie inwardly growled. It wasn't right that she was still affected by him. It pissed her off that she couldn't view him in a dispassionate light. Something was wrong with her and it was all his fault!

Bonnie stopped walking and spun around to face him. "Because you left me, Damon! I loved you. You left. It broke my heart and I can't…I don't want to go back there. I don't want to remember what that pain felt like, and now you're here and I'm trying…"

"You're trying not to remember what we were, what we had," he finished. "I didn't want to leave."

"But you did," Bonnie lowered her eyes.

Damon lifted her chin with his finger. That small amount of contact made her jerk. "My brother needed me. I didn't have a choice. It wasn't my choice to end up in this dimension and I had to make the best of my situation. Then I met you and everything changed. Do you wish now that we never met, that we never fell in love?"

Bonnie couldn't answer. She just shook her head.

Damon pressed on. "Do you still love me, Bonnie?"

"Damon, please…"

"I'm not asking if you're still in love with me, but do you love me as a person?"

Bonnie stalled, nibbled her bottom lip, and wondered if she should just admit this and maybe the boulder that was currently crushing her chest might remove itself. "Yes, I still love you."

Hope flashed in Damon's eyes as his lips curled into a smile that could turn her bones into goo.

"But maybe that's the problem," Bonnie effectively kicked the chair out from under him. "Things didn't end badly between us and because of that…my love for you never went away."

"It's been dormant all this time. It's not too late to get it back."

"It is, Damon," Bonnie said vehemently. Bonnie swiped at a strand of hair that caught on her lip. "My head feels…when I'm around you I remember everything, and when I'm with Damon…I feel like you two are trying to cleave me into two different people. I'm just Bonnie. Bonnie who happens to love two very different Damon Salvatore's," she chortled sadly. "Why would you come back? Why reveal yourself to me if you knew I had moved on?"

"Because I'm selfish," Damon stated matter-of-fact. "Always have been. I want what I can't have. It's my Achilles Heel."

Bonnie couldn't refute that. Yet she had a question. "What about your world Bonnie? Didn't you love her?"

Damon planted his hands on his hips and looked away. "Yes, I do love her," he sighed and brought his eyes back to Bonnie. "When I went back I tried to slip into the role I played when I first arrived in Fell's Church, but it didn't feel right. Everyone around me had changed, so had I. Bonnie found her happiness with someone else, go figure," Damon's eyes rolled. "I tried to make myself pine and chase after Elena, but my heart wasn't into it anymore. _You_ have effectively ruined me for other women and maybe I came back to make you as ruthlessly miserable as I've been."

Unable to help it, Bonnie smiled.

Spurned on by this, Damon drew just a little closer to Bonnie. When he breathed, his shirt brushed against her lycra top. "Look, Bonnie, I told myself that if you were with someone else, that I'd let you go and I'd settle for friendship if it meant I'd have you in my life in some capacity. This puts me in a very vulnerable position because you can easily tell me to take a long walk on a short pier. But I prayed, and it's not something I do often, if at all, that all the love between us wouldn't be gone."

Bonnie bit her lip again. It was a nervous habit of hers. And Damon standing so close to her wasn't helping matters, but for the life of her she didn't want to move. In the past, she had always drawn comfort from his proximity.

"Its not but I don't think I can handle being your friend _and _being in a relationship with Damon. His feelings aside, I just don't think it would be fair to either one of you. Beings friends sounds good in theory, but things can get messy."

He couldn't stop his fingers from brushing against the slope of her cheek. Her skin was so soft and enticing; he just had to remember what she felt like under his hands. "Only if you want them too," Damon argued. "Friends can share their day with one another and it doesn't have to get any deeper than that," he ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek one final time before stepping away from her. He noticed that twin dimples formed over her eyebrows when he did that.

"So, how was your day?" he asked.

This was safe territory but the shift in conversation left Bonnie feeling discombobulated. She had admitted to still loving him and now he was going to transition into friend mode as if her revelation was no more life-altering than Bonnie saying it was sunny outside.

She resumed walking towards the parking lot. "I saw my first school fight today, which was about the only highlight. Other than that it was a typical, run-of-the-mill day. How was yours? What do you do when you're not stalking me?"

Damon grinned. "I think of ways to stalk you," he winked playfully. "I went to go see a man about a car today."

Bonnie flushed remembering what she did to his old one. "Oh, right."

Damon looked over at her. "What happened to my Ferrari?"

* * *

><p>In the downtown area, Stefan and Elena were holding hands, walking back to his car after doing a bit of light shopping after school.<p>

Stefan felt his cell phone vibrating in his back pocket. Retrieving the unit he saw it was his brother calling. "Damon?" Stefan said after pressing the phone to his ear which was quickly assaulted. "Hold on, hold on, slow down. What happened?"

Damon raged, "That sonofabitch took my ring! I'm trapped in the house and Bonnie's not answering her phone." Pause. "Are you laughing?"

Denial was key. "No I'm not laughing," Stefan took the phone away and covered the mouthpiece with his hand so he could finish chuckling. He cleared his throat and got back on the line. "What do you want me to do?"

"What do you think, dumbass? Find him, stake him, and bring me my girlfriend. That's what," the impatient vampire demanded.

Elena stared at Stefan curiously who looked at her over the top of his Porsche.

"Ah…my reception is fading in and out…I can't hear you. Damon, you still there?"

"Quit dickin' around, Stefan! Go get my ring!"

Feeling too tickled by the situation Stefan made static noises with his mouth. "I can't understand…" Stefan hit the end button. "Oops. I lost him," he feigned sheepishly.

Elena shook her head and reached for the door handle. "What's going on?"

Stefan didn't answer until they were in the car. "Apparently, Damon from Fell's Church stole Damon's ring so he's trapped in the house, and he wants me to get his ring back."

"Why would Damon steal your brother's ring?"

Stefan looked at Elena like he wanted to say, 'Come on pumpkin and figure this out.' Elena worked out the problem in her head.

"Oh," her eyebrows lifted once the proverbial light bulb flashed. "He did it so he could steal a few minutes of alone time with Bonnie without Damon with the blue-eyes interfering."

"Correct."

Elena shifted to face her boyfriend. "He is so going to rip you a new one for hanging up on him like that."

Stefan backed out of the parking space. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm staying at your place tonight."

* * *

><p>Back at the park, Bonnie and Damon had taken a seat on one of the benches that surrounded a manmade pond. A family of mallard ducks floated by on the water's surface. The sun was slowly lowering over the horizon.<p>

"So just to be clear…you sold my Ferrari and donated the proceeds to the boy Mutt."

"Matt," Bonnie corrected.

"That's what I said. And then you allowed him to go on a shopping spree in my closet."

Bonnie shrugged. "Those clothes needed to be worn by someone."

Damon ignored that and continued with his round of questions. "The house is still in your name but you're subletting it?"

"Yes…so where are you staying?"

Damon wiggled his eyebrows. "I can show you."

Snorting, Bonnie looked away. "Never mind."

"I'm leasing a condo if you can call it leasing," Damon replied seeing as how Bonnie didn't take the bait.

There was only one condo complex in town that Bonnie knew of. "Glenarden Condominiums?" she queried.

Damon nodded. "That would be the one. Have you ever seen them?"

"No, but I heard they're really nice. How can you afford a condo and expensive cars?"

"That's my secret."

And Bonnie could only imagine what that secret was but she already knew. "So you've been compelling people left from right to get what you want?"

"Actually I just whip out my Amex card. Apparently it works in all dimensions," responded Damon and pulled out said card.

Now that her curiosity was cured about where he was staying and what he had been doing since he returned to her world, Bonnie felt it was time to get some answers on what went down in Fell's Church. In the past, Damon never really went into too much detail about the life he was leading in his dimension, and Bonnie never really pressed for information. But things were different now. He left to go save his brother. She wanted to know if the campaign had been successful or a total failure.

"So," Bonnie began tentatively, "when you went back home…what was going on? If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

A flicker of emotion crossed over Damon's face before it disappeared. "It was chaos," his eyes studied the individual grass blades that were under his feet. "Do you remember when I told you about Fell's Church coming under a curse placed on it by these mythical creatures called kitsune?" Damon lifted his eyes to Bonnie again.

The young witch nodded.

"Well after Elena destroyed the largest star ball, they came in droves looking for vengeance. It was their magic which brought me back to life because no vampire can survive being staked in the heart, but I did. They believed that their source of power now resided in me, but I of course was nowhere to be found. Stefan tried to fight them off as best he could and defend the town, but he and the others were simply outnumbered and overwhelmed. Sage told them that I was missing when he had gone off to look for my body and everyone branched out to find for me. When I arrived back in Fell's Church, all it took was one word uttered from my lips and the kitsune were wiped completely out."

"What did you say?

Damon hunched his shoulders. "Die."

Bonnie laughed. "Just like that?

"Just like that."

"So you were the source of their power?"

Damon leaned back against the bench. Bonnie followed his movement with her eyes. His right hand rested between his parted legs, and Bonnie's eyes dropped to that impressive bulge in his jeans. Her cheeks flushed and she quickly diverted her attention.

Luckily for her, Damon didn't see that.

"No," he shook his head, "but I was infinitely more powerful in Fell's Church than I am here. I don't know how to explain that. My brother was near death by the time I reached him. I healed him with my blood, not something a vampire does for another vampire because…well it doesn't work."

Hearing that certainly piqued Bonnie's interest. "Why do you think it worked?"

"I don't know."

"How did you get back here?"

Damon showed Bonnie a watch on his left wrist. To her eyes it looked like an ordinary but a very intricate watch. "It's a time traveler…I suppose you could call it that. It was invented by a very powerful warlock. I may have _borrowed _it once I learned of its existence."

Bonnie shook her head and smiled.

"I can move between dimensions easily enough. I shouldn't do it often because I can, unintentionally warp time."

Very carefully Bonnie fingered the object. "This is something straight out of science-fiction," she marveled at the numerous spinning dials and Roman numeral numbers. "Now everyone you care about in Fell's Church is safe?"

"For the most part." Impulsively Damon caught a strand of Bonnie's hair in her ponytail and began twirling it around his finger. "You accused me of likening myself to being king of the vampires…but I am more than just a vampire, Bonnie. I'm also a vessel."

Bonnie frowned. "What do you mean?

He picked up her hand and placed it over his heart. The beat was strong underneath her palm and without realizing it, Bonnie unintentionally began to channel him. The wind outside picked up in velocity. People who were either occupying benches or sprawled out on blankets on the ground stopped their activity and looked around curiously before their attention was drawn to the darkening sky as clouds rolled in and covered the sun.

The rush that went through Bonnie was damn near orgasmic.

"I'm a vessel of energy for you to harness," Damon said to Bonnie.

The two former lovers shared a moment of staring unabashedly at one another. There had always been a part of him that spoke to the witch side of her. He could tap into it easily, and Bonnie didn't have to spend a great deal of her time explaining things to him like she did with everyone else, because dark-eyed Damon got it.

Feelings were coagulating in her blood and what Bonnie felt seeping through her skin from Damon made it increasingly difficult for her to breathe. Damon deliberately pumped everything he was feeling into Bonnie. His love, desire, passion, ardor, even his sorrow.

The influx was too much for Bonnie to handle and she immediately dropped her hand.

As a result clouds parted and it was sunny outside once more. Damon's lip twitched. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Bonnie senseless, to kiss her back into his life, but a deal was a deal, and a promise was a promise. He would settle with being her friend despite his inner yearning for her.

The air around them began to become super charged. Bonnie cleared her throat.

"I think I've hogged up enough of your time," Damon was the first to break the silence. He reached in his pocket and retrieved Damon's day walking ring. He passed it over to Bonnie.

She gawked at him. "Something tells me you didn't find this on the street."

Damon smiled unapologetically. "No, I didn't."

Bonnie held Damon's ring between her thumb and index finger. She never really examined it before. The thing was the size of a Superbowl ring but far more majestic and kingly. Her eyes shifted to dark-eyes' ring. It was a simple gold band with a flat lapis lazuli stone no bigger than the size of a fingernail.

"Do I even want to know how you got it?"

"Probably not. I've made a truce with Damon. We've come to an agreement to cease our fighting."

"Was that before or _after_ you took his ring?"

Damon answered unequivocally. "After."

Bonnie couldn't do anything more than shake her head. She rose from the bench. Damon followed suit. "Well, I better get this to him. I'm sure he's in a pisser of a mood."

They were silent as they made their way to the parking lot. It was hard to miss the obscenely flashy black Lamborghini that was parked next to her no thrills Prius.

Bonnie looked at Damon over her shoulder. "Upgrade?"

"I prefer Ferraris but I figured why not try something different."

The car was sleek, dark, and seductive in design which complimented the owner very well.

"Do you want to take it for a test drive?" Damon dangled the keys in front of her.

Bonnie was tempted but knew she should head over to the boardinghouse and put her boyfriend out of his misery. She shook her head. "I should get going."

She turned to open her car door, but Damon beat her to the punch. Things were awkward again. "I'm glad we talked," Bonnie admitted. It was the first step in bringing about some closure.

"I'm glad as well. I guess I'll see you around."

"See you," Bonnie said, dropped to her seat and quickly put distance between herself and her past.

* * *

><p><strong>The Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

"Damon!" Bonnie bellowed the minute she threw open the front door. The living room was empty. Naturally there was a fire roaring in the hearth but downstairs was as silent as a graveyard. Instinctually, the next best place to look for Damon was his bedroom.

Taking the stairs two at a time, and walking down the hallway, Bonnie entered Damon's room where the hiss of the shower greeted her ears. Rounding the corner she saw Damon standing under the showerhead, his back to her.

Bonnie observed the way his sinewy muscles flexed underneath his alabaster skin, shifting and contorting to accommodate his movement. Wordlessly Bonnie removed her shoes and socks, then her yoga pants, top, and took her hair out of its ponytail.

The cold tile of the floor shocked her system as she entered the bathroom and then stepped into the shower.

Damon wasn't totally surprised to see her standing in front of him. And of course he wasn't going to complain about her nudity. He could smell sweat, the outdoors, and sunshine on her skin all indicative that she had participated in some type of physical activity. Her skin held a rosy tint. Her lips that were perpetually shaped into Cupid's bow were slightly parted.

"Where-," Damon opened his mouth to start complaining but Bonnie pressed her fingers against his lips.

With him silenced, Bonnie reached for his left hand and slid his day walking ring back where it belonged. Damon had never felt so naked without it. He wanted to question what happened because only an idiot wouldn't think something happened. Apparently dark-eyed Damon and Bonnie crossed paths or he had in fact picked her up from school and she willingly left with him. Otherwise how would she come into possession of his ring? Damon could waste minutes, hours, days, years grilling Bonnie on what was said, but most importantly what was done, but none of it mattered nearly as much as her being here.

"Thank you," he whispered and dipped his head so they could be eye-to-eye.

His hands tilted her head back and his lips crashed into hers. On impulse Bonnie whimpered as her arms went about his shoulders. It felt like an eternity had passed since he kissed her like a man starved, like a man possessed.

Damon's lukewarm hands boldly led a trail to Bonnie's shoulders, down her breasts, gently squeezing each mound. Bonnie writhed against him as the frenzy began, spiraling into a myriad of sensations that left her feeling dizzy and off kilter.

Damon broke the kiss long enough to stare at her with half-lidded eyes. He fell to his knees, kissed her bare stomach as water sluiced down her body. His lips then traveled to her hip bones prior to planting a bold kiss to her center. Bonnie gasped and ran her fingers through his silky, ink-black hair smothering his face against her scorching body.

A digit went missing beneath the curls of her sex and her back arched like a strung bow. Another soon joined and Damon began maneuvering his fingers in and out while circling her engorged flesh with his slippery tongue.

Bonnie kept gasping as her brain fired continuous signals to her lungs to breathe or risk losing consciousness.

Her heady taste filled his mouth. Damon couldn't get enough of her taste or the feel of her wet flesh against his spongy tongue. He manipulated his fingers with such expertise that Bonnie felt she was moments from collapsing on the wet tile floor.

Just as she was close to bursting, Damon painfully slowly slipped his fingers out of Bonnie's heat, stood once more, and kissed her deeply. His heavily lubricated tongue dueled with hers, making Bonnie taste her own tangy sweetness. She ran her fingers over every available inch of him that she could reach and still it didn't feel as if she weren't making enough contact. She raked her nails down his spine and over his broad shoulders earning groans and grunts of approval. Damon placed one of his thighs between Bonnie's legs and ground against her sparking a delicious friction that made her breath hitch.

Within an instant they were lying flat across his bed kissing one another mercilessly. The air began to feel heavier and hotter in his bedroom as time passed. Damon broke the kiss and stared at Bonnie.

"I love you," he said.

Bonnie smiled and traced his chin with her fingers, and pushed his hair off his face. Slowly she brought his lips closer to hers. "I love you, too, Damon."

The vampire in question, nipped her lips and then lowered his head to her breast and sucked the ripened nub into his mouth. The action caused her to hiss and arch from the bed so he could take more of her into his mouth. Her fingernails bit into his back nearly drawing blood. Bonnie could never explain the whirlpool sensation of having Damon taste her like this. She guessed she could compare it to feeling static electricity against her skin but even that explanation fell short of the mark. Bonnie lifted her head and watched as Damon kissed a light trail over to her neglected breast and sucked vigorously that she felt another cataclysmic orgasm building.

To tease her further, Damon rubbed the bulbous head of his manhood against her center causing Bonnie to cleverly twist her body hoping to sink him into her. He chuckled at her obvious impatience knowing she should be aware that he could make foreplay last all night, and sex for two days.

Giving her breast one final lick, Damon locked gazes with Bonnie. "Put me in you."

Without a word, she grasped him, cupped him, danced her fingers along his impressive length drawing groans from Damon. Bonnie aimed him right she wanted him to be and then pressed down while drawing him closer. The intrusion of his body entering hers made heat slice her to pieces, vanquishing her like an enemy. Bonnie wrapped her legs around his waist and cried out when Damon was submerged all the way in.

He didn't move. He couldn't move. Her grip was tight, too tight. Damon buried his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. Then he thrust forward once moving Bonnie against the mattress. He repeated his action until he slid in and out of her easily, while suctioning noises infiltrated his eardrums. Damon angled his hips at just the right degree and hit her G-spot. Bonnie's viridian eyes flew open as the feel of his icy hardness mating with the shimmering heat of her channel.

Bonnie's focus was locked on Damon, his responses to her, the sounds of their flesh smacking, the fact that the more Damon bucked into her, the wetter she got. This was teetering on insanity.

Damon ravenously kissed her neck, captured her lips, before lightly biting her collarbone. Bonnie was his addiction and if he had confessed that her to father, it went without saying that Thomas Bennett would forbid them from seeing one another. Balling the sheets in his hand, Damon grabbed Bonnie by her left hip and continued thrusting as he held her prisoner with his eyes. That same hand then traveled between them where he thrummed her clit.

That sent Bonnie on a tailspin.

He wanted to take this slow, but it was impossible by this point. Damon piston his hips at a faster velocity never once letting up on playing with Bonnie's erect nub. She strained against him, her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She was close, so close she could barely breathe.

"_Fuck_!" he swore as he spilled his seed inside of her.

Bonnie tumbled a minute later.

A tear ran down Bonnie's cheek as she shuddered under Damon. Little electric shocks attacked her shooting out of her center, then in her breasts, back to her center, her toes, and then finally settling in her head. His weight on top of her was comforting, lulling her to sleep, and before she could stop it, Bonnie was in la-la land.

Damon heard her light snoring, leaned up on his forearms and smiled. He kissed her cheek and then as gently as he could, he pulled out of her. Bonnie made a little groan of discomfort, but she only nuzzled into his warmth. This was a first, Damon literally putting her to sleep since during their couplings they fed off each others energy and the more one gave, the other took and vise versa.

Rearranging their positions on the bed, he tucked Bonnie under the covers and then rolled out of bed. Stefan was home and he needed to go have a heart-to-heart with his little brother. Damon shuffled over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans. He slipped them on but didn't bother with putting on a shirt.

Just as he made it to the door, Bonnie mumbled something in her sleep. "Damon."

He smiled. "I'll be right back." Damon left the room and shut the door after him.

Bonnie turned over in bed. "Don't…leave...again…"

Chapter end.

**A/N: All right, I started writing the dialogue (except Damon meeting Bonnie's dad) for this chapter about two weeks ago and had to go back and add in the action so I hope it gelled okay. And wasn't that an interesting meeting between Thomas Bennett and Damon? Bonnie and Book Damon needed to have that discussion, not sure if you can say they have closure, but we'll see. It's been a minute since I've written a love scene so I hope it came out all right. I noticed in my other fics that things between Bonnie and Damon happen fast and they're all over the place, so I kind of wanted to slow things down a bit in terms of their frenetic bedroom activity. I know many are concerned that I'm going to bust up TV Damon and Bonnie, mum is the word on that, but I really do love them as a couple, so I implore you to stay tuned. Thank you guys for your patience with me. You are the best! Love you!**


	49. 18 Candles

**A/N: Finally, I'm back. I'm still working on this chapter, which I had to break into two parts because at present it was 24 pages long and I wasn't done writing it. So the corresponding chapter will be up this week—hopefully. If all goes well and life's interruptions doesn't stop my writing flow. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Her dream was fading but she held on tightly to the last visage wanting to brand it into her memory, but she couldn't. She was being lulled awake by some tickling sensation near her right ear and shoulder. It was irritating but irritatingly soft. Pushing air out of her mouth, Bonnie groaned as her eyes opened to face the new day.

Her eyes were fixed on the wood beam ceiling. Sunlight from the open window poured into the room. Lifting her hand to wipe the remaining sand out of her eyes, something fluttered against her skin. Bonnie's eyebrows mashed together in confusion as she picked up a blood-red rose petal. She ran her hand across the sheets and noticed there were more of them. Sitting up, Bonnie realized she was literally blanketed in rose petals.

"What the…" she couldn't finish her thought as she noticed that the entire floor was covered with red and dark purple petals. There were large flower arrangements decorating all four corners of Damon's bedroom.

Pushing the covers off, Bonnie was completely speechless. Then she heard a voice singing one of her favorite songs, "Something" the Jim Sturgess cover of the Beatles hit. The sound of his crooning voice coming from the bathroom lured her there. Once again, she inhaled sharply. Damon: crass, brash say whatever the heck was on his mind _your _feelings be damned, unapologetic Damon Salvatore was not this damn romantic.

He had drawn a bath where more rose petals were floating gingerly on the water. Candles burned in small crystal holders making the room smell like a bakery. Her stomach growled embarrassingly loud as she looked at the tableau Damon arranged for her.

She jumped slightly when his tepid hands touched and molded around the curve of her shoulders. "Happy Birthday," he whispered in her ear.

An instantaneous smile burst across her face and Bonnie attempted to turn around, but Damon kept her facing forward. He pulled down the straps of her nightgown. The material fell to her feet in a silent pool of fabric. His left arm, possessive yet delicate dropped down to her stomach where his fingers danced across her skin, giving birth to goose bumps. Bonnie drew her bottom lip between her teeth the minute Damon pressed his warm lips against the column of her neck.

"Thank you," she managed to say coherently.

Damon slid his tongue around the edge of her ear. "Enjoy your bath. I'll be downstairs."

When Bonnie attempted to turn around to face him this time he didn't stop her. "You're not joining me?"

"I'd love too, but I'm kind of in the middle of setting up your next surprise."

Bonnie smiled giddily. "What is it?"

He smirked at her child-like euphoria. "If I tell you then it wouldn't be much of a surprise. You just want to see me naked."

"Is that a crime?"

He kissed her hard on the mouth. "No, it's not. But I'm trying to be good and keep my hands to myself. You don't exactly make it easy for me, you know?"

"Sorry."

"That sounded _real_ genuine, Bons. Come downstairs as soon as you're done." Damon walked backwards out of the bathroom, keeping his eyes on her.

When the bedroom door closed softly, Bonnie crossed over to the tub. Climbing in and lowering her body into the warm water, Bonnie sat back, and closed her eyes.

She was eighteen. The milestone age where she could walk into a convenience store and buy a pack of cigarettes. She was still a teenager, but officially an adult, and legally—according to her father and the Commonwealth of Virginia—able to consent to sex. Not like she attempted to practice abstinence in the last couple of days, but that was all a moot point.

She soaked in the tub until the water turned freezing. Getting out, toweling herself dry, Bonnie carried out the rest of her morning routine. Staring at her reflection, she pushed her hair back into a ponytail thankful she had a hair appointment scheduled for later in the day. Her relaxers weren't lasting as long as they used to considering how much she perspired when she and Damon er..um…put the durability of his mattress and chairs to the ultimate test.

Leaving his bedroom, her sneakers made not a sound on the steps as she took them one at time. A look of curiosity sparked on her face again. Two people were playing acoustic guitars.

Swinging into the living room, Bonnie skittered to a stop and blinked. She blinked again to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.

Stefan and Damon were playing a cover of "You and Me" by Lifehouse. Bonnie's balled knuckles flew up to cover her mouth. If they started singing she very well might turn into liquid and evaporate.

Someone did start singing but it was neither Salvatore, but a hired professional who came out of the kitchen holding a monster sized red velvet cupcake in his hand with a number 18 candle burning in the middle. He walked the treat over to Bonnie, who accepted it and tried her best to remain upright on her feet while the vampire siblings played, and the singer crooned.

…'_Cause it's you and me_

_And all of the people _

_With nothing to do_

_Nothing to lose_

_And it's your and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why_

_I can't keep my eyes off you_

Damon was pouring it on thick and several times Bonnie thought her heart might stop beating. Their eyes met and sent instant messages to one another communicating everything they wanted to say without the use of speech. Damon's love for her had never been called into question for it was blatantly obvious he would do anything to make her happy, to see that smile on her face, and to have her look at him as the man he envisioned himself being.

Once the final chords of the tune had been strummed, Bonnie sat the cupcake down on the table and clapped enthusiastically. She pounced on Damon, kissing him sloppily on the mouth and cheeks making Stefan groan with discomfort.

"Get a room," Stefan grumbled good-naturedly.

Chuckling, Bonnie pulled away from Damon and proceeded to stick her tongue out at Stefan. She reached over and slung her arm over his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

"Still want me to get that room?" she teased.

"All right that's enough," Damon intervened when he noticed that Stefan was doing the vampire's version of blushing by looking extremely constipated. He turned his attention to the hired musician to talk shop and tip him for going out of his way to be here at the crack of dawn to serenade his girlfriend.

"Thank you so much. You have an amazing voice," Bonnie said to the singer who inclined his head.

"Have an unforgettable birthday, Bonnie Bennett," he winked and then gave a two-finger salute before vacating the premises.

Stefan put his guitar down and started making tracks towards the stairs. "Well the first part of my duties is over. I will see you guys later."

"Bye, Stef…thank you!" Bonnie shouted.

Damon took a seat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Instead of taking the invitation, Bonnie sat astride him.

"No one has ever done anything like this for my birthday, Damon. Why do you love me so much? I'm really not all that nice to you all the time," she smiled.

Damon arched an eyebrow. "No, but I'm not nice to you either most of the time so that makes us even. I love you because I see the good in you. It brings out what good is left in me and there's nothing else to it," he squeezed her thighs. "We have a lot to do today," he reminded her.

"We don't have too. I don't need a lavish party or anything," Bonnie disputed.

"Yeah, try telling that to Vampire Barbie. She expects me to have you at Elijah's by seven-thirty, and if I don't deliver the goods, she'll be after me with a can of hair spray and a flat iron."

Bonnie laughed and then attempted to heft her weight off Damon, but he pulled her back.

"Hey, no running away. We have plenty of time."

"I thought we had a lot to do today?" Bonnie arched a brow in the air.

Her moving lips distracted him and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her even if he tried. So he didn't. Damon captured her lips between his. He pulled away after five minutes passed.

"We do have a lot to accomplish, but there's always room for Jell-O."

* * *

><p>Elijah's house was like a fortress. It was a limestone castle-like dwelling that was isolated from town, surrounded by tall trees that resembled sentinels ready to uproot themselves at the first sign of danger. It was an imposing piece of property, intimidating. But that didn't stop Caroline from ringing the bell. She kept her eyes focus on the lion's head carving in the middle of the double doors.<p>

She wondered if June Cleaver might greet her.

Stifling a giggle, the door opened.

"Caroline, welcome," Elijah stepped aside.

Seeing him kind of threw her for a second because Caroline anticipated a servant answering the door. Caroline didn't know much about Elijah. All she knew was that he had his moments of intensity, and when he spoke it was with a practiced eloquence that would make some other men look pretentious and foolish, but not him. He was dressed in a simple button down and slacks.

"Thank you for letting us use your house for the venue for Bonnie's party," was her preamble while she dragged two boxes into his inner sanctum. Elijah helped her.

Caroline's eyes darted around cataloguing the art, the furnishings, the vaulted ceilings, the black, white, and gold design on the marble floor. The foyer alone was large enough to accommodate the guests, but Caroline figured there was no way in the world Elijah would want high heel shoes to scuff his floors.

The house was split into three parts. To her left she saw a den-like area, a little too small to be the formal living room and from what she could tell it opened up to the kitchen. To her right were the winding staircase and a gallery of sorts. In front was a long hallway which probably stretched out to the rest of the house.

Elijah smiled at her words. "It's nothing but a house," he said after catching her staring, unabashedly. In truth Elijah hadn't spent much time in this house in years. He led the way to the gallery. "Will you be the only one setting up the party?"

"Oh, no I have reinforcements coming. They should be here any minute."

"Good. I have five chefs on retainer tonight. They've been given the menu you emailed me last week."

"Cool, and Bonnie's Aunt Deloris from Alabama will be here in two hours. She's making Bonnie's favorite dessert. Did you get everything on the list that she'll need?"

Elijah nodded but then a look of concern booked a room on Elijah's face. Caroline prepared herself to hear something dreadful.

"I should tell you that the rest of my family…they are here with me."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Caroline worded her question carefully and nervously. The last thing she needed was all hell to break loose.

"Though I can make no absolute promises for their behavior, they have given their word that they will mind their manners. Contrary to popular belief they were civilized at one point," he offered Caroline a placating smile.

She returned it—though a bit shakily.

"Great, so where can I start the setup?"

"Right this way."

Elijah didn't tell Caroline that the sibling he was the most worried about becoming unhinged was Kol, because one she didn't know who he was, and there was no need to put those kinds of ideas in her head. He wanted nothing foul to happen and ruin Bonnie's celebration. Yet Elijah wasn't naïve when it came to his brother. Kol was impulsive. He would do his best to keep him under his thumb, but not too much because Kol was of the vindictive sort and would lash out simply to prove a point that he couldn't be controlled or manipulated.

There was someone else who would be in attendance as well. Elijah had a conversation with her, too, warning her not to spill a single drop of blood tonight.

Elijah was happy to be back home—his real home. The only home he really knew. His family had moved to Mystic Falls before it was called Mystic Falls from Scandinavia when he was only a boy. There wasn't much he remembered of the rolling hills, steep cliffs, green forests, and limitless oceans his mother spoke off when she would tell him of his place of birth. Here he felt more grounded. More human.

The last few weeks of Elijah's life had been a wild goose chase, trying to locate Finn and his long lost lover. Klaus had gone off once Sage had been found to move their mother's body to another secret location. He was due to arrive in Mystic Falls tonight maybe an hour after Bonnie's party was scheduled to start.

The doorbell tolled. "I'll be right back," Elijah said and was off in a flash. Caroline listened. She wondered if his siblings were crawling around the house like lizards. She was soon distracted when she heard Elena and Stefan's voices.

Relief that she wouldn't have to be in this monstrous house by herself with Elijah and his missing in action family, she walked back out into the foyer, yet saw someone in her peripheral vision.

She was blonde. That was the first thing Caroline ascertained. Her head shifted a fraction to her right.

"Stefan!" a very English voice gasped and thanks to the wonderful acoustics of the house, it sounded more like a shriek.

The vampire in question stilled, looked up at the woman who stood on the last step of the staircase. Stefan's eyebrows mashed together in confusion. He didn't know her, whoever she was. Quickly he calculated that she resembled a million other blondes on the planet, only her lips were fuller, her eyes were a bright shade of blue, almost blue enough to rival Damon's eyes.

Elena looked up and one minute she saw a woman standing on the stairs and the next minute, this same woman had her arms wrapped around her boyfriend's shoulders and was mauling his face with her lips.

She squeaked.

Elijah tried to intervene, but Stefan had managed to get the upper hand, and pushed Rebekah away, holding her at arm's length. Her pink lipstick was smeared all over his lips and chin.

"I'm sorry but I don't know you," Stefan said.

Rebekah blinked. "What do you mean you don't know me? Come off it, Stefan. You don't remember our time together in Chicago?"

Again, Stefan looked at her with confusion and also apologetically. "I'm sorry but I have no idea who you are."

Rebekah's face shifted from nostalgic happiness to fury. She could always tell when someone lied, but as her eyes searched Stefan's for a flicker of recognition and she saw none, Rebekah had no choice but to accept the fact he was telling the truth. He didn't remember who she was. Sure, Stefan spent most of their time together under the influence of illegal booze and blood, but certainly _she _should have been memorable. Rebekah had been one of the hottest dames, still was in her honest opinion. So for a third-rate vampire not to remember her, she was livid.

Compulsion was like the reason for it.

Her cyan eyes moved to his companion. When she saw her face, Rebekah flew out of Stefan's hold, had her hand wrapped around Katherine's neck and pinned her up against the wall.

"How dare you show your face here!" Rebekah's face vamped out. "You betrayed my family, you whore!"

Stefan, Elijah, and Caroline had moved in to pull Rebekah off Elena who was scratching futilely at the porcelain hand that was crushing her larynx. Rebekah pushed Stefan off her easily who went sliding across the floor. Caroline got a kick to the solar plexus and went down.

Elijah had been the only one left standing.

"No! Rebekah! She's not Katherine. Her name is Elena," Elijah peeled Rebekah's fingers off Elena's throat one finger at a time. She merely switched hands. "She's a doppelganger," he went on to explain.

Rebekah wasn't trying to hear that. Yet when she calmed down, she heard this "Elena" person's heart beating erratically, practically pounding her chest. Her skin felt too soft to be vampire skin.

"Please, let her go. What Elijah says is the truth. She's Katherine's descendent, but she's not Katherine," Stefan pleaded. Elena was turning blue.

Rebekah held on for a second longer before releasing Elena, who immediately dropped to the floor and began coughing and gasping. Stefan was by her side in an instant, helping her to her feet and inspecting the damage done to her throat.

Rebekah eyed her for a minute before saying, "Pleasure to meet you." She walked off after that.

Elijah stared after her before finding Caroline's eyes.

What a lovely start to the afternoon.

Moments later, a guy who was almost Elijah's splitting image entered the picture. "Do my ears deceive me or is it really true that there is another Petrova doppelganger?"

"Kol," Elijah said warningly. He would cancel the party if it meant keeping his niece and her friends safe. He didn't know how it escaped his mind to warn Kol and Rebekah that Elena was Katherine's doppelganger. He knew that upon first sight of her they would automatically assume she was Katherine. They had not been a fan of hers when they met five hundred years ago.

Kol ignored Elijah's tone. He approached Elena and Stefan seeing how the vampire was clutching his fragile human to his chest. He flashed him a shark-like smile.

"How unfortunate for you to share that bitch's face. I'm sure my sister wasn't the first vampire to mistake you for your ancestor. Have you thought of having, oh what's it called? Help me, Elijah. Where people pay copious amount of cash to have a physician alter their face?"

"Plastic surgery," Caroline blurted.

Kol turned to her, looked her up and down and then dismissed her as inconsequential. Caroline huffed and folded her arms tightly under her breasts.

"Yes, like the blonde one said—plastic surgery. It very well might save your life one day, little human." Kol pivoted in his boots and marched off.

With two of his siblings otherwise occupied, Elijah faced Bonnie's friends. "My apologies."

"You don't have to apologize for them, Elijah," Elena croaked. "They're adults. They should apologize for themselves."

"Okay," Caroline clapped her hands together, wanting to move things along. "We have less than six hours to whip this place into party central. Elena, do you need a minute?"

"I'm fine," she croaked again ignoring the pain radiating around her neck.

"I'll get you some water and aspirin," Elijah went off. He had stocked up on supplies in the event someone injured themselves. Certainly didn't want to be held liable for someone else's foolish actions.

With him gone, the three friends made their way to the gallery to start decorating.

* * *

><p><strong>Nightfall<strong>

Several trees that lined the property had been decorated with white lights. A red carpet had been rolled out as well was velvet rope. Photographers had been hired to take pictures of the arriving guests allowing everyone to feel like a celebrity and have their fifteen—yet in this case—five minutes of fame before entering the foyer.

The dress code was semi-formal. No jeans, sneakers, or baseball caps. If you weren't dressed properly you were promptly shown the door. Caroline armed with a walkie-talkie, kept watch at the front door. She would send the signal to Elena to dim the house lights and get everyone in position to shout Happy Birthday the minute Bonnie entered the house with her escort.

Damon should have had her here by seven-thirty. It was now eight-fifteen. Nearly everyone who had been invited had already arrived and were talking amongst themselves and enjoying the finger foods that had been prepared.

"Where is she?" Caroline mumbled and started scrolling through her contacts list in her phone. When she got to Damon's number, she immediately called him and tapped her nude heel against the pavement. A cool breeze ruffled the hem of her black baby doll dress.

Damon finally answered. "Yes, Blondie?"

"Where the hell are you? You're forty-five minutes late!"

"We're on the way. Bonnie got a little frisky with me. You know I'm powerless to stop her when she has a goal in mind."

Bonnie said something in the background, probably a protest of some sort.

Caroline snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just get her here in the next five minutes. Can you do that?"

"Calm your tits. We're pulling up as we speak." The call was disconnected and Caroline saw a pair of headlights pull into the winding driveway. She quickly radioed Elena and told her to quiet everyone down.

The car that rolled to a stop right in front of the red carpet wasn't Damon's prized Chevy Camaro but a Mercedes SL-Class Roadster. The doors lifted up instead of out. Damon was the first to emerge dressed in Armani. He walked to the passenger side, offered his hand, and pulled out the birthday girl.

Bonnie like her paramour was draped in black. Her dress was cashmere, stopped at mid-thigh, held her snuggly in all the right places, long sleeved, with the back cut out. On her feet were a wicked pair Le Silla Black leather ankle boots. Caroline began salivating at the sight of those shoes. They were six inches high, peep-toe, with a three centimeter platform inlaid with silver, and a buckle strap.

Bonnie's attire combined with her wavy locks and embellished eyes, she was certainly going to twist some heads off shoulders and cause hearts to explode.

For a second Caroline felt homely compared to her friend, but tonight wasn't about her, it was about Bonnie and of course it was the rule for her to outshine everyone present.

The photographers started snapping pictures. It took Bonnie off-guard at first. Damon easily fell into model mode which wasn't surprising. Caroline looked on as they posed as a couple and then Damon stepped aside so Bonnie to get some shots by herself.

After that semi-embarrassing moment was over, Bonnie reached for Damon's hand. Her green lantern eyes lit up the minute she saw Caroline blocking the door.

"Hi!" she beamed and leaned in for a hug. "You weren't kidding when you said red carpet."

"No, I wasn't. Glad you could make it to your own party," Caroline chided good-naturedly. "Are you ready to have some fun?" she smiled until her eyes resembled crescent moons.

Bonnie attempted to look dejected which only lasted for a hot second before she started smiling as maniacally as her friend. Her nerves were pretty close to being shot because her birthday had always been a kind of low-key affair. Quiet get-together's either at her house or Grams' place with limited family and the few friends Bonnie had managed to rack up over the years—that had been the norm. She never had anyone put this much thought or effort into celebrating the day of her birth. After this morning's surprise, if she did nothing but eat pizza out of a box and watch her favorite movies, it would have been enough for Bonnie.

Crushing Damon's hand in hers, Bonnie walked inside of Elijah's palatial home. She was a little nervous considering two of Elijah's siblings were with him. Two she hadn't had the displeasure of meeting. Elena had filled her in on the incident that happened with Rebekah and Stefan, and about being nearly being choked to death. Needless to say, Rebekah was on her shit-list.

Two seconds later, people shouted "Happy Birthday!" so raucously Bonnie expected the ceiling to come crashing down. She was engulfed in arms and hair, muscles, perfume, and cologne so forth and so on. Bonnie greeted her core group of friends; those she had loose associations with, and then those who were friends of friends.

"NiNi!" Bonnie heard screamed across the expanse of the room.

She spun and saw her two favorite cousins and her Aunt Deloris barreling towards her.

"What are you doing here!" Bonnie was practically jumping up and down, holding on to her cousin Shauna and Melanie's hands.

"Your pops flew us in. Surprise!" Shauna said and hugged her cousin fiercely.

"Quit hogging my niece," Aunt Deloris commanded brusquely and practically ripped Bonnie away from her daughter. "Happy Birthday, chere," she snuggled Bonnie into her bosom almost suffocating her.

"I'm glad you're here, auntie."

"Now where is that fine as sin boyfriend of yours?" Aunt Deloris asked a bit distractedly.

Bonnie stared at her aunt askance who was busy craning her neck trying to find Damon.

Her father approached next, kissed her cheek, and wished her a happy birthday.

While Bonnie was busy having her reunion with her family, Damon caught sight of someone from his past.

"Oh, shit," he whispered. In the time it took Damon to blink, she was standing in front of him. "Sage," he said calmly enough and briefly flicked his eyes over to Bonnie to make sure she was still preoccupied.

"So you haven't forgotten me," the red-headed Amazon alleged and then wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and pulled him forward.

A hush fell over the area. Bonnie turned to see what the disturbance was and her eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. Some red-headed bitch was _kissing _her man like she had a right to. Her face fell flat, impassive, euphoria gone. Bonnie was fully prepared to roast that chick's brain cells alive but a hand on her shoulder restrained her.

It was Elijah. "She's over nine hundred years old. Your aneurysms won't have any affect on her."

Upon hearing that sad news, Bonnie pouted.

Damon managed to pry Sage off him. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm an honest man now."

Sage laughed blithely. "So? Is that supposed to matter?"

"Yeah, it does," Damon retorted coldly.

Sage observed him and noticed the absence of his usual playfulness and mischievousness.

"Damon Salvatore isn't one to settle down into domestic bliss."

"Well, this Damon Salvatore does. Let me introduce you to my girlfriend. Bonnie can you come over here for a second?"

Pushing her shoulders back, Bonnie added more strut to her walk as she sidled next to Damon. She didn't need to wrap her arm around him to mark him as hers. She merely glared at the woman standing in front of her optically telling her not to touch him again or suffer the consequences.

"Bonnie, I'd like you to meet an _old _friend of mine. Sage this is my better half, Bonnie Bennett."

Neither woman extended her hand to shake the other. Sage gave Bonnie a thorough once-over, only mildly impressed. Bonnie didn't attempt to disguise her contempt. For being immortal, Sage looked a little on the dated side to Bonnie, which pleased her immensely. Exactly how old was she when she was turned?

"So a little girl's done the impossible and tamed the legendary Damon Salvatore. I'm not sure if I should be impressed or saddened by the news."

"Damon's happy and that's all that should really matter. Besides, only a _real _woman could snap him into shape."

Sage's eyes narrowed.

"Ooh, shade," Shauna said in an aside to Melanie. Unfortunately she didn't know she was in the presence of vampires who had excellent hearing.

Damon coughed to cover up his laugh. He slung one arm over Bonnie's shoulder and steered her away. "Let's go boogie," he told her and got lost in the crowd.

The party resumed its activity. People enjoyed the limitless cuisine, the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Bonnie easily fell into party mode. There was a bowling alley in the basement which she had a lovely time wiping the floor with her friends and made herself three hundred bucks in the process. Outside, she mixed and mingled with the crowd while enjoying the culinary delights and gorging herself until she felt sick.

When she wasn't eating, she was dancing and drinking, and laughing until her stomach hurt and tears flowed from her eyes.

The minute she felt her toes numbing, Bonnie decided it was time for a break. She grabbed a couple of shot glasses, took a seat at table, and looked around.

For some strange reason her heart began accelerating and she looked to her left.

Oh, boy she thought. Here comes trouble dressed in gray with tuxedo black eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Bonnie's POV<strong>

Ovaries are exploding. What do you do? Smile. Sometimes it's better than making a noise that sounds like a donkey being run over by a truck. Oh, no he's sitting down but even while standing his presence was enough to make me go blind. Maybe that's a little over the top but it felt pretty damn accurate to me—in my own humble opinion. I told myself that I would be a good girl tonight and I intend to uphold my word. But with him sitting so close to me—okay so he's sitting on the other side of the table—and the fact his expensive cologne is tickling my nose, I tell myself to take a shot.

So I do. Down the hatch it goes, burning a happy trail along the way. Briefly I take my eyes off him and search for my boyfriend. He's gotta be around here somewhere, somewhere to rescue me from the vampire sitting across from me being completely rude. And I'm not talking about his behavior but the fact he looks mouth-watering, tongue-twisting good!

Damn him. Add an O between the M and N and you get…

"Damon…you're wearing gray!" It's the dumbest thing to tumble out of my mouth, and I immediately blame it on the alcohol. I smile like an idiot. I don't know what else to do with my face so I just continue to smile at him.

He's attired in an all gray suit that to the untrained eye looks silver, but it's gray. It fits his body like a second skin that I can almost make out his pecks, biceps, and triceps—yes rude! And here's the tip of the mother flipping iceberg he's decided to grow a beard. It's a five o'clock shadow around his jaw highlighting how red his lips are. Again—rude.

Damon stared down at his body as if he just realized he was wearing something other than his notorious black. "I am. I figured it was time for a change and to stand out. Do you like?"

I literally had to force my lips into a frown and tried to look as unimpressed as I possibly could. "You look okay."

Naturally he didn't buy my lackluster response to his question, but that was the most he was going to get out of me tonight. I had been avoiding him like the plague for obvious reasons. So far Damon has done an excellent job of not crowding my space, constantly being in my face, begging for a moment of my time. He was beyond begging anyone to do anything for him and if he had to resort to that action, stake him. I vaguely remember him telling me that one night.

I cleared my throat wondering if the DJ would play something loud and obnoxious instead of Florence and The Machine so I wouldn't be able to hear anything coming out of his mouth. Again I looked around the beautifully decorated ballroom. I spotted several of my friends and even my cousins, standing in small groups chatting, laughing, drinking, and having a good time.

It would appear I was on my own.

I couldn't hold counsel with Damon for longer than five minutes. That was a rule I implemented to keep certain things from the past from being able to resurface. Perhaps I was taking the coward's way out in handling this situation, but in all honesty I didn't know the first thing about juggling two guys. My love life wasn't a love life before he crash landed into it. A cadaver had seen more action than me just a year ago.

How I wished my life could be simple at times.

"You look beautiful tonight, cara. As you always do," Damon complimented.

Now it was my turn to gaze down at my outfit of choice. It revealed more skin than I was comfortable with revealing, but I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and be a bit more daring. As soon as the night was over, this get-up would be finding its permanent home in the back of my closet.

"Thanks," I pushed a strand of my wavy hair out of the way and courageously looked Damon in the eye. "You called me cara just now. What does that mean?"

"Beloved…I felt it might be more appropriate considering you're no longer my princess or angel."

That didn't faze me. Kind of like when you try not to flinch when you have to take a band-aid off that has become infused with your skin. You knew it was going to hurt, but you tried to prepare yourself for it as best you could, but the preparation was in vain because it still hurt like hell when you ripped it off.

I cleared my throat, "Any particular reason you decided to grow facial fur? I honestly didn't think male vampires could grow mustaches or beards."

Damon ran his hand over his scruff. For a hot second I wondered if it was prickly or soft to the touch like the hair on his head. The texture often reminded me of an animal's pelt.

"Did you develop that theory thanks to Anne Rice?"

I shrugged. I had read a couple of her novels. But basically—according to Anne Rice—the state a vampire's hair was in when he or she died was how it remained for all eternity. So if a vampire had a buzz cut, he or she would be stuck with it.

Not my world vampires apparently.

Damon continued to answer my question. "Even if I share the same name and face with your current paramour, I thought it best to separate myself as much as possible. And there is that new slogan going around…YOLO I believe."

I giggled. "You only live once."

"Precisely."

Our conversation stalled again. I really had nothing else to say after that. Damon and I just kind of looked at one another. There was a lot to say. But now wasn't the right time for it.

"Why aren't you dancing, Bonnie?"

"My feet needed a break. I haven't really sat down since I got here."

Damon lifted a corner of the table cloth and examined my feet. More to the matter the six inch black booties that were crushing my toes. They were too cute to take off, but too painful to walk around in for longer than ten minutes at a time. The ills of fashion.

I watched in silent amusement as one of Damon's dark eyebrows rose an inch. "Nice."

"Thank you." I tapped one foot against the floor. These shoes were so ridiculously high I might as well go en pointe.

"This isn't awkward at all is it?" he asked a minute later.

"What is?"

"The two of us being able to talk without that needless sexual tension."

I barked a laugh and covered my mouth with a hand. "You are a hoot."

"It's my life's mission," he replied dryly. "Have you had a good birthday so far?"

I nodded. "It's been the best birthday ever. How did you know about my party?"

"Like I told you that day in the park, Bonnie, I always know how and where to find you. But I might have overheard Caroline barking out instructions to a vendor on where to deliver your cake," he smiled.

My eyes dropped to my lap. The polite thing to say next was that I was glad he was here. My mouth opened to form the words but they wouldn't come out. Encouraging him in anyway no matter how big or small just wouldn't have been a smart move on my part.

"I do have something for you," he admitted.

Finally I permitted my eyes to look at him. "I can't accept it."

Hurt flashed in his eyes for less than a tenth of a second but he didn't say anything. I felt like an asshole. He was only trying to be nice, I knew that, but it would have been inappropriate of me to accept his gift.

I cleared my throat wanting to put end to this before things became even more awkward. "I need to get back out there and resume my birthday girl duties," I mustered on.

I stood up at the same time Damon did and I tried not to stare at him again. Thankfully he was gone by the time I was brave enough to lift my eyes from the floor.

I was only able to take a single step away from the table when I was flanked by Melanie and Shauna. They were talking simultaneously about some rather amusing shit that went down while I had been otherwise preoccupied. I laughed in all the appropriate places, feigned outrage at the corresponding actions by the parties involved, and then was swept up on the dance floor again.

In truth what I wanted more than anything was my boyfriend. I just wanted to look into Damon's bright blue eyes and forget everyone else around me. He must have sensed the nature of my thoughts because I saw him scanning the crowd searching for me. I gave him what I hoped was my perfected come hither look, something I had spent hours in the mirror practicing. Damon excused himself from his posse of admirers—juniors who had somehow finagled their way into an invite, crossed over the dance floor and stood right in front of me.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had been watching and listening to my interaction with his nemesis.

My cousins slipped away—I presume because my eyes were too busy having sex with Damon I guess they didn't want to risk getting pregnant by association. Despite my earlier musings, when I was next to Damon I felt electric, really a sensation that's hard to explain or categorized. He fulfilled places within me that I didn't even know were there. I liked to think I fulfilled the same purpose in his life. Damon was rough around the edges—that was no secret but only because he had been slighted and hurt by those he loved in his past that he covered it up with violence and snark. He cared but then he had a tendency to care too much. His love was fierce. Its own entity.

He scared me. But in a good way. If that made sense.

As I continued to look into his eyes I felt I might have said or done something a few days back but for the life of me I couldn't remember what exactly. Maybe I mumbled something in my sleep. I did that from time to time especially if something was bothering me like a persistent itch you couldn't scratch. If I had, Damon hadn't mentioned it.

Even with my heels on, Damon still towered over me. He pulled me to his chest. I wanted to say something to him, but we didn't always have to use our words. Just being in the moment, feeling him next to me was enough and conveyed everything inside.

He got me—in other words.

I sighed happily. I was lucky to be in love.

To be continued…

**A/N: I'm a romancer at heart (go Taurus) so if the beginning seemed a little mushy—whatever. I love romance and I love writing about it. This party is far from over. So stay tuned. Thank you guys for your patience in waiting for an update. I don't like to leave you hanging for too long, but I can only write these days when I have the time. Love you!**


	50. 18 Candles Pt 2

**A/N: If I haven't said it before, I'll say it again, thank you for reading and the reviews! Even if we don't always see eye-to-eye on what should happen.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Part 2

Caroline observed the party goers, a glass of champagne in her hands turning lukewarm. Her plans had gone off without a hitch. Other than Bonnie's minor delay, things ran smoothly like a well-oiled machine, and there was little Caroline could ask for.

Well, that wasn't the total truth. She wished having her father back in town for his quarterly visit wasn't making her anxious and nervous. Now that she knew there was a council in existence that dedicated its time to seeking out and destroying vampires and anything else that was abnormal, Caroline felt like she was putting on the performance of a lifetime in being human. When she sat and thought about it, she never actually died rather she had been reborn into a lethal killing machine that could wipe out every single human standing in this room within the blink of an eye. Nevertheless at the end of the day, that wasn't who she was. It didn't define her. She was still Caroline Forbes: perfectionist, cheerleading diva that ran the town, and gave the best relationship advice this side of the Mississippi.

It was beginning to drain her. Having to pretend to be human with her boyfriend, her mom, and now her dad. She barely got accepted for who she was before she was turned into a vampire. Caroline shuddered every time she spared a thought of their reaction if the truth of what she was, was ever exposed.

Figuring she held up this wall long enough, Caroline moved to another part of the ballroom, smiling at her associates from school, making sure the tables were still well stocked. Instead of playing the part of Susie Homemaker she should be out there with her friends, shaking a tail feather, but she couldn't shake her melancholia. Caroline had hoped the alcohol would help lessen the tension in her body, but all it seemed to do was exacerbate it.

She spotted Matt and could tell from his glassy, red eyes that he was drunk as a skunk. Part of her wanted to feel annoyed but instead she felt her heart warm in affection for him. He was so cute and adorable that it was nearly impossible to stay angry with him for longer than a day.

Next her eyes shifted over to two members of the Original family: Kol and Rebekah. Caroline did not like or trust that bitch. Rebekah acted snotty from the get go and challenged everything Caroline said during the preparations for the party as if she knew who Bonnie was and what she liked. There was a deep air of entitlement wrapped around that one, and Caroline would keep her eye on her. She certainly hadn't missed the way Rebekah lit up like a C-4 bomb when her eyes landed on Stefan, and she practically tried to take his lips off. Stefan had denied knowing who she was, and Rebekah was severely displeased which was putting it mildly.

Inwardly, the old mean girl in Caroline that never fully went away, kind of giggled at Elena's discomfort. The girl never really had any competition in her life when it came to the opposite sex, so to see Elena sweat and give Rebekah the side-eye made Caroline feel as if Christmas had come around early.

Caroline then turned her gaze on Elijah. He was having a deep discussion with Klaus and whatever the two brothers were discussing, neither one seemed receptive to what the other was saying. For a minute, Caroline was confused if this were a birthday party or a strategy meeting. The Originals kept to themselves; however, their eyes never left those floating around them. The vampire in Caroline wondered if they were divvying up the crowd, marking their territory on who would get what half of the room to attack and feed.

She was praying that wasn't _what _they were doing.

Sitting her half-finished drink down, Caroline eyed the spread on the table. Food had been a good source of comfort after she turned.

"Please tell me there're some lobster rolls left. I love those little things."

Surprised cornflower blue eyes snapped over to Stefan as a gleeful expression overtook his face the moment he spotted what he had been craving. Stupefied, Caroline watched as Stefan picked up the roll and popped it in his mouth, savoring the little delicacy.

"That was delicious. Have you tried one?"

"I'm allergic to lobster, but Bonnie loves them so that's why they're on the menu."

"I'm going to have to thank my future sister-in-law for having excellent taste in food."

"What?" Caroline sputtered. She couldn't have heard Stefan correctly.

Stefan turned a little to face Caroline. "I was only kidding."

Caroline kept her eyes on Stefan gauging the sincerity of his words. "I certainly hope so."

The both of them faced the crowd and observed as Damon and Bonnie did their version of the world famous Kid-N-Play dance. They really were happy together.

However, there was one person on the planet who had the power to derail that. Caroline's eyes landed on dark-eyed Damon. He was engrossed in a conversation with Melanie, Bonnie's cousin from Alabama. He might appear as if he were completely focused on the word vomit spewing from Melanie's mouth, but intuition told her Damon was listening to every conversation in the room, particularly looking for specific words and references to himself and Bonnie.

Stefan brought his attention back to Caroline. He noticed that she looked a little down. "Is everything okay with you, Caroline?"

A little startled that a question was being directed to her about her, Caroline couldn't get her words together. "W-w-why wouldn't everything be okay? Do I look like something is bothering me? Because nothing is. I'm great. I'm fine…I'm…my dad is in town and my stomach has been in knots."

The sympathizer in Stefan reared its head. He was well aware of the fact that her mother, Matt, and her father didn't know she was a vampire.

"Do you think he might have ties to the council?"

"He's a Forbes. So…yeah!"

"You know you can come and talk to me if you need to."

"I know."

Stefan cupped Caroline by the elbow and together they shuffled outside. "Let's step out for a minute," he didn't resume their conversation until they were in a secluded spot.

Stefan folded his arms over his chest, and tilted his head in that signature way of his. "Do you have plans to let your parents know what you are?"

Caroline looked helpless for a second. "I don't know. There are some mornings where I just want to blurt out the truth, but then…the fear of disownment gets to me and I clam up," she focused her bright blue eyes on Stefan.

She learned from Elena that Stefan's father, the late Giuseppe Salvatore shot him and Damon for attempting to free Katherine, labeling them as vampire sympathizers. Then in an ironic twist of events, he inadvertently started the transition in his sons, but Stefan had been the one to drink his father's blood and turned fully into a vampire.

"I know your father hated vampires…how did you deal with that knowing you became the thing he hated?"

Stefan looked away for a moment—reflective. He spent so much of his immortality trying to bury and forget. "I loved my father. I respected him and I wanted his approval. I did what he asked me to even when it went against my personal beliefs. I knew he wouldn't accept me as a vampire and when I went to him…it wasn't with the intent to kill him. Maybe I went to him so he could see that they weren't all bad. That they could retain their humanity, but the minute I saw his blood…"

The memory was too painful and Stefan shut the door.

"It's going to be hard telling your parents the truth, but at some point you're going to have to tell them, Caroline. Pretending to be seventeen forever…I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. And no matter how your parents take it, you still have a family you can turn to."

Caroline nodded her head and smiled shyly. "Thank you, Stefan. It helps to talk to someone who understands."

He rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "That's what I'm here for."

"Well, enough with the doom and gloom. Tonight is my best friend's eighteenth birthday," Caroline beamed. "We should dance." She took Stefan by the hand and dragged him back inside in the direction of the impromptu dance floor. Caroline could feel Stefan dragging his feet knowing he hated dancing in public with a passion.

Much to Stefan's horror the DJ started spinning a mix of "Candy" by Cameo, "Doing Da Butt" by EU, and Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison".

Damon and Bonnie certainly were taking the song "Doing Da Butt" literally. The way Bonnie was grinding her hindparts into his brother's crotch was downright criminal, Stefan thought ruefully. And of course Damon had to take things up a notch by playing the bongos on Bonnie's tush.

This music was grating on Elijah's nerves but the dances the young people came up with certainly were entertaining to say the least. To him it all appeared to be some mating ritual gone wrong. Horribly wrong. Call him old-fashioned but men and women of his time danced with propriety and respect. That was no longer the case, obviously, and he couldn't help but feel his age in this moment.

As he made a revolution around the room, Elijah was jumped by two giggling girls who were evidently under the influence of alcohol.

Hair thrashed his face as he felt the intimate and inappropriate press of young breasts and ass grinding against his body. Cinching his teeth and trying his best not to use too much force to remove the misguided girls, Elijah wondered for a second what the best and most diplomatic way to diffuse the situation was without drawing unnecessary attention to his predicament.

Sweat was beginning to form in the center of her back and chest, her legs were burning, her feet were pounding, but it wasn't enough to get Bonnie to take a break. She was finally having a good time at her own party and she wanted this feeling of exaltation to last all night.

Doing more shots, drinking more champagne, Bonnie was thoroughly drunk. She couldn't stand still when her cake was brought out and everyone sang Happy Birthday.

Slices were cut, passed around, more alcohol followed, and Bonnie felt full like a tick. Not only was her urine content up but her hormones as well.

Licking icing from the corner of her mouth, Bonnie was ready to go in pursuit of her boyfriend after making a pit stop at the bathroom.

Elijah's home was about the size of the Salvatore boardinghouse so that meant it was easy to get lost and turned around. Bonnie knew there was a bathroom on the second floor, since the line to one on the main level was wrapped around the building. Clamping her knees together, Bonnie took the stairs practically two at time and then opened up every single door she saw looking for the one that contained a porcelain throne.

Locating what she needed, Bonnie clamored inside, locked the door, lifted the lid, and barely had her panties down before Hoover Damon exploded.

Her eyes fluttered closed. Who knew peeing could be so satisfying. Maybe because she was drunk. Maybe because she felt _nice_, maybe because it had been six hours since the last time she used the bathroom, Bonnie felt like she was about to climax.

Finishing up, washing her hands, she inspected her reflection. Her vision was a bit blurry, going in and out of focus, but from what she could tell she still looked presentable. Bonnie wrenched the door open and nearly collapsed into the person who was standing on the other side.

"Sorry," she blushed profusely.

"It's no problem."

Bonnie's head shot up and came face-to-face with the woman whose lips had smothered Damon's earlier tonight. Sage. The red-headed 900 year old vampire who shared some type of illicit past with her boyfriend. Bonnie tried her very best not to snarl at the woman, but she was feeling bold and untouchable at the moment, so that meant she could blurt out the first thing to pop into her mind.

"Stay away from my man, hoe."

Okay, that probably wasn't smart, but she was under the influence. Perhaps that could be her excuse for why she had to roast Sage like a pig since the woman looked ready to pull her apart like a chicken bone.

Sage snorted and was tempted to backhand the little twit into the middle of next week, but she didn't.

"You don't have to worry about me going after your _man_. That ship has sailed long ago, not like I need to explain myself to a child."

Bonnie's mind interpreted that as something else. What she heard was: I can get Damon if I want him so you might want to watch your back. _Bitch!_

She blinked hoping it would clear her vision but it was useless. Her body was beginning to feel heavier than usual and it was taking far too much concentration on Bonnie's end to remain upright. She had always been a lightweight when it came to drinking. So at parties she never indulged in more than one beer which she sipped for the majority of the night, and she never tossed back more than one shot. Tonight she had been gluttonous with the champagne, and the tequila. Her stomach should have been throwing a revolt, but she wasn't nauseous.

Bonnie, to Sage in this moment presented the perfect prey. She was clearly drunk. Couldn't tell up from down which made her increasingly vulnerable. The girl reeked of alcohol, sweat, and yes female arousal all very succulent aromas to a vampire such as Sage. And Sage made it no secret that she had female lovers in the past, or at least she had seduced women because her true love was the blood that flowed through their veins. Bonnie was easy on the eyes and it was plain to see why Damon or any vampire would be taken with her. Add in the fact she was a witch and Bonnie was basically a vampire's wet dream come to life.

Unconsciously Sage licked her lips as she salaciously ran her sapphire eyes over Bonnie's petite frame. Perhaps she should go against the promise she made to Elijah and get a taste.

Bonnie was fully prepared to walk around Sage, but then she found her back thrust up against the wall, a cold hand wrapped around her neck while the other burrowed into her hair, pulling at the roots arching her neck at a painful angle.

_Now _she was hit with a wave of nausea. Elijah had warned her that her aneurysms would have no effect on Sage. Other than setting her on fire Bonnie was out of options. Or…

She focused despite her inner panic rising to the surface. Mumbling through the words, Bonnie chanted and channeled her Power.

Sage gasped sharply. Her hold on Bonnie dropped like weights around her feet, as one hand flew up to her chest.

"What are you doing?" Sage croaked. She fell to one knee, clutching at her chest, feeling as if her heart was being extracted from her body. She stared up at that little slip of a girl with disbelief. Bonnie couldn't be _that_ powerful.

Bonnie's power coagulated within her center, fanning out to her limbs, heating her skin, blanketing the area in a mushroom cloud of energy. She didn't know this but her eyes were glowing like lanterns.

However, someone walked upstairs interrupting her flow. Bonnie turned her head to regard the person.

Rebekah stared down at Sage unsympathetically. "Leave, you irrelevant sack of flesh" came the simple command that brooked no argument. Sage didn't hesitate getting to her feet, but she did glare at the blond and brunette before disappearing down the stairs.

Alone together, Rebekah raked her eyes over Bonnie. "You're welcome," she said to the birthday girl.

"I had everything under control," Bonnie huffed.

"I'm sure you did," Rebekah extended her hand towards Bonnie. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure in meeting. I'm Rebekah."

"Bonnie," she quickly shook the Original's hand and let go. "You attacked my friend earlier."

"The doppelbitch?"

"The _what_?"

Rebekah shook her head. "Never mind."

Bonnie cleared her throat, "Look, I know I can't threaten you to stay away from Elena and Stefan, but they're my friends and there're at a good place right now."

Pale fingers ran through Bonnie's locks and she stiffened. "My foolish brother compelled Stefan to forget about him, to forget about me, and our time together in Chicago. The effects wear off now that he is aware we have a history or at least they should. From one woman to another, if he's not married, that makes him fair game," Rebekah smiled and stepped away from Bonnie. "Enjoy the rest of your party."

Bonnie had nothing else to say and it wouldn't have made much a difference anyways. Rebekah was going to do what Rebekah was going to do, and essentially that was Stefan and Elena's problem.

Rebekah kept her eyes on Bonnie as she walked down the winding staircase. "I think I like her after all."

When Bonnie made her way back downstairs, Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold" was blasting from the speakers. Quickly singing along, Bonnie danced her way through the crowd.

"Damon!" she yelled knowing he would hear her.

Only it wasn't the one she wanted who responded to her call.

Mr. Dark-Eyes was back and began circling her. Bonnie tracked him as he tracked her and then he extended his hand. It was her party. There was no crime in getting in one dance so long as they kept things clean. Bonnie was still riding her high from almost successfully withdrawing a vampire heart from a vampire chest. That spell should have drained her, but Bonnie felt oddly replenished. This could turn out to be a mistake….

* * *

><p>With the party still in full swing, Elena sauntered her way over to blue-eyed Damon. In all honesty she couldn't recall the last time they talked to each other. It might have been in passing because Damon spent all of his free time with Bonnie, and naturally when Bonnie wasn't boggled down with doing her community service for the cotillion, or hanging out with her and Caroline for a hot minute, then she was with Damon.<p>

Elena had always believed there was a softer side to Damon. He couldn't be all bad though he painted a grim and unredeemable picture of himself when he moved back to Mystic Falls. Now, in the private corners of her mind, Elena could admit that he intrigued her—like seeing a scorpion in real life. He was Stefan's polar opposite. He swooped in with this air of mystery, but then little by little the walls he had erected around himself, he took down a few bricks and let people in.

Elena wouldn't go so far as to label Damon her friend. He was in her life if through and by association. Their common links were Bonnie and Stefan. Yet that didn't mean she didn't care about him in her own way.

She watched him as he watched Bonnie dancing with the other Damon Salvatore. It wasn't difficult to see that Damon was restraining himself the best way he could not to put a stop to it using the measures he was familiar and comfortable with.

He was so engrossed in watching them that it took a minute before he noticed someone was standing beside him.

Damon briefly looked down at Elena. "Yes, Elena?"

"How have you been, Damon? We don't run into each other like we used to."

"I've been busy. What about yourself? Are things still going strong with you and that mummy parading around as my brother?"

Elena shook her head as she stared down at her shoes. "Things between me and Stefan are fine. Bonnie told me what you did for her this morning. That was really sweet of you."

Damon hunched a shoulder and took a sip from the glass in his hand. The ice had melted in his whiskey sour and now it tasted watered down.

"You know me. I'm a sucker for romance."

Elena took a moment to collect her thoughts. She had never been shy around Damon, but she was now. It used to startle Elena that the Damon she used to know wouldn't let a day go by without finding some excuse to talk to her. A lot had been going on back then, so the lines of communication had been open between them almost twenty-four seven it seemed. That clearly wasn't the case now, and Elena hated to say they were strangers to one another, but she didn't know this Damon as well as she knew the old him.

Damon got the sense that Elena wanted to ask him how he was handling Bonnie's ex being back, but wasn't sure if he'd blow up and fly off the handle if she did. In all honesty, the jury was out. Things could sway one way or the other with him at this point. Instead, he tried to distract himself by thinking of how things between him and Elena had changed.

There were days were Damon didn't feel right if he didn't have some type of interaction with the fair Elena Gilbert. Not like he devised ways to corner her and get her alone—okay that was a lie—he did his share of manipulating to ensure that Elena would have to seek his help. Especially if it entailed Stefan because other than Ric there was no one else she could turn to. While Stefan had fallen down his ripper hole for a hot second last year, Damon had hoped with the revelation his brother was not as white as snow, Elena might see him as the better choice.

Unfortunately her love for Stefan ran a little deeper than the superficial. Elena wasn't like other girls who were simply caught up because a guy was hot. She genuinely loved his brother. So coming in between that would take a little more commitment and elbow grease from him if he ever hoped to make some kind of crack in their fortress.

And then one day it seemed he was blindsided by a little witch and Damon never looked back.

"Is there something on your mind, Elena? I can see the wheels in your head turning."

A blush settled on her cheeks when Damon looked at her in that playful yet mischievous way he was known for. "We haven't really talked since you and Bonnie got together. I know she's happy with you, and you want to make her happy…"

"Is this the part where you threaten to seduce me if I do anything to hurt your friend?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

Eyes the color of garnet stones rolled. "No, you peon-brained idiot. I merely wanted to say that I'm glad you two have each other."

Damon hadn't expected that. He knew that before things turned serious with Bonnie that Caroline and Elena had serious objections. They had valid reasons, but Damon didn't need anyone's permission or approval to be with Bonnie. The same couldn't be said for his girlfriend.

Still Elena's confession caught him off guard. He wasn't sure if she was trying to set him up or was being kind because that was the type of person she was.

"Thanks," Damon said a bit silted.

Elena laughed and pushed his arm playfully. "You don't have to say it like you're expecting me to wield a knife."

"Are you packing?"

She laughed again and then sobered. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Shoot."

"Why Bonnie?"

Damon blinked at her—confused. "Isn't it a little late in the day to be asking me that?"

Elena shook her head. "You two were mortal enemies. And then one day you weren't."

Damon sighed. This was old news, so old that shit was on microfilm. "Look, I don't want to get into all of that, Elena. I'm not that Damon anymore and she's not that Bonnie anymore," he paused. "Do you miss the attention I used to give you?"

Her cheeks warmed. "No."

"I smell a liar."

She did kind of miss him but not in the way he was assuming. Elena had gotten used to people depending on her or needing her for something. Caroline was off doing her thing with Matt and when she needed to talk, she usually went to Bonnie. Bonnie had Damon, Caroline, Matt, and on occasion Stefan. Jeremy was mostly self-sufficient these days. It was just weird not having her hands tied, and trying to solve everyone's problems on top of her own.

"Smell what you want, Damon, but you and I both know you're much better off with the girl who is currently in your life."

He couldn't refute that.

"Do you think…not like I care or anything, but do you think I'm the right Damon for her?"

Now that he was receiving a taste of his own medicine, of having someone meddle in his private life, Damon felt the urge to apologize to Elena for devising ways to come in between her and Stefan. A year ago Damon didn't care who he had to hurt or sacrifice to get what he wanted. When he had a goal in mind, he put all of his energy into it. The first time he saw Elena and thought she was Katherine parading around as a high school student, he thought he could make his fantasy into a reality. That he could have everything in life he wanted since 1864. That pipe dream blew up like a pipe bomb and it was one catastrophe after another.

Staring at Bonnie while she danced with her ex made a funny taste rise in the back of Damon's throat. He loved that girl more than life it seemed, and only Damon Salvatore could understand what Damon Salvatore would do to get what he wanted. The tables had turned; he felt like Stefan, and he despised every second of it.

"She does love you," Elena's voice interrupted his reverie.

Damon looked down at the brunette beauty. "I know. Trust me when I say she is the Storm to my Wolverine, the Scully to my Mulder, the Cleopatra to my Marc Antony."

Elena smiled at the analogies. "But I can't answer your question. I'm not Bonnie. Only she knows what's best for her," she offered him her customary I-hope-you-feel-better smile and got lost in the crowd.

DBDBD

Dark-eyed Damon was behind her, holding on to one of her hands. "What were you doing upstairs, _witch?_"

Do not shiver, do not shiver, okay she shivered, Bonnie was slightly annoyed with herself but the way he enunciated the word witch not like an insult but more like a pelvic thrust, certainly made her aching toes curl in her too-tight shoes.

"Oh, you know trying to extract a heart from its chest cavity," she replied flippantly.

Damon spun her around. "You have grown quite powerful since I've been gone."

_You had your chance you blew it. Out of sight out of mind…_

Kelly Clarkson really had no business being in her head at that moment, yet Bonnie couldn't resist.

Bonnie snaked her body closer to Damon, not close enough to touch, but close enough that she felt the fabric of his jacket against her stomach. "I have the power of a hundred witches…there's very little I can't do."

"Hmm," he grunted and stared at her approvingly. "What have you tried? Have you tried levitating something heavier than yourself? Have you tried bending metal, uprooting trees, manipulating the elements?"

Bonnie grinned. "No, I haven't unleashed my inner Magneto or Storm. Do you think I should give it a shot?"

He was behind her again. This time closer to where she felt the imprint of his body aligning with the curvature of her spine. When he spoke, his bottom lip occasionally brushed against the outer shell of her ear.

"You should do what's in your heart, mind, and soul to do, Bonnie. I'm sure you could cure cancer if you wanted to. Is that not an abomination on humankind? I've always felt that witches thought too small, never dreamed big enough. So worried about policing my kind, I think they missed the big picture in helping humans battle everyday diseases."

"Yet should one person hold that much power in their hand to eliminate a disease from the earth? We're not gods, Damon. We're still human, too."

"That's debatable."

She hadn't anticipated his next move, but she was spun out, brought back, and finally dipped. Damon took his time righting her, swaying their bodies to the left and right, holding her close for a moment, feeling her heart pound, and her chest move with her breathing. Reluctantly he let her go.

"Thank you for the dance," he bowed over her hand, kissed it, yet never broke eye contact with Bonnie.

Damon's eyes shifted to the person who materialized behind Bonnie. She didn't need to question who it was. Her special built-in radar told her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw the daggers that were shooting out her boyfriend's eyes. Bonnie reached for his hand and noticed almost at the last second that her ex was still holding her other one. An inner dialogue commenced in her head.

A Damon Salvatore sandwich. Yum.

That's wrong, Bonnie.

Can't we have both?

No.

Please?

Hush, self.

It's my birthday.

Do you really want to have _that _reputation?

It's my birthday. I get a pass.

Let your ex go.

…

I mean it. Or the contents in your stomach will be splattering your new shoes in the next five seconds.

Ugh.

Five.

Okay-okay.

Four.

Sheesh, let me enjoy this for a moment.

Three.

You are_ such_ a killjoy.

Two.

Bonnie wiggled her fingers out of her ex's grasp. Shame flooded her system. How could she think that way especially after the beautiful start to her morning? Damon, with the blue-eyes, had been so good to her and to think those thoughts about her ex seemed treasonous. Maybe it was time for her to sleep off the booze and get herself together before she did something increasingly stupid and unforgiveable. She wasn't weak.

Yet being between them did unmentionable things to her senses. Bonnie was hyper aware of her precarious situation. With her boyfriend draped in black, her ex in gray they were like day and night, an angel and a demon, opposites of the same spectrum yet more alike than they cared to admit.

The tension was palpable. Everything within Damon wanted to snatch Bonnie away from her ex but he'd be stupid not to see the attraction between them. This was going to hurt him but in the long run it would be beneficial because he certainly didn't want to walk around believing Bonnie was with him by default as the other Damon had claimed.

Whatever was lingering in her system towards her ex, Bonnie needed to _really _deal with it and get it out of her once and for all. If he had to stop being her boyfriend for the next fifteen minutes, Damon would do what was necessary to accommodate her. He had been a witness to the chemistry that still sizzled between them—much to his disgust—and listened to their conversation. Dark-eyed Damon always challenged Bonnie in regards to her magic, while he didn't care to know the specifics as long as shit got done. Bonnie looked up to the dark-eyed version of himself whether she was aware of it or not.

And that bothered him. He should be the one to tell Bonnie she could cure cancer. Instead, he was liable to help her blow up a hospital rather than save the people inside.

Bonnie had told him she didn't want to be friends with her ex, but it plain to see she was barely handling being in the gray area.

"Take her for a walk. She needs some air."

Two pairs of eyes snapped up to him, each one lit with confusion.

"Hun?"

"What?"

Cyan eyes moved heavenward. The two Damon's made eye contact. "Take her for a walk outside," light-eyes repeated and was gone before they could raise an objection or question his sanity.

Stefan eyed his brother as he approached noticing he was trying to control his temper. "Do you think that's smart?"

Damon shrugged. "Let's just say I'm taking a page from your book. If I were still chasing Elena I'm sure you'd give her space to choose."

"I would," Stefan answered unequivocally.

"That's what I'm doing. For the next ten minutes or so."

Stefan laid a supportive hand on his older brother's shoulder. "You're growing up, Damon."

The vampire in question grimaced, "I hate it." As far as Damon was concerned, the party was over for him.

Bonnie didn't know how to process what just happened. Her current boyfriend giving her permission to be around her ex was a huge step in the trust department between them. She cast her gaze on dark-eyed Damon and noticed he hadn't stopped staring at her. He extended his hand and Bonnie was tempted to take his offering, but she didn't.

She offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier. You were trying to be a gentleman and I basically threw it back in your face. It was tactless."

"I'm used to being rebuffed by the women I…admire deeply."

Damon never censored his words before and Bonnie could tell it was a stifling situation for him. And she felt responsible for that. If she could dance with him, then certainly she could take a walk if only to make up for her earlier behavior.

Yet she wouldn't touch him. She merely headed to the open patio doors that lead to the huge backyard. Damon followed.

Quite a few people were outside despite the plunging temperatures. Bonnie wrapped her arms around her middle. When she exhaled she could see her breath.

Just because they were no longer together didn't mean he had to stop being chivalrous. Damon removed his suit jacket and draped it over Bonnie's shoulders. She smiled up at him appreciatively, and discreetly took in whiffs of his cologne.

They were quiet for a while. Bonnie stopped walking when they approached a large maple tree. She braced her back up against it.

"Bellezza della notte," Damon whispered and resisted by the skin of his teeth the urge to skim his fingers over her cheek.

Whatever he said made Bonnie blush. "You have to stop doing that."

"Doing what?" he asked coyly. "Speaking to you in my native tongue, which you know I'm increasingly good at using."

Bonnie's enlarged eyes dropped to her feet.

"I'd be happy to give you a private lesson one day. Refresh your memory of how artful and skilled I am."

It didn't take a genius to figure out he wasn't talking about giving her foreign language lessons. Yet that didn't prevent Bonnie's cheeks from filling with blood.

When she chanced making eye contact, he was basically taking up all of her breathing room, looming over her, reducing her in size, wit, and common sense.

"You can consider it an additional birthday present. Yet you haven't accepted my first gift."

Bonnie nibbled a corner of her lip. "If I see what it is…it'll be my choice whether to accept it or donate it to a good cause."

"It's a deeply personal gift."

"What is it?"

Damon whistled. The sound jarred her ears. A minute later, she heard the answering call of an owl and looked up as a great horned owl landed on a branch just above her head. Damon gave another whistle and held out his arm. The owl landed with a natural grace to perch itself on Damon's limb.

Bonnie gasped at the majestic bird as it stared at her with its yellow eyes. "It's beautiful but…what am I supposed to do with an owl?"

Damon shook his head. "The bird is not your gift. This is."

"Oh," it was then that Bonnie caught sight of a small parcel dangling from its talon.

"Untie the band," Damon said.

Bonnie did as instructed and unraveled the knot that was around the skinny leg of the animal, and then opened up the parcel to reveal…

"It's a marble," she dead panned.

Damon's grinned boyishly. "Look closely and more carefully."

Balancing the marble size sphere between two fingers, Bonnie held it close to her eye. In the center she saw a swirling pool of white and purple lights. In fact what she was seeing kind of reminded her of The Milky Way.

She chortled. "This still looks like a marble to me."

"It's not a marble. In your hands you're holding a galaxy."

"Que?" Bonnie asked.

Damon laughed. "It's a treasure from the dark dimension. You'd find all kinds of things in that place. It was something I intercepted the first time I went there, and had it all these years but never met anyone who was worthy enough to give it to. Until now. I'm not sure what it's called—hell there might be a planet with people inhabiting it for all I know, but you are a queen and this should definitely be yours."

Bonnie was too through. There was no way in the world she could accept something of this magnitude. Who the hell gave someone a galaxy? Sure, people could adopt a star out of the sky, but galaxies, potential planets? Come on!

"Damon this is too much," Bonnie exclaimed.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's enough," Damon tossed his arm in the air and the owl went scampering off. He dug in his pant pocket and retrieved a silver chain. Taking the "marble" out of Bonnie's hand, and with some quick slight of hand with his own, Damon turned her little galaxy into a necklace and placed it around her neck.

"You really took that song _He's Got the Whole World in His Hands_ to heart," she teased. "Thank you, Damon," she murmured with full sincerity.

Just as she was about to take a step forward to hug him, Bonnie saw her father approaching.

"Bonnie, I've been looking all over the place for you. I need to speak with you."

"Okay," Bonnie maneuvered around Damon to approach her father.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure in meeting," Damon said and extended his hand towards Mr. Bennett who stared at him in shock. "I'm Damon Salvatore."

"The hell…" Mr. Bennett replied.

"Ah," Bonnie stammered. "He's a distant cousin from Italy. Damon's cousin from Italy who happens to be named Damon Salvatore, but he's from Italy," Bonnie frowned as she replayed her words in her head.

"Distant cousin my ass. They're twins."

"We're not," Damon refuted. "I can assure you we weren't birthed out of the same womb. We just have the extreme misfortune of looking exactly alike and sharing a name as well as taste in women."

Bonnie grabbed a hold of her father's arm hoping to tug him away, but he remained rooted to his spot. "Dad, you said you wanted to talk."

Thomas Bennett kept his gaze locked on Damon finding this a bit too Twilight Zone-ish for him. That was the only reason he allowed his daughter to pull him away. Besides what he needed to discuss with her was important and private.

When they were some distance away, Thomas became uncertain for a moment if he were doing the right thing. But his child needed to know this so he took the plunge. He withdrew an envelope in the shape of a greeting card out of his coat pocket and handed it over to Bonnie.

She accepted it wordlessly. "Another birthday card?" she smiled yet it dimmed when she noticed the slight anguish marring her dad's face.

"Who's it from?" she questioned.

There was no reason to postpone the inevitable so he answered, "Your mother."

Bonnie was certain she heard him wrong because in her mind, her mother was dead. She didn't exist. "My mom?" Bonnie flipped over the envelope and saw no return address but her name was emblazoned in elegant script across the front. "How do you know this is from her?"

"Because…being as obsessed with your mother as I was…I'd know her handwriting in a heart beat. It came in the mail just yesterday."

Bonnie swayed and her father reached out and caught her by the arms to keep her steady. All the earlier excitement from the day left her body and the adrenaline that had been pumping through her system only a minute ago after receiving a freaking galaxy, Bonnie was proud of herself for not wilting like day old lettuce. Her emotions went spelunking and tugged her stomach along for the ride. She covered her mouth.

"Bonnie, baby, are you okay?"

"I need some water."

Thomas took her by the arm and directed her back inside of the house. Dark-eyed Damon was beside her in an instant having listened to her conversation with her father.

"Stay with her," Thomas said and went off to get a glass of water.

Damon pulled out a chair for Bonnie and she sat down. He folded his body to rest on his haunches.

Bonnie eyed the envelope in her hand. Did she want to see what was inside? Did she want to read the words of the woman who took off when she was a toddler and never looked back, never got into contact with her? All these years Bonnie told herself that her mom was dead. Then she tricked herself into believing that Grams, Miranda Gilbert, and on occasion Liz Forbes were her replacement moms and she didn't need her biological mom around. They were enough for her.

Damon rubbed her shoulder.

Her father returned with an ice cold bottle of water which Bonnie accepted. She screwed off the cap, guzzled until she drunk almost half of it, and sat the bottle down on the table. Her eyes never left the envelope.

Then she bolted to her feet and she was off in search of the one person who would understand.

"Elena!" Bonnie nearly shrieked.

The brunette was holding counsel with Matt and Stefan. She turned at the sound of her name being called almost like a banshee. She took one look at the distraught expression on Bonnie's face and wondered what happened now.

"What's going on? Bonnie?"

Bonnie grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her away. She held up the envelope when they stood in a corner. "This is from my mother."

It didn't even take a second for Elena to realize the gravity of the situation. Her eyes widened and she stared at the envelope and then at Bonnie.

"What should I do?"

"Open it," Elena replied definitively.

Bonnie shook her head and then unconsciously twirled her newly acquired necklace between her fingers. It drew Elena's attention for a nanosecond.

"I don't think I can."

"Do you want me to do it?" Elena offered. She knew exactly what Bonnie was feeling because she had gone through the same thing when she learned she was adopted and then when she went on a search to locate her birth mom.

"Where's Damon?"

"I'm not sure. I can go find him for you." And Elena was off.

Too many worlds were colliding for Bonnie's liking. Her past, her present, and depending on what was inside this envelope—her future.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Yep, un-hun, I did it again. I feel like this chapter was all over the place. And I don't know how many times I re-wrote the ending and tried to take out all the inner musings of the characters, but I didn't want to subtract anything because it will all be key for upcoming chapters. I will be introducing Abby, but I won't be following her lackluster storyline on the show. Too many events revolve around Elena, so Abby's reason for leaving MF and never coming back to keep her BFF's daughter (Elena) alive just made me grit my teeth. I don't know why I had it in my head for Book Damon to give Bonnie a galaxy but well—there you go. (You have MIB to thank for that) I didn't want to go with the typical route of him giving her something pertaining to being a witch or loading her with jewels, clothes etc. And TV Damon, he grew up a little and I have plans for him to do even more evolving. We're nearing the home stretch of this, my friends. Oh, and I didn't coin the term doppelbitch. The credit goes to Andrew ****xthesebonesx**** friend which I just found the term rather amusing, and if you haven't checked out her blog on Tumblr I strongly encourage you to do so. Thanks for reading everyone. Love ya!**


	51. Loose Strings

**A/N: Sooo I saw on Tumblr that a few of my readers are over this story. All right, okay. I guess this puts me in good company considering people are over the character Bonnie and have extended that feeling to Kat Graham. The last thing I want to do is lose readership because I don't write these stories for myself, if I did, I'd never post them. Believe it or not, ice doesn't flow through my veins and when I read things like that…well it doesn't exactly make me feel like sunshine and rainbows. But what hurt the most is that I know this person was an avid reader, and someone's input that I valued. If you've come this far in the story and decide to throw in the towel, that's on you. **

**But if you're going to rant about an author throwing in the towel on their story to start another project, and then turn around and do the same thing to a story you've been reading for months, what's the difference? Maybe I shouldn't have been candid about growing tired of writing this, and as a result some lost interest. That certainly wasn't my intent. You live and you learn. IMO I don't think the quality of the chapters I put out has fallen completely in the crapper just because I've lost my steam for this, but everyone has their own perspective on quality. My own frustration with this story aside, I obviously still care about it if I haven't abandoned ship. Now on to the show.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership. Enough said.**

The whole trip was a total bust. Not that it came as any surprise to Luka. The whole flight to Montenegro he spent hoping and praying they wouldn't find anything once they rendezvous with Finn to awaken his mother. Apparently the favor of God had been on his side since they found no trace of her body.

Naturally his father and Finn were severely displeased by the minor setback, but Luka secretly tapped danced in his Jordan's. He wanted to return to his seemingly normal albeit boring life in Mystic Falls and concentrate his efforts on graduating high school and then, putting as many miles between himself and his father upon graduation.

But, Luka should have known that his father would not accept defeat easily and merely said they had to regroup and work out a contingency plan; and not only that but call in reinforcements.

Digging his keys out of his back pocket, Luka slowed his steps when he noticed that the door to his apartment was slightly ajar. He listened very carefully to see if he could hear someone rummaging around, looking for valuables if this was indeed a home invasion. He heard nothing but stark silence. Placing his back against the door, and using his fingers to ease it open, Luka was lining up his own tactic of self-defense in the event he was about to be jumped.

The inside of the apartment was dimly lit. Only the fading sunlight that filtered through the blinds provided enough illumination for him to see that no one was sitting in the living room. Stepping fully inside, Luka looked left, right, behind him, and down the hallway which led to the bedrooms.

He dropped his eyes to the floor thinking there might be muddy footprints or something, but everything was impeccable. Nothing was out of place. Nonetheless, his hackles were still raised as he searched with his senses for another presence.

"Looking for something?"

Luka jumped and then very slowly turned around to face, "Greta! What are you doing here?"

Brother and sister gave one another calculating looks before rushing over to embrace. Luka couldn't remember the last time he saw his older sister. It may have been two or three years ago. Greta had been the rebellious one between them, living life according to her own set of rules, rules that hardly aligned with what their father expected of them. The second she turned eighteen, Greta had packed only her essentials, and threw up the deuces sign. A few days after her disappearance, she sent Luka a text barely explaining her reason for leaving and had made no promise to return or to keep in touch.

To see her now and wondering why she was here, Luka was flabbergasted but he was very happy to see his sister. Things just hadn't been the same without her.

When they pulled apart, Greta smiled at her younger brother. This moment was bittersweet because she wasn't here for a reunion with her estranged family. She was here for business reasons only.

"Where have you been all this time?" Luka asked but then held up a hand. "Does Dad know you're here?"

That notorious half-smile of hers filled with mischief answered his question. Greta walked around the living room, eyeing a few art pieces and rare artifacts her father had collected throughout the years. This place, just like their old house didn't feel like a home. It was hollow, had no heart; it was stifling. Guilt momentarily sliced through her because she left her brother to fend for himself against their father's rigid expectations, but Greta had been like a wild lion living in captivity. She needed to get out.

Now she was back.

"No," Greta answered Luka's question. "He doesn't know I'm here. I like being the element of surprise."

"So why are you here?"

"I heard that Dad has been recruiting. He's planning something big and I merely want to be in on it. He can't possibly shut me out if it's firepower he needs. We're members of one of the strongest witch bloodlines in America…he doesn't exactly have a lot of options."

Luka kept his mouth shut. He had hoped Greta's reasons for coming back would be because she missed them being a family, but that obviously wasn't the case.

Greta flicked her hazel eyes to her brother. "There's another witch here. She's _very_ powerful. Has dad tried to sway her to his side?"

Folding his arms over his chest, Luka felt an irrational sense to protect Bonnie. His sister wasn't the same person he used to know. There was a darkness to her now, yet he tried with everything in him to ignore it.

"She's Elijah's niece, so no, she hasn't been brought on."

Greta smirked. She remembered her father's servitude to the old, distinguished vampire. "Because she's Elijah's niece she _should _be brought in. And how does that work anyways?" she questioned flippantly.

Luka shrugged. "As far as I know, Elijah knew one of Bonnie's ancestors and promised to watch over her family line."

Hearing that caused Greta to snort.

"I miss you Gilly Bean."

For the first time since their reunion, Greta stared at her brother with warmth radiating in her eyes. "You haven't called me that since you were eight. Things must really be bad if you're resorting to pulling out the big guns to hit me in the heart."

Luka took a step closer to Greta. "Things haven't been the same since you left."

She shook her head. "Things haven't been the same since _mom _left," Greta rebutted. "And she had the right idea."

"Right idea about what?"

The siblings turned their attention to the man looming in the door. Tension flared anew and Luka looked between his sister and father and shook his head at Greta not to repeat what he already knew she was going to say.

"I was telling Luka that mom had the right idea about leaving." Pause. "Hey, dad, have you missed me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Later…<strong>

Shattered glass was digging into her flesh. Her body was oddly contorted against the roof of the car that had flipped over several times before coming to a stop. Coughing and wheezing, Bonnie tried to sit up as best she could. There was ringing in her ears, blood in her eyes, and her brain was swimming inside of her skull.

"Damon? Stefan?" Bonnie cried out.

"Bonnie…" Stefan groaned and unclasped his belt. He thudded against the roof, joining Bonnie, nearly squashing her in the process. Her heart picked up in beat as she noticed that the driver side window was completely busted, and Damon was nowhere to be found.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked.

"I think so," Bonnie ignored the pain playing double dutch in her bones. Her only concern was getting out of Damon's flipped car before it ignited. She could smell gasoline.

Stefan righted himself as much as he could. He kicked out the passenger side door, slid out, and then reached for one of Bonnie's hands, and extracted her from the car. She had minor injuries, mostly cuts and abrasions that danced along her hair line, a cut to her cheek, and plenty of cat-like scratches on the back of her hands and arms.

Looking around the wreckage she wondered where her boyfriend had gone off to, and then remembered although somewhat vaguely that someone had pulled him out of the car.

"Where's Damon?" she asked feeling her panic rise.

Stefan shook his head as he searched along the woods surrounding the lone highway for any sign of movement. He could smell blood in the air that didn't belong to him or Bonnie. And there was a lot of it.

"I don't know," he finally answered. "But he's hurt bad, Bonnie.

"Do you see what happened?" Shock was starting to take over. Bonnie was trying to focus but all she could hear beyond the sound of Stefan's voice, was the rage of the elements. She had never felt this inexplicable power before so much that her teeth began chattering, and her limbs were shaking. Her body was ordering her to find her mate and find him fast or there would be hell to pay.

Stefan didn't have time to register what was going on with Bonnie. He snatched her by the hand and tried to push her away from the wreck. "Get to the boardinghouse," he ordered. They were less than two miles away from it. They had been on their way back after attending a special summons at Elijah's.

Already shaking her head, which was swimming, the decision had been made. "I'm coming with you. We have to get to Damon."

"No, Bonnie whatever is responsible for this…it's too dangerous," he argued.

"Stefan, other than you I'm the only one who can fend off whatever or whoever has taken Damon. I'm coming with you. Nothing and no one is going to carve their initials in my boyfriend's ass, but me."

He'd laugh about that later, Stefan told himself. He stiffened. An army it seemed was descending on his and Bonnie's current location. From the smell alone, Stefan could tell they were werewolves.

Swearing, he grabbed Bonnie and began to race through the woods.

* * *

><p><strong>Earlier…<strong>

Bonnie sat lotus style on her bed as she tapped the mysterious card from her mother in her hands. Did she want to read it? Did she want to discover her mother's reason for leaving her, walking out on her life, never to look back? There was a part of her that had a hankering for answers, but there was a much larger part of her that was still willing to live in the dark, to keep the ruse going that her mom was dead even if her physical body wasn't buried six feet underground.

She was soon distracted by her bedroom door opening. Elena strolled in, a wide grin on her face. "Hey, I'm surprised you're up and not loitering in bed after last night."

"I have too much to do today. First being, going through all of this stuff," Bonnie indicated with her hands the stack of birthday gifts waiting to be opened that was piled on her bed.

Elena sat down on the edge and eyed the card in Bonnie's hand. "Still have decided if you want to open that?

Bonnie made a restless motion with her shoulders. "If I do will it really change anything? I have no memory of this woman. I could have passed her on the street and I wouldn't have known. My question is, why is she just _now _reaching out to me?"

Elena took the card out of Bonnie's hand and examined it. "You won't know until you open this and see what it has to say."

A small, child-like expression reflected on Bonnie's face. "What if…what if she wants to meet me?"

"If she did, could you do it?"

Bonnie remained silent. She stared at her lifelong friend feeling as unsure about this like she did when she first came into her powers. Yet she had no answer to Elena's question. It was something she had been grappling with since last night.

After Elena went scampering off to find Damon, Bonnie tried her best not to freak out, but it was an almost impossible feat. So many thoughts ping ponged in her mind that Bonnie wasn't sure what to focus on and what to discard. Her train of thought had been on dark-eyed Damon and the gift he gave her, but those thoughts were instantly derailed when her father handed her that card.

She didn't calm down until Damon had his arm wrapped around her waist and asked if she was ready to leave. The night was still young, but she was no longer in the mood to party. Bonnie made her apologies for leaving early, and then thanked those she could for coming. Damon drove her home, holding her hand the entire way, and they sat and remained silent in the rented Mercedes until Bonnie made a move to climb out of the car. They didn't talk about the letter or the implication while she undressed and climbed into bed. Damon got in with her and spooned.

Bonnie sighed. Her phone began vibrating against her bed. Her brows mashed together when she saw it was Elijah calling.

She answered, "Hey, Uncle Elijah." Bonnie listened for a second. "Yeah, okay I'll see you in a little bit."

"What's up?" Elena questioned the minute Bonnie hung up the phone.

Bonnie rose from her bed. "Elijah is on his way over to pick me up. He says there's something he needs to talk with me about."

"Okay, so I guess we can pick up writing out your thank you cards later," Elena pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, sorry you had to come over here for nothing."

"It's not nothing. Let me know what you decide about opening your mom's letter."

Bonnie nodded yet made no comment. "I'll see you," she said and watched as Elena left her room.

Elena wiggled her fingers and disappeared.

* * *

><p>His spider senses were tingling again. It was the same foreboding sensation Damon got when Jules had been canvassing the area looking for him. From one predator to another, Damon knew when he was being tracked, followed, hunted. He tried to be as nonchalant as possible as he held court with the Mayor and Sheriff who were busy patting themselves on the back due to the decline in mysterious animal attacks. Of course leave it to humans to get too comfortable in their skin and think the worst was over. Sometimes the worst took breaks and allowed its prey to get comfortable, and then that's when the worst came back to strike.<p>

Damon chimed in when necessary, but otherwise he kept his mouth shut and his eyes glued to his phone. He was expecting it to ring. But he wasn't waiting to hear from anyone other than Bonnie, but he knew she was busy doing something with Elena.

"Ah, Mayor Lockwood it's been a while."

Damon's cyan eyes flashed up to the interloper. He frowned because he had never met the man who was of average height, had a weathered face, and receding hairline before. He noticed that Liz stiffened a bit and averted her eyes. The smile on her face was strained, all previous mirth wiped clean. Intrigued, Damon waited patiently for an introduction.

Carol Lockwood extended her hand to Bill Forbes. When he was married, and before he came out of the closet, he had an integral role on the Council. Though she questioned his methods for battling their untimely vampire problem, Bill Forbes had been one of the rare people to see results. And he wasn't arrogant like John Gilbert.

"Bill, so nice to see you again. Are you here for a short visit or are you thinking of moving back to your hometown? We'd love to have you back," Carol Lockwood said pleasantly enough. With her it was sometimes difficult to gauge her sincerity.

Bill Forbes stuffed his hands in his pocket after shaking hands with the mayor. He diplomatically kept his eyes off his estranged ex-wife. "I'm just here to spend time with my daughter. She's been…," Bill scratched the back of his neck, "she's been missing in action much to my chagrin, but I know one of her friends just celebrated a birthday."

"Yeah, that friend being my girlfriend," Damon piped in and extended his hand. "Damon Salvatore."

Bill shook it. His left eye crinkled. "Bill Forbes. I hear you run the Council now," he faced Carol. "He looks a little young to be in such a position of power."

Inwardly, Damon chuckled. If only he knew.

"Damon is an invaluable asset," the mayor draped a manicured hand on Damon's brawny shoulder. "He alone has taken down a few vampires, and provided us with vervain to keep us immune from their mind tricks."

"So I see," Bill mumbled but didn't offer up any type of praise and truthfully Damon hadn't been expecting it. He wasn't getting a good feeling about Caroline's daddy.

"So, Bill," Liz interjected, "what are you doing here? You're no longer a member of the council," she brutally reminded her husband of all he walked away from.

"Well, my daughter is still apart of this community and as a former member I have the right to know that every precaution is being taken into consideration to keep her safe. Besides, it seems things have gotten a little lax."

Bill looked pointedly at Damon yet all Damon could do was smile in return. He was beginning to feel like a politician, pretending to be "for the people" when really he rather eat the people.

Thankfully his phone vibrated. "Excuse me, I have to take this," Damon excused himself and answered. "Hey, babe, what's going on?"

"I'm heading over to Elijah's. Can you meet me there?"

Damon frowned. "Yeah, let me finish up with this stupid council business and I'll be there shortly." Walking back over to threesome, Damon tried his best to look apologetic. "Carol, I'm sorry but I have to cut this short. Something else important just popped up."

"Sure, whatever you need, Damon. Same time next week," she smiled showing her huge teeth.

"Same time," Damon winked. "Sheriff…Mr. Forbes until next time."

Damon walked towards the front door of the Lockwood estate and then found himself entering Elijah Mikaelson's residence with his brother in tow.

The Salvatore gents followed the sound of voices and stood outside of the parlor where members of the Mikaelson clan had assembled. Damon's eyes zeroed in on Bonnie. She was seated in a wing back chair, staring pensively at the moonstone that was perched on the edge of a table.

"What did we miss?" Damon asked and entered the room. He glanced at Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah who made it no secret she was undressing Stefan with her eyes, Kol, before locking gazes with Bonnie once more.

Elijah didn't appear too pleased with his appearance but he could suck it for all Damon cared. If Bonnie wanted him around, he would be around and that was the end of it. He came to stand beside her.

Pulling his lips back from his teeth, Elijah took it upon himself to catch the Salvatore siblings up to speed. If things went down the course they were currently traveling they would eventually be affected by it as well.

"I was just informing Bonnie of my brother Finn's failed attempt to locate and free our mother," Elijah began. "Klaus was able to intercept her and move her to another clandestine location; however, we believe preemptive measures should be taken."

"Such as?" Damon folded his arms over his chest.

Bonnie looked up at him then. Her eyes were weary. "In short they want me to lift the spell on the moonstone so in the event Esther is freed, she won't be able to use it to create that supreme supernatural being that can potentially annihilate you, me, werewolves, and whatever else goes bump in the night."

To Damon's ears it sounded simple, but from the dejected expression on Bonnie's face, lifting something of that magnitude would take more than candles and Latin to crack. An uneasy feeling lanced through him because intuition was telling him there was more to this story.

Rebekah rose from her seated position on the chaise. "But you're leaving out the best part, Bonnie. This supreme being cannot simply be created out of thin air. It has to be _born_ into the world, according to the legend."

Stefan straightened his spine as Rebekah approached him. He didn't blink or move a muscle as the blonde original stood less than two feet from him. There was a semi-feral look to her eyes before she smiled. "The doppelganger exists for a reason. She's not here to simply torment her clone, she's to be used a vessel to give birth to the supreme supernatural that will invariably lord over all supernatural entities."

Damon and Stefan exchanged baffled looks.

"Okay, wait a second," Damon waved his hand back and forth. "Are you trying to say that Elena will be used as an incubator for this spawn in order to bust out into the world?"

Rebekah, who was more than tickled by the news, stared at Damon over her shoulder. "That's precisely what I'm saying," she turned back to face Stefan.

A vein had popped out on his temple and he held Rebekah's challenging stare. "Well, I'm not going to let that happen."

"How, Stefan? Unfortunately no human would be able to survive giving birth to such a being," she played with the lapel of his shirt.

Stefan grabbed her hand and yanked it away.

Klaus chuckled and held a finger up to his mouth as he made eye contact with Kol.

Bonnie rose then having heard enough of the glee in Rebekah's tone at Elena's possible doom. She recalled what Ayanna had said to her in her dream not that long ago. One day she would have to choose a side. This very well may be the last and final round of poker and it was either time for her to go all in or fold.

"Look," Bonnie said sharply drawing all eyes on her. "It won't come down to that. If I can find someway to protect Elena, then we all might be able to avoid destruction."

Klaus chose that precise moment to put in his two cents. "If and might…your words inspire such confidence."

"Klaus…go have a stadium full of seats," Bonnie retorted.

Damon snickered and so did Kol although he wasn't entirely sure what Bonnie meant just a second ago, but it never ceased to amuse him, someone attempting to outwit his brother.

"My job isn't to inspire confidence. It's to get shit done. That being said," Bonnie locked eyes with Elijah, "I can't and I won't lift the moonstone spell."

Elijah's jaw went a little slack in disbelief. "Bonnie, you must understand the ramifications of what may happen if my mother is ever awakened."

"I get all of that, Elijah, but listen to me. My grandmother died trying to lift a tomb spell. A spell that was less than two hundred years old. The magic surrounding the moonstone is five times that. It would take _all _and then some of my power to lift something of that magnitude. And I'm sorry," Bonnie laughed nervously, "but I'm not going to put my life or the lives of a legion of witches because that's what it would take the break the spell, on the line so you all can retain your lives. I'm not dying in your place and I'm not going to subject anyone else to that fate either."

The room was so quiet the vampires could hear a mouse pee.

Bonnie continued. "You all have lived several lifetimes. I haven't. You're immortal so I suggest you find some other way to stay that way. But I can't help you with that," reaching for her purse, Bonnie threw the strap over her shoulder. "Damon, I'm ready to go."

Placing his hand on the small of his girlfriend's back, they walked outside with Stefan pulling up the rear. No one said a word to one another until they climbed into Damon's car.

Stefan was on his cell fingers flying over the keys as he called Elena. He needed to fill in her on this new development. Just when he thought things had gotten quiet and would stay that way, another bomb had to blow those plans up like incendiaries in the jungle.

"When did Elijah come up with that stellar idea for you to try to lift the moonstone spell?" Damon questioned, gripping the steering wheel in his hand.

Bonnie kept her eyes locked on the outside world as it whizzed by. "Who knows. He said he didn't want to bring it up at my party. I couldn't even get one day to enjoy being eighteen before I'm dragged kicking and screaming…"

And before she could finish her point, she was jerked back against the seat as Damon slammed on the brakes. He turned the steering wheel to avoid smashing into the person who happened to be standing in the middle of the road. But something slammed into the car regardless.

Bonnie screamed as the car flipped and rolled. She shut her eyes and could hear nothing but the sound of metal twisting, glass breaking, and the roar of blood in her ears. Something knocked into the back of her head that felt like a fist but it could have been Stefan's knee or foot. It didn't knock her out but she did see stars, and bit clean through her tongue.

The car stopped rolling and lied upside down.

* * *

><p><strong>Prior…<strong>

Greta cleared away the dinner plates, easily falling back into the role she used to play when she lived under her father's roof. Of course he was deeply suspicious of her showing up out of the blue, having gone months of nothing but silence and zero communication. Jonas couldn't escape thinking his daughter might be a Trojan horse sent here to spy on him or dismantle his plans. He had been careful not to reveal anything to anyone about his intentions. Jonas didn't even want to let Luka in on what he had planned, but he needed his son.

His daughter on the other hand? Reading Greta was tricky because like him, she had perfected the art of blending into the shadows, of being a chameleon and only revealing what you wanted others around you to believe about you.

Greta retook her seat and pulled out her tarot cards. Jonas hated tarot cards.

"How bout we play a little game," Greta suggested and shuffled her cards.

Luka flicked his eyes from his sister to his father who looked agitated. Jonas had always been high strung and overbearing but it had increased after their failed attempt to locate Esther and break her free to bring about this supposed new world order or world domination the two of them were organizing.

"I have a much better suggestion," Jonas settled his elbows on the table and scowled at Greta. "Why don't you explain what you're doing here?"

Greta continued to shuffle the cards yet she kept her eyes on her father, a grin on her face. "I'm here because whether you want to admit it or not, you need my help. We've had our beef in the past, dad, and I've always been able to sense when you were planning something big. I merely want to be apart of it."

"Just like that?" Jonas asked and briefly grew distracted by the first card Greta placed on the table. "You think by showing up unannounced and saying you want to be apart of some great plan that everything is automatically forgiven? You turned your back on this family. How do you we know you're not going to do it again?"

The young woman in question shrugged. "You don't know. And that's the beauty of everything, dad. Being the wild card." Greta placed another card down.

Luka knew a little bit about tarot cards and what he was seeing made him squirm uncomfortably in his seat. He reached over and took the stack out of his sister's hand before she could lay the last and final card down.

"It's been a long day. We should talk about this later, sleep all this tension off and start fresh in the morning."

Luka's words were seemingly ignored since Jonas and Greta were locked in a staring competition.

Greta gave in and threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. Dad is it all right if I crash here? If not I can go to a hotel."

Jonas took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, you can stay. I have an errand I need to run so I'll be back later."

Luka checked the time. It was a little after ten. He knew his father didn't have a social life and wondered where he was going. He watched as Jonas grabbed his jacket, keys, pocketed his phone, and slipped out of the apartment.

"Think he has a booty call?" Greta asked and couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her tone.

Luka grimaced. "I don't want to think about dad having sex."

"How do you think _you _got here?" Greta teased. "I'm off to take a shower. Put in a DVD or something. It's much too early to go to bed."

With his sister getting lost in the apartment, Luka stared at the first tarot card Greta had pulled from the stack. It was the card of death.

Jonas for his part drove to the other side of town and parked a block away from the Gilbert residence. His first attempt had been a failure in resurrecting Esther. Finn was still willing to be used as GPS to locate her body. It had been moved from its original hiding place, but there would only be a matter of time before he found it.

Walking down the block, Jonas slipped into the Gilbert house through the back door. When would people learn to lock their doors when they knew they lived in a town overrun with vampires? Jonas shook his head and listened. Someone was coming down the stairs, but the steps were leading away from his current location. He hid in the laundry room that was adjacent to the kitchen. When the coast was clear, he quickly slipped upstairs and easily found Elena Gilbert's bedroom.

The shower was going and he hoped what he needed would be in her room and not currently around her neck.

Luck was apparently on his side tonight—for once. Spotting the original witch's talisman, Jonas picked it up, examined it for a second before sliding it into his pocket. He took a few strands of Elena's hair just as a precaution and left the house through the front door this time. Now there was only one thing left for him to collect.

* * *

><p><strong>Now…<strong>

Bonnie felt them coming from everywhere. She awkwardly looked over her shoulder to see how many were chasing them, but it was impossible. Stefan was literally dragging her along and she couldn't say her feet were actually touching the ground as they bolted through the woods.

"They're catching up to us!" she shouted.

Grim, Stefan said, "I know."

Beings that moved almost as fast as vampires managed to separate Stefan from Bonnie. In one instant she was holding his hand and in the next she clasped nothing but air. Bonnie slid to a stop, looking at her empty hand as if waiting for an epiphany to occur. She looked up, around, in front of her, and behind her. She could hear a struggle possibly fifty yards away, and coming from her left she heard the snickers of five or six werewolves clearly watching the show she couldn't see.

A whirl of something sped by turning Bonnie in a complete one-eighty. When the world stopped spinning, and she was better able to focus. Standing across from her was a woman with her hand wrapped tightly around Stefan's neck. He struggled against her immoveable weight.

Stefan twitched when a dart was imbedded into his arm. Vervain more than likely.

"The witch, I presume?" the woman asked snidely. She was beautiful in a grungy and dirty way. Her clothes were plain but were caked with dirt and mud as if she had been traipsing through a forest for days. Her blonde hair was tangled, and littered with twigs and leaves. She looked positively primitive.

Bonnie stiffened her spine, refusing to be intimidated although she was petrified, and she wondered how the woman knew what she was. "Where's the other one?"

The woman merely shrugged her shoulders. "I would be more concerned about making it out of these woods alive if I were you."

"And since you're not, and I'm assuming not all that smart either, I'll ask again…where's Damon?"

The woman growled and clenched her hand tighter around Stefan's throat who was beginning to struggle less and less.

"Bonnie…run…"

That word of advice earned Stefan a violent punch from his captor. "No talking you," she laughed and returned her attention to Bonnie. "Don't look so frightened. My beef isn't with this one."

"Who are you?" Bonnie questioned.

"You don't need to know that."

Bonnie felt like she was grasping at straws by this point. She had no clue where Damon was. If he was alive. Seriously injured. Bonnie spoke through the rising bile in the back of her throat, "If this is about revenge, you got what you wanted. Just let him go," Bonnie said indicating with the nod of her head towards Stefan.

"Revenge? What would make you think this was about revenge? Oh," the woman feigned surprise. "Would it have anything to do with the werewolves you and your little boyfriend killed a few months back? My pack mates to be more specific."

Bonnie gulped. Would this shit with the werewolves ever end? Damon kills Mason, and then Jules and company arrive—guns blazing. Bonnie and Damon take out Jules and company except for the lone wolf who managed to get away. Bonnie was not in the mood to kill today.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Mason, and Jules, and everyone else. But we didn't have a choice."

The woman's smile was sardonic at best. "There is _always_ a choice. It's just that when a vampire or a witch chooses one someone else suffers."

Bonnie felt like she just got slapped in the face. That sounded strongly like something she would say to a vampire. "And werewolves have never hurt anybody?"

"Most of us try not to, but there are times were its unavoidable."

"I'm not going to justify my actions because I'm just as responsible for what happened to your friends, but I don't know how much you knew about Mason, but he was in league with a psychotic bitch…

The woman held up a hand and rolled her eyes. "Save me the speech about Katherine Pierce. Yeah, she was a bitch and I'm glad she's dead. That still doesn't excuse what that vampire _did_ to Mason. He could have let him go, but he didn't. He wants to take from us, we'll take from him. I'm done talking now."

Bonnie could not anticipate what the crazed she-wolf would do next. Just as Bonnie was ready to deliver an aneurysm, the she-wolf stabbed Stefan clean through the throat with a six-inch double edged blade.

"NO! STEFAN!" Bonnie's screams lit the area sparking a cacophony of laughs from the surrounding werewolves.

Everything unfolded in slow motion because in reality Bonnie could see Stefan beyond her fingertips, but he seemed like he was miles away. The night was eerily still and the only thing she could really focus on was the vampire who was clutching his throat as he fell sideways to the ground.

Bonnie sped over to Stefan. Her knees landed in the dirt as she crawled over to him, her hand instantly covering the gaping wound in his neck that spurted blood like a geyser. "Stefan, hold on!"

His greenish-gray eyes were a little opaque, his mouth hung open in the shape of an O, his body was rigid against the ground as he struggled to breathe.

The other werewolves were drawing near. It was their opportunity to finish what their leader had started, and it was even better considering Bonnie was alone and unprotected. Bonnie for her part, still had no idea where Damon was. She could curse the fact she didn't have a telepathetic link to him.

"This isn't working," Bonnie mumbled to herself. She knew what Stefan needed. Blood and she was the only one available to give it to him. Without a second hesitation, she found a sharp rock and slit her wrist. Bonnie attempted to press her bleeding wrist against Stefan's mouth who tried to turn his head away.

Bonnie huffed, in no mood for his legendary stubbornness when it came to drinking human blood. "Drink the damn blood, Stefan!" Bonnie grabbed a hold of his jaw and pried it open forcing her wrist between his teeth.

As he began to drink from her, Bonnie looked around her surroundings. She was momentarily distracted as her blood began to flow and fill in the wound on Stefan's neck. Her attention inexplicably drew to the shadowy figures that were converging closer and closer, and had formed a circle around them.

"Incendia!" Bonnie said and watched with grim satisfaction as a circle of fire lit around her and Stefan. The werewolves standing on the outside cursed and crouched into defensive crouches. The ring of fire caught them by surprise, but the flames only shot a few feet off the ground and any werewolf would be able to jump over it.

While Stefan continued to drink, Bonnie thought she'd feel weakened, but she had to get them out of this alive. She began to chant and demand that the elements protect her. One werewolf had scaled a tree, ready to leap over the flames and land within the circle, but Bonnie caught him in a ball of fire, and he quickly went up in smoke.

Bonnie chanted louder despite the screams and protestations of the werewolf she sat on fire. Sensing that her prior show of power hadn't served as a warning and more were going to try, Bonnie raised the flames, made it so dense that she couldn't see through it.

Then she heard a familiar grunt. Bonnie lowered the flames and saw Damon being dragged along the ground by his foot. He was roughly propped up, his head wrenched backwards as the other werewolves surrounded him. Their canines lengthened and their eyes began to glow that tawny yellow. Two werewolves stretched Damon's arms out and were fully prepared to bite into him like a chew toy. The she-wolf from earlier entered the picture and withdrew her knife yet again and pressed it into Damon's neck.

"Don't!" Bonnie shouted.

Stefan ejected his fangs from Bonnie and quickly got to his feet, ready to come to his brother's aid. His face vamped out, his hands balled into fists. He was nothing but a blur of movement as one werewolf was catapulted in the air and landed as a mangled corpse on the ground.

"Get him!" the she-wolf ordered and then redirected her attention back to Bonnie as two of her other cronies fled to do her bidding. "Say goodbye," the woman said and drew her hand back for the killing blow.

Something within Bonnie snapped. She pushed to her feet, her hand outstretched and she mumbled a single word:

"_Die._"

The werewolves toppled over, groaning, hands pressed to their chests and then like bottles popping, their hearts exploded out of their bodies.

The ring of fire extinguished as Bonnie dropped to her knees, exhaustion catching up to her. Her vision blurred and she tasted blood. It was pouring out of her nose.

Damon was beside her in an instant, cradling her in his lap. Bonnie fixed her eyes on him. The entire right side of his face was covered in blood as well as his hands. Bonnie didn't want to know who and how many he killed.

"It's okay," Damon murmured and rocked her. "Everything is going to be okay."

Chapter end.

**A/N: I had a loose end to tie up, and I'm sure it seemed like this chapter came out of nowhere since I usually have a ton of build-up, but its time to speed things along. Not sure if you remember back in Night of the Wolf Pt 2 there was a wolf that didn't tumble over the edge of the ravine. It had always been my intent for the wolf to come back and try to finish what Jules started. Unfortunately when a Bennett is involved your plans become a moot point. And I needed a break from the relationship angst, which I will get back to but some other things need to happen. Thank you to my faithful readers and reviewers for tuning in. Until next time…love you! **


	52. Will It All Away

**A/N: *clears throat* THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE! It was truly unexpected and it really did lift my spirits back up and as a result my love for this story has been renewed, as evidence by this update. You guys are my ride or die posse and I wouldn't have it any other way. I was soooo ready to throw in the Bamon towel and go riding off into the sunset to explore another pairing for Bonnie, but I can't. You know you're in deep when you keep wanting to call your nephew Stefan or Damon lol. Here is the latest. Enjoy!**

**Special note: For those who follow Don't Ask Don't Tell and The Good Girl I will try to update sometime before this month is over lol. I promise.  
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Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

An expensive pair of kicks paced back and forth across a hardwood floor. An olive toned hand raked through short cropped midnight hair furiously.

"It didn't work!" Tyler seethed into his cell phone.

The voice on the other end replied, "What do you mean it didn't work? What happened?"

Shaking his head back and forth Tyler wasn't in the mood to recant how eight werewolves were managed to be done in by a single black female. He paused to look out the window, stared at the clouds rolling lazily by a crescent moon. Next week was the full moon cycle. He was already feeling on edge, tense, and irritable. Tonight had been a total failure which certainly didn't help his mood. His anger and feelings of injustice had led him to this moment, chased with his fear of being discovered, Tyler Lockwood felt like a sitting duck and a ticking time bomb.

He gripped his cell phone tighter in his hands. Any tighter and it might burst into pieces. "You promised me that your spell would work. That the wolves would be able to get the jump on the Salvatore's and rip them to pieces. You didn't deliver! They're still _alive _and if they find out I was the one behind tonight's attack, I'm fucked!"

Tyler was met with silence which served to further tick him off. "Hello!" he barked.

"You need to calm yourself down. I did what you paid me to do. I upheld my end of the bargain. Sorry if things didn't work out in your favor. Did they have help?"

Yes, they did but Tyler wasn't going to bring Bonnie into the middle of this anymore than she already was. He understood her part in what happened to Mason, and though she may have been an indirect cause in his uncle's death, she certainly hadn't been the one to kill him.

"I don't know," Tyler hedged.

His denial was followed up with taunting laughter. "Lying doesn't become you, Mr. Lockwood. You don't have to protect her. I know all about the witch."

Tyler zipped his lips. When he concocted this whole plan he left Bonnie out of it. He would deal with her in his own way. Besides, it was hard to kill someone you've known your entire life like they're a stranger on the street. He figured with Damon and Stefan out of the picture, Tyler wouldn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder for the duration of his time in Mystic Falls, and he'd be able to get retribution for Mason. He could in essence kill several birds with one stone. Damon and Stefan would be dead—dead and Bonnie would be without her boyfriend. Sure he hadn't been doing this simply for Mason, but for everyone else Damon and Stefan killed.

"She has nothing to do with this," Tyler said. "The plan didn't work and now I'm back at square one and if those leeches figure out I'm behind it, they could make good on their promise to take out me and my mom."

"I don't know what to tell you, Tyler other than the fact you should have had a better plan. With a witch protecting them, one who is hella powerful by the way, did you really think anything other than total disaster would happen? I did what _you _paid me to do. Sorry things didn't work in your favor. My advice to you is to lay low. If you come up with a better plan and another two grand, I might consider helping you again. Until said times arrives, don't ever call this number again."

Click.

He was met with the dial tone. Tyler pulled his phone from his ear, stared at it for a second before throwing it at the wall.

Tyler took a seat on the edge of his bed. There had been a purpose to him going to Florida over the summer. He wanted answers. Finding Mason's motley crew of friends had been his number one priority and he stumbled upon a few surfers who were close to Mason, but they didn't turn out to be wolves. On his last and final night, he met the only wolf to survive the surprise attack on Damon and Bonnie at the boardinghouse. Carleigh.

Carleigh had been sure the vampire that Brady nipped before he jumped over the ravine would have met his end, but Tyler quickly burst her bubble and told her that somehow, someway Damon still lived. Carleigh had been livid upon hearing the news and then began to form a new ironclad plan.

But Tyler learned some invaluable information; a bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire. Good to know.

It had been Carleigh's idea to bring in a witch who could increase the strength of her pack since they were going up against vampires who were close to two hundred years old. Carleigh provided the witch, Tyler supplied the payment.

Several times he questioned the intelligence of his decision and wondered if he were doing the right thing. But any time he saw Damon strolling around his house for his bi-weekly Council meeting like he owned the place, it renewed his determination. He wanted Damon out of his life, although the vampire hadn't made a move to strike against him. Still, it was hard being forced to sometimes hold court with the man responsible for his uncle's death.

He had been in the woods tonight to make sure things went according to plan. Tyler kept himself at a distance and watched the drama unfold. Things were swaying in the wolves favor until Bonnie was unleashed and everything went to hell in a hand basket.

Tyler couldn't explain what it was his eyes saw. He saw Bonnie, tending to Stefan, and could hear her yelling for Carleigh not to kill Damon and the next, Stefan was off breaking bones and severing heads and Bonnie muttered one word and any werewolf standing in her kill zone dropped to their knees, dead.

Tyler had been absolutely and positively floored!

He had no idea what to do. Should he flee? Should he enter the picture and try to finish what had been sat in motion months ago? Should he pretend he saw the wreck and came to lend a hand and act like he had no idea what was going on? Tyler was rooted to the spot with a sever case of indecision. All he knew was that he couldn't expose his part in what happened tonight.

He booked.

Later that same night, he returned but the evidence of the earlier attack had been turned to burning rubble. Tyler stared in incredulity.

Lesson learned, let sleeping dogs lie. Yet this question began to fester within Tyler…

Just how powerful was Bonnie Bennett?

* * *

><p>Greta hung up her phone and pocketed her cell the minute her bedroom door opened. She offered her brother a beguiling smile, but he knew her too well to buy into it.<p>

"Who were you talking to just now?" Luka queried.

"Just finishing up some earlier business."

Folding his arms over his chest, Luka stared at his sister. "What are you really up to, Greta?"

The witch in question rolled her eyes. "You're acting just like dad, Luk, always thinking the worst of me. I'm here for a good cause, or at least I think it's a good cause. I'm sorry if you and dad can't accept that."

Luka wanted to believe that was her real reason for being here, but he knew better. There was no telling who Greta might have ran with, befriended, or bedded since taking off into the night.

"I'm going to bed," he told her. "Do you want to go to breakfast tomorrow?"

"At the lone restaurant in town?" she grinned. "I heard it's all the rage here, being it's the _only _restaurant in town."

Luka shook his head. "It's not the only restaurant in town. Good night, Gilly Bean."

"Night, Luka. And don't forget…always keep salt next to your bed."

* * *

><p>Elena jumped to high heaven when she reentered her room after sneaking off to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Slapping a hand on her chest in a knee jerk reaction to seeing a dark figure loitering on her bed, Elena turned on the light.<p>

"Turn it off," Stefan said in a guttural voice.

"Stefan?" Elena turned the light off and crossed over to her boyfriend. In the darkness of the room she couldn't make out his features, but in the glimpse she got of him, Stefan was in bad shape. She sat down next to him. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Stefan's head shifted only infinitesimally in her direction. He was still wearing his bloodied and torn clothing from earlier tonight. He didn't want the light on because the whites of his eyes were black and his fangs had yet to recede into his gums. For some reason he couldn't "turn off" his vampire face to save his life. Two hours had passed since he was nearly decapitated in the woods, two hours since he snapped and twisted bones into dust, two hours since Bonnie's delicious erection inducing blood flowed in his mouth.

Just thinking of her heady blood made Stefan want to tear something apart. He shouldn't be here. Close to Elena and her warm skin and enticing scent. But he couldn't go home because Bonnie was there providing an even bigger temptation. How Damon hadn't drained her dry was a miracle.

"We were attacked," he finally said, his words slurring a bit because of his fangs.

Ice flowed through Elena's veins. Something was seriously wrong with her boyfriend. She knew that instantly. You don't date a vampire and not recognize the signs of one who was ready to go off. Very tentatively she reached for his hand, but Stefan pulled out of reach.

"By whom?" she asked despite the sting his rebuff caused.

"Werewolves. They came out nowhere. Friends of Mason's. Wanted revenge. Almost got it, but…Bonnie…"

"Bonnie was there!"

"She's okay. She saved my life," and condemned me at the same time Stefan wanted to add, but didn't.

"Just tell me what happened to you, Stefan. You're shaking."

_I'm shaking because I'm restraining myself. I want to rip into your skin, feed on your blood until you shrivel up and die! _

That was the ripper, blood fiend talking. Stefan replied. "I shouldn't be here."

Elena made a move to wrap her arms around him, but having anticipated the action, Stefan flew across the room and braced his back up against the corner of the wall.

Gasping, Elena rose from the bed. Her hand found its way back to her neck and that's when she noticed she wasn't wearing…

"My necklace," she whispered. She had taken it off before getting in the shower like she did every night, and like every night she placed it back on before climbing into bed. She didn't do that tonight.

Stefan heard what she whispered. Elena couldn't see it, but he was smiling—evilly. He took a step forward, his boot making the floorboard creak. Stefan dragged his tongue across his bottom lip getting himself ready. Elena could see him becoming a giant mass of danger heading straight for her. When Stefan crossed into the sliver of moonlight that shone into the room through the bay window, Elena caught a glimpse of his face.

She held out a hand in warning. "Stay back, Stefan. This isn't you."

"All I need is one taste," Stefan said in a voice that was deceptively too calm.

Just as Stefan was preparing to lunge for her, and Elena was getting ready to scream, something crashed through her window and intercepted Stefan. There was a scuffle that her poor human eyes couldn't make out. All she saw were two dark shadows tussling on the floor, followed by the sounds of grunting, ungentlemanly cursing, and then finally a howl of pain so fierce that Elena covered her ears.

One dark figure rose while the other remained subdued on the floor.

"Well, I think that should take care of it."

At that, Elena snapped on her light at the same time her bedroom door burst open. Alaric, armed with his crossbow, and Jeremy with a…boot, Elena frowned, they observed the scene in front of them. Stefan lay sprawled on the floor, Damon stood poised over him.

Jenna was approaching, but Alaric quickly passed his crossbow to Jeremy to hide it from view, and then blocked the way.

"What the hell is going on?!" She questioned and tried to maneuver around RIc but he wasn't budging.

"A tree branch somehow came through the window," Ric lied and then nodded at Damon to get him and his brother out of here.

"A tree branch, really, Ric?" Jenna finally shoved her way inside and expected to see…well she wasn't sure but she was pretty damn sure that a tree branch didn't curse like a sailor. However, she skittered to a stop when sure enough there _was_ a tree branch lying in the middle of Elena's bedroom.

Her eyes flicked up to her niece in disbelief.

"How did that happen?"

* * *

><p>Damon manhandled Stefan all the way to the boardinghouse. It wasn't really necessary considering he snapped his brother's neck, but he only remained unconscious for half of the trip home.<p>

"I'm not going inside, Damon," the younger Salvatore protested. "Bonnie's in there. If I see her I might kill her."

Sighing loudly, Damon narrowed his eyes. "Try it and I'll kill you. She's not here. She's with Caroline. Get in the house, Stefan."

"I can hear her heart beating."

"That's your heart, you fool. You're supped up on adrenaline. Now," Damon caught Stefan by the back of his shirt and promptly shoved him upstairs, told him to take a shower, and then to sleep it off.

Dragging a hand across his face, Damon paraded over to the wet bar. Once again too many events happened all at once that he had no idea where to start to place things in order of importance. He could certainly pat himself on the back on getting to Elena's on time, and stopping his brother from turning her into a late-night snack. In fact he shouldn't have allowed Stefan to wonder off after Caroline came to pick Bonnie up while they made quick work of getting rid of those bodies by setting them on fire. The scent of burning wolf nearly singed all of his nose hairs and Damon wanted nothing else but a shower and his girlfriend. But naturally he had to go save his brother from imminent disaster.

Damon never paid that much attention to Stefan's blood drinking schedule. After he learned that Elena had been breast-feeding Stefan for lack of a better phrase, Damon left him to it and figured Stefan had everything under control. Apparently that wasn't the case if he lost his mind after getting a hit of Bonnie's blood.

Yet could Damon really blame him? Bonnie's blood was like drinking from a unicorn. It was hypnotic, the flavor extraordinarily hard to find in any other living specimen on the planet, and it was spiced with her power. Stefan probably felt as if he had been pumped full of gamma radiation. He should probably check on him to make sure he wasn't attempting squeeze his frame into a pair of purple cutoff shorts.

Checking the time, Damon held off on calling Bonnie. He'd call her in the morning and then head over to Caroline's to pick her up and drive her to school, that is, if she were in the mood to go.

He remembered how she reacted the last time they battled werewolves and they had that amazing heart-to-heart. Bonnie hadn't wanted to kill, she had been driven to kill, and she despised herself for it.

Sitting down in his favorite chair, Damon crossed his legs, held his tumbler of brandy in one hand, while the other propped up his chin.

Bonnie had done something Damon never thought he'd ever see her do. She single-handedly took down six werewolves with a single word. She made their hearts plop out of their chests in the same fashion someone would flick dust from beneath their fingernails. Part of him was impressed with her skill and talent, while another more base part of him—probably the part of him that fueled his self-preservation—was a little terrified of what she could be capable of.

Taking a sip of his drink, Damon replayed that scene over and over in his mind.

His musings were interrupted when the door to his house blew open and a whirlwind by the name of Elena Gilbert rushed inside.

"Where is he?"

Damon was standing in front of her barring the way. "You shouldn't be here right now, Elena. He's not stable."

Her whiskey-colored eyes stared at him beseechingly. "What happened to him, Damon? He said he was attacked by werewolves and that Bonnie saved him. Did he have blood? Did he drink her blood?"

"Yes," Damon stated matter-of-fact, "and because of that he's barely holding himself together. That's why it's not safe for _you _to be here right now. Go home."

Elena stubbornly shook her head. "No, I need to stay. I need to be here with him."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Chick, do you have a death wish?" he bit out through clenched teeth. "My brother is high as _fuck _right now and he'll confuse you with an all-you-can-eat buffet if he lays eyes on you. Now spare me from having to go after Alaric, Jeremy, and Jenna if they come after me because I couldn't stop my brother from killing you. Go home, Elena."

Pressing her lips together out of frustration and concern, Elena finally noticed how disheveled and bloody Damon was as well.

"Is Bonnie okay? Are you okay?"

Damon nodded. "We're all fine." He lightly gripped Elena's elbow and directed her back to the front door. He opened it and gently pushed her outside. "I'll let Stefan know you stopped by and that your blind love for him nearly ended in a Shakespearian tragedy. Be careful driving home, Elena."

He closed the door in her face, blew out a breath of hot air and bounded up the stairs. He made his way to Stefan's room, opened the door, only to find nary a trace of his brother. The double doors leading to the balcony were wide open.

"Crap," Damon muttered.

* * *

><p>Unable to sleep, Bonnie snuck out of the Forbes residence and sat out on the front porch. Every time she closed her eyes she saw nothing but blood, guts, and hearts. She saw herself as some flame in the night killing any and everything that displeased her. She saw herself standing on a pile of bodies, her kingdom of corpses.<p>

She couldn't take it.

The night breeze chilled her skin, made her feel numb. Bonnie didn't want to go down this road again. She didn't want to use her powers for _this, _for taking lives. She was sure that wasn't the purpose or design of magic but that was how she chose to use it. Bonnie could have done a number of things, but they simply weren't good enough. Damon had been in danger, Stefan had been slowly bleeding to death, although she wasn't sure a vampire could bleed to death, and she knew she would be killed the minute the Salvatore's were dead. Her options had seemed severely limited so Bonnie did the spell she attempted to pull on Sage only last night.

Like a double-edged sword she had been fortunately and unfortunately successful.

A lone tear streaked down her cheek. A foreign hand wiped it away.

Bonnie jumped and sighed when she saw who was sitting next to her.

"I've been looking for you all night, cara?" he continued when she didn't respond. "What happened tonight?"

Bonnie shook her head. She didn't want to speak out loud what she did. It was too horrible.

Damon kept his gaze locked on the withdrawn expression on Bonnie's face. "Would it have anything to do with what happened in the woods tonight?"

"You were there?"

Her question sounded almost accusatory. Damon shook his head. "No, I happened to be passing through and by the time I arrived, there was nothing but the charred remains of… something," Damon's eyes dropped to Bonnie's hands. Her knuckles were covered with bruises. He checked her face again and saw numerous cuts and abrasions. "Tell me, what happened?"

Bonnie opened up and told him everything, starting from the time she left Elijah's up until now. Damon listened intently, heard the tremble in her voice as she explained in vivid detail what lengths she had to go to in order to stop the gang of werewolves from killing her boyfriend.

He hadn't been around when she was in danger, which happened to be a first. If they still had their link he would have sensed her in distress, but all he got was a vague impression that something was wrong. It was the "what" he couldn't answer.

Feeling impotent, Damon wasn't accustomed to that _at all _and he hated it. But he pushed that to the back of his mind. He could see Bonnie's physical scars but he knew it was the emotional and mental ones he needed to be worried about. He carefully wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her lithe frame closer.

More tears fell down her face as she rested her cheek on his chest. "I didn't want to do it, Damon. I didn't want to."

"You did what you had to, to survive."

"Why does it always have to come down to that? I could have found another way."

"And even if you spared them tonight, Bonnie, what would have stopped them from coming after you another night? Hopefully now, the cycle is over since the message is clear. You are not one to be trifled with. But they were moronic for trying in the first place if they sensed you were a witch."

"I don't want to justify what I did. They were still people…"

Damon placed his finger on her lips to silence her. "They were out for blood, take theirs before they take yours. That's the supernatural creed."

Bonnie pulled his hand away from her lips. "Are you trying to make me feeling better? Because it's not working."

The rumble in his chest as he chuckled soothed Bonnie, and she enjoyed his closeness for a second before puling away and wiping her face free of tears with the back of her hand.

"I could have helped you," Damon reminded her. "If we still had our link…perhaps, no I _know _I would have been there in an instant to lend a helping hand."

"If," Bonnie snorted. "This night has been filled with nothing but ifs. But tonight ended with six less people on the earth and I'm the cause of it. How am I going to get past this?"

"The only way you know how, cara, one day at a time. I'm here. You know that."

Bonnie didn't dispute that, merely nodded her head. Her eyes closed when Damon pressed his lips to her forehead. They sat in silence for a minute longer, his arm around her, her cheek on his chest.

"I need to head back in and try to get some sleep. Thank you for checking up on me, Damon."

He smiled and watched as she rose from the porch and walked back in the house.

* * *

><p>Zombies. That's how three different individuals felt as they walked along the halls of Mystic Falls High. Tyler kept anticipating being ambushed. Bonnie was trying her best not to see dead bodies any time she stared at the floor for longer than a second, and Stefan, he tried to fall back into his routine after a week-long intense blood detox program compliments of Dr. Damon. He made it exactly fifteen minutes being on campus before freaking and bolting.<p>

Elena was beside herself with worrying and no matter how many times she pestered Damon to allow her to see or speak to Stefan for just a few minutes, he always denied her request. She didn't know what to do, couldn't handle being in the dark knowing he was suffering through another bout of uncontrollable blood lust. On the flipside to everything she was trying not to blame Bonnie for what she unintentionally unleashed in Stefan by saving his life by giving him blood. She had done the right thing. It wasn't Bonnie's fault that Stefan couldn't control his impulses.

For so long Elena had lived in the guise that Stefan had finally conquered his battle with blood, and could handle it like any normal vampire, if such a creature existed. This minor setback only proved they still had a ways to go.

And she would remain by his side throughout it all because she loved him just that much. His pain was her pain, his happiness was her happiness, and that was how she was going to write this story.

Exchanging her books in her locker, something fell and Bonnie dropped to the floor to pick it up, only someone else beat her to the punch. She looked up and came face to face with Luka Martin. She couldn't remember the last time she saw him. Probably the night they were on that rooftop lacerating her telepathic connection to Fell's Church Damon.

"Hey, you drop this," Luka said unnecessarily as he handed Bonnie a small notepad.

Their fingers brushed as she intercepted it and she caught a vision. Her eyes became opaque for only a second before Bonnie blinked rapidly and jolted up to her feet. Luka felt the exchange and had no clue what Bonnie may have potentially seen. He nervously looked down both ends of the hallway which were crowded thankfully.

"Thanks," Bonnie replied and tried her best to smile through the awkwardness. "I should get to class."

"Yeah, me, too. See ya."

Bonnie said nothing as Luka shuffled off to his next class. Closing her locker, Bonnie bit her bottom lip. The bell sounded and she made her way to class heading down the opposite end of the hall. That didn't stop her from looking over her shoulder trying to spot Luka in the crowd.

He knew Elijah?

Next she found Elena waiting for her at the end of the hall hugging her books to her chest. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah," Bonnie agreed.

Elena steered them to the library although they should have been making their way to Calculus. Bonnie followed until they reached the historical stacks. Elena spun around and faced her friend.

"Elena, what's going on?"

"Stefan is a mess," the raven-haired girl began without preamble. "You have to help him."

"Come again?"

Elena ran a hand through her hair. "Ever since the night you all," she lowered her voice, "had that altercation with those werewolves and you fed him his blood, Stefan has barely been hanging on. Damon's doing the best that he can, but his hands are tied. There's gotta be some spell or _something _that can fix this."

Bonnie stood and stared at her friend but listened to the words Elena didn't say. She was essentially blaming her for Stefan's condition, which she was deeply sorry about, but nothing would get Bonnie to change the decision she made to save his life. Bonnie understood that Elena wanted to go back to her my-life-is-perfect stage but those days were slowly going to be outnumbered because Bonnie had yet to tell Elena what her part might be in the supernatural scheme of things.

Worrying herself to death over Stefan's blood co-dependency problems would have to take a backseat to maybe being used as a surrogate mom for a supreme supernatural entity.

"What do you expect me to do, Elena? I can't help Stefan rein in something that's innate in him. I can't bind him the way I'm able to bind another witch from using…" and that's when an idea struck Bonnie.

"What?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Maybe…if I could get inside his head I might be able to block the part of him that craves blood—relentlessly."

DBBDBD

"Are you crazy?" was the first thing to come out of Damon's mouth after listening to Bonnie's ingenious plan to help Stefan. "Do you even know how to pull something like that off, _if _it's even possible? Look, I know you like the X-Men and all but you're not Professor Xavier."

Sitting on an ottoman, Bonnie stared up at Damon. "Have a little faith in me, Damon that I'm not completely incompetent. You saw what I did the other night."

"Yeah, I saw and…no. It's too dangerous. Something could happen to you. You might get trapped inside his mind, or he might get lost in yours. I know I've teased Stefan about being a girl, but come on. Have you thought of any that?"

"Yes," Bonnie rose to her feet and approached Damon. "I've tried to think of every variable. You're exhausting yourself in trying to keep tabs on Stefan. My blood should have run its course through him, but he's still grappling with controlling his impulses, right?"

Damon didn't want to admit to that, but he nodded.

"This could work."

"Or it could backfire," he rubbed her arm. "I think you're still too raw from the other night to try to do something like this."

Bonnie pulled away and put the entire library between them. She walked over to the window and peered out. "I'm fine."

Damon snorted. "No, you're not. You haven't even talked to me about it and I keep asking you…"

Bonnie spun to face him, "And maybe you should have taken that as a hint that I'm over it and to move on to something else."

"You can't fool me, Bonnie. I know you. You still think about it everyday. You toss and turn in your sleep. You shy away when I try to hold you, hug you, kiss you. I have enough to deal with in keeping Stefan from eating everyone in sight, the last thing I need is my girlfriend going off her rocker because she refuses to deal with the fact she killed."

Bonnie stiffened and looked down.

"There I said it. I made it real. You killed, Bonnie. You did what was necessary and you saved our asses. There's nothing wrong with that."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Bonnie exploded and the drapes on the window caught on fire. Bonnie and Damon glowered at one another until Bonnie turned away and watched the fire engulf the blood-red drapes for a minute before putting the fire out.

"Do you feel better?" Damon asked quietly.

"No, I don't, Damon. I'm not like you. I can't just…kill something sweep it under the rug and go whistling off into the sunset. You want to know what that she-wolf said to me that I can't get out of my mind? She said that whenever a vampire or a witch makes a choice, someone else suffers, and she was right, Damon, she was absolutely right. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but they were going to kill you. They were going to bite you and I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you die again. So I killed them."

While she was busy talking and purging her feelings, Damon was approaching her.

"I did it without hesitating. I didn't care if they had families, wives, husbands, or children. I wanted them dead," her words were mumbled now that her face was pressed into his chest. "Something is wrong with me if I could want another person dead in cold blood."

"Nothing is wrong with you," Damon instantly refuted. "You are perfect just the way you are. Imagine if you had done nothing. I wouldn't be standing here. Someone would be flossing Stefan out their teeth right at this moment."

Although she wasn't in the mood to laugh, Bonnie chortled. A tiny bit.

"If you hadn't killed them, I would have. And I probably wouldn't have stopped with just their deaths. I'm not saying don't feel bad or guilty for having to resort to killing, but they weren't going to stop coming after us until we were dead. Would you have preferred if I died that night?"

"No."

"Then that's all the justification you need to get through this. We would have been separated for life, Bonnie."

White-hot pain carved through Bonnie at the thought of never spending another moment with Damon.

"I can't lose you," she whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere," Damon told her and kissed the crown of her head, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Bonnie snorted, and leaned back to look up into his oceanic eyes. "I thought you were giving me space to figure something's out in my head."

Damon's eyes widened. "I changed my mind. I want you all to myself."

"I'm glad you do."

Bonnie stretched on her toes at the same time Damon lowered his head. Their lips met into a mutual collision and this time Bonnie didn't see dead bodies littering the ground as she kissed him.

As the minutes ticked off the clock, Bonnie ended the kiss. "I have an errand to run so I'll be back later," she said and then stepped out of Damon's arms.

He pouted. "Okay. Are you still going to attempt to invade Stefan's mind?"

"She won't have, too," Stefan interjected. Two pairs of eyes looked up at him. Stefan made his way down the short flight of steps in the library. "I paid a visit to Elijah. He compelled me to forget my hunger."

"Taking the easy way out," Damon complained. "You should have worked your way through it like a real man, Stefan."

"Damon," Bonnie reproached.

Stefan dropped his eyes to his boots momentarily. Bonnie saw nothing but regret lined on his face. The old Stefan was back.

"Its okay, Bonnie," Stefan stared at her poignantly. "He's right. I took the easy way out only because I couldn't stand another minute being away from Elena. I almost attacked her, and I never would have forgiven myself if I had. What I did was bad enough."

"Elena doesn't care about that. Her only concern is getting you the help you need."

"And that's what I did, Bonnie. So I'm good," the apologetic vampire cast his eyes on his brother who looked at him with severe disapproval lining his eyes the color of ice.

Bonnie and Damon watched as Stefan left the library. Damon didn't believe for one second everything would be all honky-dory just because Elijah compelled him. He would still continue to keep his eye on his brother. Bonnie was thinking it was time she question her uncle and his connection to the Martin's. What she saw in her vision came hurtling back to her, but first there was that stop she needed to make.

"I'll be back tonight," Bonnie reminded Damon and kissed him on the cheek.

He watched her leave and then finally noticed the smell of burnt linen. Great, now he had yet another project to work on. Just call him a vampire housewife.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls Cemetery<strong>

"Hi, Grams," Bonnie brushed the leaves that covered Sheila Bennett's headstone. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Bonnie traced the engraved letters with her finger. "I know I promised to visit more often and there's no excuse why I haven't been by since your birthday." Pause. "Have you ever gotten to a point where you feel like your life is spinning out of control and you don't know how to stop it?"

Bonnie twiddled with her fingernails unable to voice what she came here to say. Her confession got lodged on the roof of her mouth; her heart began pounding, but Bonnie knew the pressure that was bearing down on the center of her chest would be relieved if she just admitted the truth.

"I liked it, Grams. I liked being able to wield that much power. It was…" a spontaneous smile burst across her face which lasted for three seconds, "I felt like I could do anything. Literally _anything_ I wanted."

A far away look came to Bonnie's pea green eyes. "I didn't like feeling drained so much afterwards, but the rush…I shouldn't feel that way. I'm going to hell, aren't I?"

There was no response. The wind didn't even blow.

"I've asked myself this question every morning since it happened: am I changing for the better or the worst? Honestly I have no answer, but that feeling Grams…I feel like its part of my soul now. And I've been fighting not to tamper with something darker. How do I stop before it gets out of control? Who can I talk to about this?"

Again there was no answer. But the wind did blow and annoyingly Grams' headstone was covered with leaves once more. As Bonnie made a move to brush them aside, all of the words were covered save one:

"Mother," Bonnie said aloud and then the connection snapped in her brain. "My mother?"

Instantly getting to her feet, Bonnie stared down at the headstone, she was a little spooked and ready to leave. "I'll be back, Grams. I miss you. I love you."

Strolling away from her grandmother and taking the path back to her car, Bonnie stopped when she spotted Jonas Martin and an older woman with stark white hair cut in a cute pixie style seemingly waiting for her.

She slowed her steps. The last time she was here Katherine Pierce showed up. What was with her and this cemetery, Bonnie thought.

"Dr. Martin, hello."

"Hello, Bonnie. Sorry to interrupt but I need a moment of your time."

"For?"

"A proposition," the woman replied. "Pleased to meet you, Bonnie. I'm Gloria, and a fellow practitioner of the arts."

"Hi," Bonnie replied only to be polite. "What kind of proposition are you talking about?" Bonnie looked to Dr. Martin for the answer.

"For centuries our kind has been in the servitude of vampires. They've decimated entire bloodlines in a single act of revenge; have turned us into slaves where we no longer answer to nature and the balance, but nature's abominations."

"And it's time we turn things around, Bonnie. It's time we take back what's rightfully ours," urged Gloria. "We are the lawmakers, the top of the supernatural hierarchy and its time we remind them of their place. You think you might have it good now, but things can change in the blink of an eye," the white-hair witch snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "But just see what happens when you fail to produce for them _one _time. Vampires have never been, and will never be a friend to us. No matter how much they may pretend to revere and respect us. We're collateral damage."

"Not for everyone it isn't."

"You're right," Jonas concurred. "Unfortunately they are the exception not the rule."

Gloria added, "Join us. And we can make the world over the way it was intended to be."

Bonnie folded her arms over her chest. "And if I don't?"

"Then that means you're with them," Dr. Martin deadpanned.

"I'm not with anyone. I rep myself. Now if you'll excuse me." Bonnie brushed past Dr. Martin, digging her keys out of her pocket.

"Bonnie?" Dr. Martin called.

Turning, Bonnie faced the college professor, and Gloria blew a white dust into her face. Bonnie instantly began coughing and went down. She was blind. She couldn't see. Bonnie wiped at her eyes, but it was pointless. All it served to do was make her feel like needles were in her eyes.

"What did you do?" Bonnie asked frantically and tried to get her bearings together. She was not going to go down like this.

"If you won't join us, then you can make a contribution."

Bonnie waited to hear what he meant, but then she felt something invading her body and pulling.

"What are you doing?"

Gloria stood over Bonnie. "You don't have to make this difficult, Bonnie."

"Then why are you?" Bonnie questioned through gritted teeth. She tried to counterattack but Dr. Martin was binding her powers while stealing them at the same time.

No! She was stronger than this! She fought against whatever he was doing, flipping through her mind for a blocking spell and began chanting. Her eyes were burning and the more she tried to use her magic it seemed to turn on her, attacking her.

Rising to her feet, Bonnie stretched out her hand. The wind picked up in velocity.

Blood began to leak from Jonas' nose, shocking him. He hadn't had a nosebleed since he was in his late teens, very early twenties.

He picked up the pace and continued chanting despite feeling as if Bonnie were squeezing him from the inside out.

"Gloria," Jonas panted.

The witch in question shouted something in a language Bonnie didn't recognize and the next thing she knew, she was being thrown sideways into her car.

That felt fantastic, and she was prepared to throw it right back while pulling their spines from their bodies. Bonnie was slow to get to her feet, but when she did, Jonas pressed the palm of his hand on her head and took…

Eve-ry-thing.

Bonnie screamed and tried to fight him off but he was like a leech. He was draining her, like a vampire, like a succubus. She had the power of a hundred witches, she should have been able to turn them into dust if she wanted to, but Bonnie was fighting against everything dark in her not to go that route.

And now it was too late.

She grabbed a hold of his coat sleeve, trying to wrench him off. "…no…don't…" Bonnie pleaded. "Damon." Her world was turning from gray, to white, to black, black to gray. Sounds were fading and she could barely feel her limbs.

"Let her go, Jonas. Take anymore and you'll kill her," Gloria advised.

Jonas let go, breathing as if he ran ten miles. He looked to his accomplice. "Let's go."

Laying on the pavement, next to her car, tears flowing from her eyes, Bonnie never wanted to die more than she did right then.

Jeremy who just pulled into the cemetery climbed out of his car and watched as a black Range Rover burned rubber down the road. Brushing it off as insignificant, he took the familiar path to his parents' grave when he saw someone lying on the ground. Jeremy recognized the car as Bonnie's and broke out into a run.

"Oh, my God, Bonnie!" he fell down next to her and drew back a little in horror. Her eyes were wide open but they were pure white. Getting over his initial shock he lifted her up and cradled her. "Bonnie? Answer me!"

"He took everything," she groaned. "He took it all."

"Who did? What did he take?"

"My powers."

Chapter end.

**A/N: I hope this all doesn't seem rushed, but nothing will ever be concluded until you see The End. Stefan might have appeared to take the easy way out, but like Damon said, it won't be that easy. And Bonnie may have unwittingly or wittingly dabbled in something dark when doing that spell on the wolves, we'll shall find out. A few were surprised that Book Damon didn't intervene last chapter. Because he and Bonnie no longer have their link and it's been an extremely long time since they've swapped blood he no longer "feels" her in a sense. It takes him longer than usual to find her now, so that's why he wasn't there. And who thought little Tyler Lockwood had it in him? It's always bugged me how everyone could remain cool or at least tolerate Damon after he does really horrible things, so yes I wanted Tyler to be the exception to that rule. But again, thank you guys for showing this story so much love and for your continued support. I really did have a Kool-Aid gap tooth smile on my face while reading the reviews. And because you went hard for me, I'll go hard for you. Love you oh so much! **


	53. The Domino Effect

**A/N: Hi guys. I'm so very sorry for the looonnngggg wait in an update. I won't bore you with the drab details as Elijah would say. I had pages written and didn't like the direction so I scrapped it and then had to battle against writer's block. Here is the latest! Enjoy.  
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**Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.**

It didn't end well for people like me. That was the only thing going through my head as I stood in a sea of blue, white, and red lights as fire trucks, ambulances, and police littered the air field where a small Cessna plane exploded right after take off. I was just a number among the spectators watching a tragedy unfold that may or may not attract worldwide media attention. When you see something catastrophic happen like that, it doesn't affect you personally although your heart may go out to the grieving loved ones of the fallen. But it becomes a different playing field when you know the names of the perished.

If only I could trade places with the people who surrounded me—to distance myself emotionally. Not to absolve myself of culpability or responsibility, but to forget the last few days of my life. The last few days that led up to this horrific event. This was a startling wake up call that life was a flame in a strong wind; it could be blown out at any time.

The domino effect started who knows how long ago. Cause and effect. I stood with my hands empty, my tongue tied, my heart heavy, my soul shivering in the cold night air. With nothing left to do, nothing left to give, I turned my back on the scene playing out before me like some Hollywood movie, and never looked back.

The Bonnie Diaries

Some days it just didn't pay to be a hero. From everyday Joes to fictionalized comic book characters, heroes always paid some kind of penance in the form of blood, self-sacrifice, or watching their loved ones being used as pawns or the alternative being murdered in cold-blood. Bonnie Bennett wouldn't put herself on superhero status, but she had powers, gifts. She was talented, more than human, but it was all eradicated with one simple act.

She had been reduced, downsized, rendered immobile, made impotent by one in her own society. A litany of emotions tore through her. Rage and helplessness just to name a few. If asked what she wanted to see happen in regards those who stole what rightfully belonged to her, Bonnie was scared of what she might say, of the edict she might issue. Perhaps she never should have confessed to Grams that she liked having limitless power. Perhaps this was some kind of punishment from the earth for rejoicing in killing when she was supposed to have a reverence for life. Message received.

Bonnie shivered in her seat as her mind played back that awful moment of feeling Jonas literally taking his hands and placing them on the most intimate part of her soul and ripping out what she had been born with, along with the power she had tapped into. She couldn't have been more exposed or naked in that moment, at his total mercy as Gloria looked on probably with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Gnashing her teeth together, Bonnie knew she had to get control over her emotions which were nothing but an unstoppable juggernaut. Retribution for what was done to her could be easily achieved if she placed several phone calls, but that would have to wait. She needed to think, calm herself, and form a new game plan.

Yet, all she _really _wanted was her father to make it better.

Jeremy was glad he didn't get pulled over by the cops as he rushed to Bonnie's house. Occasionally his dark brown eyes would dart between the road and the bundle in the passenger seat. Constantly he asked Bonnie for her prognosis.

"Just drive, Jeremy," Bonnie replied calmly, _too _calmly that it unnerved the human.

Pressing his foot harder on the gas, Jeremy rounded the corner of Bonnie's street and gunned down the avenue. He pulled Jenna's Mini Cooper to a screeching halt in front of Bonnie's, and was quickly out the car coming to her side of the vehicle and extracting her. Placing one of Bonnie's arms over his shoulder, and holding her tightly around the waist, Jeremy expeditiously got Bonnie inside.

"What now?" he asked and instinctively headed towards the living room couch, but Bonnie pulled in the opposite direction, instead hobbling towards the kitchen.

She reached out, searching for the kitchen island to balance herself. "In the fridge on the top shelf behind the juice is a silver thermos. Can you get it for me?"

Jeremy frowned but followed her directions to the letter. He was pulling on everything that made him a man not to shake like a leaf as his nerves caught up with him.

Opening the fridge and pushing miscellaneous items out of the way, Jeremy found the thermos, retraced his steps and handed it to Bonnie.

"Here you go," he took care and wrapped her fingers around the object as Bonnie half stood half sat on a kitchen stool.

Bonnie's fingers fumbled with screwing off the top and Jeremy moved to assist her, but she jerked out of the way.

"I got it," she replied in that listless monotone voice of hers.

Jeremy tried not to stare too boldly at Bonnie's all white eyes which were more than disturbing. Repeatedly he questioned her on what happened and why were her powers taken, but Bonnie would give no more information than she was willing to share at the moment. If she was withholding what she knew as some form of protection for him, Jeremy could appreciate it, but at the same time it infuriated him. He was useful. He was more than Elena's misguided ex-stoner brother. But apparently it was a reputation he hadn't been able to shake.

Once the cap was off, Bonnie took a sip and winced. Cold vampire blood tasted like sludge.

"What is that? What are you drinking?" Jeremy found himself asking as he shifted from foot to foot.

"It's Damon's blood."

Jeremy was thankful Bonnie was blind otherwise she would have seen his look of utter disgust.

"I need you to call him, please."

Sighing, Jeremy reached for his cell out his back pocket and called Damon—grudgingly.

"What do you want you sixteen year old child?" Damon answered.

"I'm seventeen, bitch. Bonnie was attacked in the cemetery. I found her and brought her home."

Jeremy held his phone away from his ear as a slew of obscenities waltzed out of Damon's mouth.

"She was attacked?! By whom? Is she all right?"

Jeremy turned his back on Bonnie. "She's…something's wrong with her eyes, some kind of temporary blindness. She just took a hit of your blood she keeps stored in the fridge. How soon can you get here?"

"I'm on the way. Did she say who attacked her?" Damon went back to his previous question.

"Dr. Martin and some white-haired witch named Gloria," after delivering that news Jeremy hung up his phone. He refaced Bonnie to see if perhaps there might have been some change with her eyes. He noticed that the thermos was on the counter top and Bonnie sat head bowed with her hands covering her eyes.

Jeremy placed a hand on her shoulder. "Bon…did it work?"

Her eyes were still throbbing as if she had a sinus headache. There was pressure on the front part of her cranium, even her gums hurt. Yet in very small increments Bonnie opened her eyes and lowered her hands. Things were still a bit blurry but it was better than seeing nothing outside of blinding whiteness.

"I need a little more time. Can you help me to the couch and keep the lights off?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Jeremy spoke in dulcet tones.

Once Bonnie was on the couch, Jeremy stood awkwardly before her. "What now?"

Bonnie didn't answer. She was too busy thinking because that was a _very _good question. What now?

* * *

><p><strong>I-95 North<strong>

There were bats flying out of hell and then there was Jonas Martin gunning down the highway trying to put as many miles between himself and Mystic Falls. Constantly he checked the time on his Amigo watch.

Gloria stared at him from the passenger seat. "We're going to make it, but you need to slow down. The last thing we need is to get pulled over by the cops. Take your foot off the gas, Jonas."

Heeding her advice, Jonas began to drive more cautiously and under the radar. He made eye contact with his two children in the backseat. Greta looked disinterested whereas Luka looked pissed. He saw nothing but contempt and condemnation in his eyes. In less than seventy-three hours, everything would be different. That was his promise to his son, his heir. Their brief stint being fugitives would be over, and they would take their rightful place atop the supernatural hierarchy as it should have always been.

So long, Mystic Falls, hello new world order.

* * *

><p>Later on that day, Bonnie learned several things. She learned that dark-eyed Damon made a homemade remedy for her eyes since apparently Damon's blood didn't work. Jeremy had given her a narcotic which knocked her out, and when she woke up, vision completely restored, the entire ensemble of Super Friends had arrived at her pad.<p>

During her nap, Stefan tried to intercept Jonas at his apartment and got his brain cells roasted as a result of it. Her boyfriend confirmed that Elijah knew who the Martins were and threatened to find some way to dagger the Original if he didn't produce some results and got Bonnie her powers back before the night was over.

Questions were fired in quick succession and Bonnie answered them the best way she knew how. Elena was also clued in about her possible role in the supernatural game of Russian roulette Esther might play, if awakened. She was worried to say the least. But throughout it all Bonnie concentrated on nothing save the fact she had been trying to light the three decorative candles on the coffee table with no success for the past half hour.

Her head was throbbing and she was fighting against the voices harping in the background as she kept her focus on the candles willing those bitches to burn. They did nothing and Bonnie felt her last hold on her control snap because all she wanted was empirical proof that she wasn't done as a witch, but no, people wouldn't stop talking and she was drawing near her wits end. If they could shut the fuck up for two seconds she was sure she could light the candles but the wicks remained intact, mocking her, laughing at her.

She couldn't take it anymore. Bonnie let out an ear piercing scream, grabbed one of the candles and pitched it. Several people dodged out of the way as the candle hit a wall and dropped to the floor.

That effectively rendered the house silent.

A chorus of "Bonnie!" went up in the air like a prayer to heaven.

"No!" she shot to her feet. She began pacing back and forth while shaking her head wanting to destroy something but what could she do? She had been stripped of all of her abilities, excommunicated. She was just as vulnerable to an attack like Jeremy only he had a ring to protect him whereas she did not. Now she was fodder, meat for bloodthirsty vampires.

She was now a defenseless human. A civilian. Bonnie wrapped her arms around her middle as she pinched her lips. Her shoulders bounced up and down and everyone wasn't sure if she was crying or laughing or doing some combination of both.

Her chuckles started off soft at first that they might have been misconstrued as sobs, but then, she released her lips, and a smile split her face and then she was laughing hysterically, clearly being the only one in on the joke.

Jeremy and Elena stared helplessly at one another, as well as Stefan and Caroline. However, the two Damon's never took their eyes off Bonnie.

"This is…" Bonnie attempted to sober but only succeeded in laughing until tears flowed down her cheeks. "If this had happened a year ago I would have been kicking up my boots jumping for joy because I didn't want to be a witch. I didn't want to know too much, but now…"

Both Damon's sensed she was about to go off.

"Bonnie, it's been a long day. Maybe you should go upstairs and rest. We'll figure something out later," her boyfriend suggested.

"Don't patronize me, Damon," she glared at him. "This is all your fault! If it weren't for vampires like you going around killing just because you can, and enslaving witches and warlocks, and having them do your dirty work then Jonas wouldn't feel the need to wake up a thousand year old chick with a grudge against all supernatural kind! I didn't want to embrace this lifestyle but I had no choice especially after Grams died. Now my powers have been taken away and I can't do shit, and I have to…" Bonnie stopped herself as she noticed that several people were staring at her aghast.

She shook her head and then stomped her way upstairs.

The room remained silent as everyone shifted nervously on their feet.

Elena and Caroline were prepared to follow but Damon shook his head. "Just let her be for now. She's pissed and she isn't going to listen to anything you have to say."

Stefan looked at his brother. "What are you going to do?"

The elder Salvatore thought for a moment. He was use to being a punching bag—that was nothing new. But it didn't sting any less to have her blame him for something he didn't do. However, he was tired of being put in this position of being a day late and a dollar short, and not knowing how to help his girlfriend. Aside from becoming Bonnie's shadow which she would never agree to, there was very little he could do. Damon could easily consult another witch, but he pretty much burned down several bridges after killing Bree, and that only stood to reinforce Bonnie's tirade. For now he would let Elijah take care of Jonas. If Bonnie was as important to the Original as he proclaimed she was, Elijah wouldn't pussyfoot around and get shit done and produce some results. In the meantime, all Damon could do was be there for his girlfriend.

Damon faced his brother. "I'm going to give my girlfriend space to cool off. And I suggest you all do the same."

"Do you think that's a good idea just to leave her alone?" Caroline challenged. If she was going through what Bonnie was experiencing the last thing she'd want was to be left alone.

"No, Caroline!" Damon railed impatiently and approached her. His eyes shot daggers at her. "No, I don't think it's a good idea to leave Bonnie alone, but did you not hear a single thing that just came out of her mouth? Just go home. I got this."

Damon watched as everyone filed out of the door, everyone except his double.

The two men alike in looks and sometimes temperament stared at each other. Dark-eyed Damon inclined his head before casting his gaze on the ceiling. He would keep watch of Bonnie, in crow form of course. He left the house.

Alone, Damon ventured into the kitchen to hide the evidence that something other than preparing a meal had occurred in the kitchen just in the event Daddy Bennett showed his face. Once everything was put back into place, Damon settled on the loveseat, waiting for Bonnie to need him.

Upstairs in her room, Bonnie flipped through her grimoire combing the pages looking for someway to get her powers back, but nothing was jumping out at her.

Then the letter from her mother that she tucked between the pages floated out and landed on her lap. She stared at the envelope for what seemed like hours before she took a deep breath, and ripped the envelope open and pulled out a stationary card. Her eyes blinked back tears.

_Bonnie-_

_This wasn't how I planned for things to be between us. I never would have imagined that I would pack my bags and leave behind the greatest gift I ever possessed. But I did, and there's no excuse for it. I'm sure this letter comes 15 years too late and as a total surprise, but I never stopped thinking about you or the woman you may become one day and I was missing everyday of it because of my fear and stupidity. Saying 'I'm sorry' isn't enough nor does it convey the level of regret I have in leaving you behind. But I am truly sorry that I wasn't there for you as I should have been._

_I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but if you would consider meeting one day I can better explain the choices I made. I don't know what's going on in your life, but its instinct that tells me you need my advice about something. I'll understand if I never hear back from you or see you again; as I said before I have no right, but if you believe nothing else about me, Bonnie, believe that I do love you._

_You are my flesh, my heart, and my legacy, Bonnie. I want you to have the best out of life, to fall in love with a good man who will put you first, and to be the mother to your children that I failed to be with mine. _

_There's more I want to say, but I'll leave it up to you if you'd like to hear the rest. _

_Take care, Bonnie. I love you._

_Abby_

Closing the card and lying on her belly, Bonnie cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>A few days later...<strong>

Bonnie figured this place could have been a shelter of refuge but it was just another condemned house on the block. She couldn't imagine the horrors those hundred women faced as they were interrogated, more than likely tortured to snitch on their friends and possibly even family members back then when it was perfectly fine to use such tactics. The air here was far chillier than any other place in town, and Bonnie felt no life here. Everything was dead and barren.

Just how she felt on the inside.

Yet she stared at the antebellum house rooted to the spot because she couldn't decide if being here was right or if she were welcomed. She failed those women. They entrusted her with their power and she didn't do enough good with what she had. Officially being cutoff, separated, Bonnie wanted nothing more than to go back to that day and start all over from scratch, and make better decisions.

The crunching of dead grass caught her attention and she snapped her head to the right. She wasn't terribly surprised by the visitor and perhaps she expected him to show up, knowing he found it difficult to stay away. Still it was no less startling to see him donned in his customary black, five o'clock shadow covering his jaw, eyes the color of onyx stones, and that obsidian hair tousled and finger combed.

Bonnie refaced the house. "You know, I can't feel them. I can't hear them either. Everything around me is silent."

Damon stood beside her only inches separating them. He too, focused his eyes on the house. The last time he was here, he was nearly roasted alive by crossing over an invisible boundary the witches had erected to keep his kind out. He stretched out his own powers and immediately concurred with Bonnie. There was nothing here but a house near collapse and dead earth.

"So why did you come here?" Damon questioned.

Bonnie made a restless motion with her shoulders. "Maybe I came here to find a shred of hope. Instead I got nothing," she sighed heavily.

Self-deprecation looked good on anyone up to a certain point, but Damon couldn't stand to see the despondency wrapped around Bonnie like a cape. She had come too far to simply throw in the towel and trick herself into believing that because she killed a pack of werewolves she deserved what was happening to her. She did what anyone else standing in her shoes would have done, but trying to get that point through her concrete head would only serve to exacerbate the issue, not remedy it.

Noticing he was being awfully quiet Bonnie stared up at Damon. "You're being tight-lipped and that's not like you."

"There's nothing for me to say that you probably haven't already told yourself. And I know you, Bonnie. You can become frustratingly difficult to persuade when your mind is made up about something. Am I right or wrong?"

Looking away to hide her tiny smile, Bonnie admitted, "You're right…most of the time."

"I thought so," and he reached for her hand. "Come with me."

"Come with you where?"

"Just come and find out. You can pretend not to trust me all you like, but again, I know you."

There were little bells sounding off in her head telling her not to take Damon up on his offer, but curiosity was beginning to outweigh her sound judgment. Pivoting to stand before him, Bonnie matched gazes with Damon as he wrapped one arm around her waist and then, her feet were no longer touching the ground and they were airborne.

Sailing through the air, speeding across Mystic Falls, Bonnie was proud of herself that she didn't scream her head off and that she didn't vomit. What felt like seconds later, her feet was planted on asphalt again and she was being led through a parking garage of some building.

Damon pressed the up arrow summoning the elevator. He said not a word to Bonnie as the lift arrived and they boarded. He hit a button for the top floor, and Bonnie read that the number he hit had the letters PH beside it. It didn't take long for her to figure out where they were: Glenarden Condominiums.

A strange flutter occurred in her belly and she nervously shifted on her feet. She had been alone plenty of times with Damon since he crash landed back into her life, but those encounters always took place on neutral soil. This was his turf where he had control.

Damon was smacked in the face with Bonnie's nervousness. Not that long ago he would have rejoiced in being able to make her nervous, but now he didn't want Bonnie to be skittish around him. Besides, nothing would happen that she didn't want to happen. He was no ruffian, no barbarian and had to force himself on any female. Besides, most if not all, came willingly.

The silver plated doors parted and revealed a long hallway. Strolling down it, Damon unlocked the door to his domain and stood aside allowing Bonnie to enter first.

Her eyes widened so she wouldn't miss a single detail. The place still smelled brand new but there was also traces of Damon's favorite cologne something she failed to ask him the name of. The condo had an open floor plan. The space was divided by the clever use of furniture—of course all of it in some variation of black, leather, and suede. The gourmet style kitchen caught and held her attention. The cabinets were made from cherry wood with platinum fixtures. All of the appliances were stainless steel.

Then there was the bedroom.

Bonnie avoided staring too long at the bed.

Floor-to-ceiling windows allowed a ridiculous amount of light to pour into the space. Various oil paintings, which all looked authentic, decorated the walls.

"You have a really nice house."

"Have a look around. You can't get the full experience being parked next to the door," Damon held out his hand for Bonnie's jacket.

She slipped it off and handed it to him and watched as he hung it up in a closet next to the front door. He shunned his leather jacket as well and then made his way towards the kitchen.

Unsure of how to proceed, Bonnie took a detour to the living room. There was a book of photography on the glass coffee table. Bonnie flipped through a couple of pages and saw nothing but black and white snap shots of random events that happened around the world.

"Have you eaten?"

His voice startled her and Bonnie spun around. "Today?"

Damon glowered at her for a second. "Please tell me you have eaten _something _today?"

Bonnie lowered her eyes and bit a corner of her lip. Damon exclaimed something in Italian and proceeded to rummage through the refrigerator and cabinets. With him distracted for the time being, Bonnie slowly made her way through the condo. Damon had a lot of contemporary art pieces, and furniture. He had an extensive music collection that covered everything from James Brown to Vivaldi.

When she was hit with a small bolt of courage, she ventured into his bedroom. There was nothing to it except two black lacquer end tables flanking the king sized poster bed, and a gigantic plasma television was mounted on a wall. However, on one of the tables was a picture frame.

Striding over to it, Bonnie picked it up and saw her smiling face reflected back at her. She couldn't remember when that photo might have been taken, but she put the frame back where she found it.

Turning around to leave, her vision was filled with a muscled chest. She gulped her pounding heart back down her throat.

"Wine?" Damon held up a crystal goblet to Bonnie.

"Should I drink on an empty stomach?" she retorted with a question of her own, but it didn't stop her from lifting the glass from his hand and taking a tentative sip of the crimson colored merlot.

Damon saw her cheeks flushing. "I guess you discovered my secret."

Bonnie decided to play dense. "What secret?"

The question earned her a naughty grin. "It's your face I wake up to every morning, and the last thing I see when I go to sleep at night. Pitiful, I know."

Bonnie took another sip, this one more generous than the first. "It's not pitiful," Bonnie murmured quietly.

Damon lifted her chin. "So what is it if it's not a showing of a man's inability to let go of the woman he loves?"

Shaking her head, Bonnie couldn't answer. "We can't go there, Damon."

He sighed in defeat and took a step away from her.

Draining her glass, Bonnie passed it back to Damon once it was empty. "I'd like some more, please."

Walking around him, Bonnie left the confines of his room needing to catch her breath, calm the unpleasant flutters in her stomach, and put even more space between them.

He came charging after her and Bonnie found herself being spun around and facing a pair of burning black eyes.

"I think the reason why you can never answer any of my questions is because you still want me, you still want to be with me. You want to remain faithful to your world Damon, and I commend you for that, but deep down, your skin still burns for _my _touch."

It was getting harder for her to breathe, but Bonnie managed to say, "That's not true. Damon, we just can't pick up where we left off. I'm in a relationship with someone else. Someone I happen to love. A lot. I don't need this right now."

"You admitted you still love me. Whatever is between us, it just won't go away simply because you _want _it too, Bonnie because believe or not, I'm a part of you just like you're a part of me."

"A part that I have to let go. For good."

"You're still holding on for a reason."

Bonnie shook her head but couldn't commit to saying a word in her defense.

They could waste precious time going back and forth like a pair of lawyers in a courtroom yet it wouldn't solve anything. He was done playing nice with her, curbing who he was so he could fit into her life. Damon fell down to his knee, Bonnie watched. He bowed his head for a minute before looking up at her.

"I am yours to command," he told her. "Whatever you want me to do, however you want me to please you, I will."

Her brain was going to short circuit, malfunction, and shut down.

"I can start at your feet," Damon tossed out the suggestion, and then gently grabbed Bonnie's leg and propped it on his thigh.

She tried to show no outward sign that his touch was affecting her, but it was hard to keep her inner vibrations from fanning out. Her hands clenched and unclenched themselves into fists so she wouldn't bury them in his hair, or bring him closer. Instead she looked straight ahead as his nimble fingers brushed over her ankle and glided upward to cup her calf.

Higher his hand went until it reached her knee. "Damon, stop."

"I can't."

"You have too," Bonnie nearly groaned and braced her hands on his shoulders in order to remove her leg from his clutches. Once she was free she put the entire room between them, giving Damon her back while she tried to calm the storm that was brewing inside.

She was a recipe for disaster. Emotionally compromised, feeling bankrupt in the powers department. Being here with Damon, Bonnie just tossed a snowball right into hell. Yet being around him brought her back to the days where she willingly turned to him for comfort. He understood what she was going through because he had gone through the same thing when he briefly became human again.

However, it was wrong to still feel this way about him, to still get excited from the sound of his voice, to the feel of his hands touching her. She loved Damon and his blue eyes. Did they always see eye-to-eye? No but what couple did? Did they fight like cats and dogs—you betcha. Her relationship wasn't perfect but it worked and she couldn't throw all of that progress out of the window simply to get her rocks off one last time with her ex.

Damon approached her. He knew the way her mind worked. He didn't need telepathy to know that she was going over the list of reasons why this was wrong and her current relationship was right. He wanted her for purely selfish reasons, Damon had never been shy about that, but he also wanted her respect and trust. Perhaps he should back off before he lost her for good.

Bonnie turned to face him. Seeing the vulnerability and indecision on her face, he merely wanted to clear up any and all confusion she might be feeling.

He closed the gap between them. Bonnie didn't move or avoid his touch. Tentatively he cupped her chin, her eyes downcast still trying to hide from him. The tension between them was like a noose around both of their necks. Slowly, Damon lifted her head forcing her eyes upward. He wanted to ask her permission to kiss her, but he didn't. If he gave her a choice, she might not choose him and that would kill him more than a stake through the heart.

Bonnie looked into his eyes, her heart going a mile a minute. She should run, she was telling her feet to move, but instead she remained rooted to the spot. Cathedral bells were sounding in her ears warning her that if she went through with this, she could lose everything. Damon would never forgive her if she took the plunge. She couldn't just drop her relationship like it was a handbag and pick it up later when she was about to leave. That's not how love worked.

Yet essentially that's what she did with her love for this Damon. She dropped it off somewhere; put it in a safe deposit box for later retrieval, but it didn't mean it went anywhere.

Both of his hands now held her face trapped.

Damon's head dipped, then stopped. He checked her for signs of flight, and when he saw none, he continued to lower his head. His lips parted only a little. Bonnie felt his breath tickling her bottom lip. She kept her eyes open when he sealed his mouth over hers. A warm flush drenched her insides. She was putty.

It was impossible to keep her eyes open after that. They closed.

Damon kissed her meticulously, slowly, ardently. When Bonnie responded and unlocked her jaw allowing his tongue entry, he rolled it over hers. His hands fell from her face and found its new home on her hips. He jerked her closer, her body flattening against him.

Bonnie needed something to do with her hands, so she first ran them along his chest, then burrowed her fingers into his soft hair. She tugged the strands, smashing his face closer to hers. She alternated between biting and licking his lips as his pelvis began a slow grind against her.

That turned up her internal pressure cooker another notch. She was beginning to sweat in the center of her back and her hands. The area between her thighs was already saturated. When she moved, the seat of her panties teased her hardening clit.

Damon broke their kiss long enough to declare, "I _need _to taste you."

Bonnie was open to whatever he wanted to do at this point.

Damon pulled her knit dress up by the hem and Bonnie compliantly lifted her arms. He removed her leggings and boots. Bonnie stood before Damon in her sheer black thong panties and demi-cup bra.

Something between a grunt and a groan escaped his lips as his obsidian eyes drank in Bonnie's curves, committing everything to memory. She was toner in her abs, her thighs, her hips were rounder, her breasts fuller. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her, and by the tent in his slacks, they weren't the only one eager to meet her acquaintance again.

For her part, Bonnie wanted to see some skin. She pulled his shirt apart. Buttons didn't necessarily fly so much as they dangled loosely from torn thread. His chest was chiseled marble. But her vision was soon distracted by the all-too-male part of him that jutted out from the rest of his body. Bonnie swallowed thickly and then hesitantly touched him. She ran her fingertips along his hardened length eliciting sounds and groans of approval from Damon.

There was still time for her to stop this, but Bonnie unbuckled his belt, popped the button out of its hole, and pulled the zipper down.

His cock sprang free. The mushroom head engorged and dripped with a vampire's version of pre-cum. Using her thumb, Bonnie touched him and smeared the fluid around the bulbous head.

Damon's head fell back as a result. He kicked his pants off. How many nights had he fantasized about this, dreamt about this, embarrassingly jacked himself off to imagining this moment? Too many. She was torturing him. Damon picked her up, her legs automatically circled around his waist while the tip of him teased the crease of her ass while he made the short trek to the bed.

The minute she was on her back, her neck was assaulted with kisses as hands caressed and groped her body. Damon kissed a trail down the center of her body. When he reached her navel, he squeezed her breasts together. Bonnie's legs went their separate ways as they widened, making more room for Damon to fit comfortably. He was turning her into an addict or perhaps she always had been an addict, because an addict didn't know or couldn't stop their actions.

She was almost at the point of no safe return.

Her head arched against the bed and she lifted her hips the second Damon grabbed her panties and pulled them down her legs. She closed her eyes and waited. She didn't have long to wait.

His tongue slid along her moistened slit before he used two fingers to open her channel. And then she felt a quick succession of licks, making her inner muscles contract, heat spread. Her eyes rolled.

"I love the way you taste, Bonnie."

Damon vigorously showed her that he meant what he said. He dipped two fingers inside, curved upward and pressed against that hard to find G-Spot.

Bonnie almost ripped his hair out. Her ending was coming too soon. Someone started rolling the credits before the final scene faded to black. No! She wasn't ready. She wanted to last, to hold out just a little while longer, but her body had other plans. She wanted to tease her nipples, but there wasn't time and if she did she would only exacerbate her problem. So she clutched the sheets instead, and then her eyes snapped open right when her head was about to explode.

She threw Damon off of her with a strength she didn't know she possessed.

He landed on the floor in a state of confusion that was instantly replaced with outrage.

Tears ran from her eyes, as Bonnie attempted to quell her burning and quaking thighs. The pulse beating in her clit matched her racing heart.

"I can't do this," she panted. "I can't hurt him like this."

"What?" Damon snapped. He was standing at the foot of the bed, still fully erect and completely pissed off.

"I've already let things go too far," Bonnie was mostly talking to herself, but Damon heard her loud and clear.

A persistent tic hammered away at his jaw. "Bonnie, we were in the middle of something."

The young woman in question came to a sitting position on the bed. She dropped her hands to her lap needlessly trying to hide what was no longer a secret.

"Damon…just think. If we were still together would you want me to do this with _him_? Would you be able to forgive me if I did knowing I possibly enjoyed it?"

Damon had no answer but the one reflected on his face. "You pick a fine time to be rational, Bonnie," he grumbled tersely.

Bonnie climbed off the bed, taking the sheet with her and wrapping it around her lower half. She stood in front of Damon, not close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the tepid heat of his body.

"A part of me will always love you, Damon. But I can't break his heart, or mine, or yours by doing this. You deserve more than just one night. Regardless if I sleep with you now or later, it won't be enough to change how I feel about him. Maybe I'm confused. Maybe I'm feeling lost, but I can't do this. I can't make things worse. I'm so sorry."

A thousand different arguments and emotions flew through Damon. Rage. Sadness. Loss. Bitterness. Just to name a few.

She turned to leave but Damon caught her by the arm.

"How am I supposed to let you go? I came back here for _you_. I gave up everything! And I have nothing to show for it," against his will a tear rolled down his cheek.

Bonnie's chin quivered as she was hit the severity of the situation. "All I seem to do is hurt you, and I don't mean to but I don't want to be _that _girl. I don't want to be like Katherine."

Ice was just thrown in his face. Damon let her go. He didn't want her to be like Katherine either. Yet the reminder only brought up those old feelings of jealousy and anger, of feeling inadequate and not good enough to satisfy the needs of one woman. Katherine hadn't chosen him then, Elena tried to string him along as well, and now Bonnie…

She was completely done with him. He loved her. Knew he was the better choice for her, but her heart, mind, body, and soul wanted someone else. Wanted the other Damon Salvatore.

"Why?" he meant to ask that of himself but voiced it. "Why am I not good enough?"

Bonnie had to be deaf not to hear the brokenness in his voice. He was good enough, but their time had come and gone.

She took him by the hand. "Damon, when I met you I was in a bad place. I was angry all the time, I didn't want to be a witch, I didn't want to be caught in the middle, but I didn't want innocent people to get hurt. I felt like I was losing my friends to their problems, and so much death was happening around me I didn't know how to handle it. And then you came along and you put my safety first, and you became my friend, and you loved me for me. For that alone I love you, but Damon has a hold on me that I can't break. I can't explain it…"

"He physically put his hands on you, tried to kill you," he argued vehemently. "Told you that your life meant _nothing _to him. And now you claim he has some hold on you that you can't break? I'm almost convinced you've been compelled," his voice went up an octave.

Bonnie swallowed thickly. "That's water under the bridge with us. We've made amends. Look, my relationship doesn't have to make sense to you, but it makes sense to me."

Damon took Bonnie's hands once more, his eyes imploring her to listen to his reason. "We were great together. There was nothing we couldn't accomplish. We bring out the best in each other, Bonnie. The heat is still there if we just take things slow, I know we can get back to where we were."

Bonnie sighed. "And what if you're summoned back to Fell's Church? Then what? Our lives would be nothing but snatches of time together."

Damon snapped the time traveling watch off his wrist and crushed it in hand. He sprinkled the pieces on the floor. "Problem solved."

Bonnie could do nothing but stand there-mouth agape. She came out of her stupor. "I can't go back. I can only move forward. If I make a step towards that bed, come morning I will want to gut myself. My love for you will turn into resentment because if I go through with this, Damon will hate me _if _he doesn't kill me. That's a risk I'm not willing to take. Do _you_ want to risk losing my love—forever?"

She had him by the balls on that one. He looked away.

Bonnie gently took Damon's chin in her hand and turned his face to meet hers. "You need to let me go."

Damon stubbornly shook his head. "I can do anything except that."

"It's over, Damon."

His nostrils flared and he was trying to resist outright crying like an infant. "You just need more time to figure things out."

"I don't need anymore time." Pause. "Good bye, Damon."

Picking up her discarded dress, leggings, boots, and panties, Bonnie left Damon's and never looked back.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

He was tired and weary of this life but it was unfortunately what he knew. He had been designed to kill, terminate, and smite the earth of its inhabitants to satiate a bloodlust that refused to diminish. He conditioned himself on the rudimentary education of being heartless, guiltless, and self-concerned. Damon in the past shunned all notions of worrying about others, of preserving and protecting human life because really they were dust underneath his fingernails, food, fodder, playthings.

Yet his old attitude was hijacked the moment he fell in love with someone who through history had been penned as his natural enemy.

Picking up _her_ scent, Damon turned his attention to the doorway of his bedroom.

Bonnie stood, grounding the tip of her shoe into the hardwood floor. She was biting on a corner of her bottom lip looking pensive. Her eyes were too bright and alert. The tip of her nose and nostrils were inflamed. She appeared as if she were seconds away from fleeing like a spooked stag. Damon dropped the book he had been reading on the bed.

Bonnie cleared her throat and boldly looked into Damon's oceanic eyes. "Damon, I'm sorry for what I said to you the other day. I was out of line. You're not to blame for what happened to me."

He shook his head to the contrary. "You only said the truth, and I can't get mad at you for that. If it wasn't for vampires like me treating witches like they're expendable then Jonas wouldn't feel the need to even the playing field," Damon looked her over curiously. "How are you?"

Shrugging, Bonnie took a solitary step inside Damon's bedroom trying not to burst into tears and pieces because of her crippling guilt. It would serve her right if she lost them both. "I'm as well as can be expected," she smiled self-deprecatingly, and then her eyes wondered off and her chin quivered.

Damon stood before her in an instant. Bonnie held her hand up and took a step away. Her eyes were glued on the floor.

"No, you shouldn't…." finally she brought her eyes to his face. "Can we sit down?"

Taking her by the hand Damon led Bonnie over to the bed to which she leaned against it. Damon followed suit, facing Bonnie. She reached for his hands.

"I don't want to think about what happened. I just want to go back to when I was that girl who was obsessed with cheerleading, and staying up all night running my mouth to my friends, and attending parties and getting drunk off of one beer, and experimenting with my hair. I don't want to talk about what happened. I don't want to remember what it was like when I learned I was a…" Bonnie censored herself.

Unconsciously Damon licked his lips. "Bonnie…as much as you want to go back in the past and relive the good and simple days you can't. It doesn't work that way."

Bonnie sighed in response. "I know that, Damon, but it's what I want. My life has progressed and regressed, and progressed and now…" she shrugged, "it's fucked up."

Damon got an uneasy feeling. "What's going on, Bon?"

She opened up her mouth to confess to what she did, but looking up into his eyes seeing nothing but concern and love for her, Bonnie's turned ashen and chickened out.

"I read the letter from my mother," she blurted

"What did she have to say for herself?"

"Not much. She basically put the ball in my court in meeting her. I haven't decided if I want to or not."

Damon placed his arm over her shoulder and drew her closer. "You know you don't owe her anything. She left _you._"

_I cheated._

"And its her lost that she got to miss out on an incredible young woman that I fully intend to impregnate and marry one day not necessarily in that order," he wiggled his dark eyebrows hoping to elicit a laugh or smile from his girlfriend but got nothing short of a wince in return.

"There's something else…you need to know…"

Damon waited for her to share the news and then wondered what it was considering Bonnie's heart was palpitating.

Bonnie opened her mouth to respond when Stefan knocked on the door. "Hey, there's been a plane crash at a private air field in Maryland."

"So?" Damon frowned not understanding the relevance.

"Jonas Martin was on that plane."

Chapter end.

**A/N: Does this spell the beginning of the end for TV Damon and Bonnie? I guess you won't really know until the end. I grappled for a very long time on whether or not Bonnie should sleep with her ex. It kind of seemed like an inevitable situation, but then I thought maybe I shouldn't go that route, but then scrapped it and said, Bonnie isn't perfect, she makes mistakes, and letting things escalate but not necessarily go all the way over the edge maybe something she might do. Again that's speculation on my part since I doubt we'll ever see Bonnie in a viable and/or realistic love triangle (not that I want that for her) to know how she might handle being in this situation. Yet it was time for Bonnie to acknowledge there is a part of her that still wants to be with Book Damon, and she needed to deal with it and how it conflicts with her love for TV Damon. Now the question remains what will be the fallout? Sorry there wasn't much TV Bamon interaction, they will be the starring couple next chapter.**

**I also noticed that since the premiere that many people are ready to give up on shipping Bamon. Well I have a remedy to that, I still plan to ship them, but I'm shipping Bonnie with **_**my **_**version of Damon and not JP's. It's the only way I can stay sane for another year of fudgery. Well kittens, I'm off to see if I can update another one of my stories. Love you! **


	54. Hell Week

**A/N: I'm sure I gave all of you a heart attack last chapter. Apologies. Here is the fall out. There is quite a bit of cursing in this so sorry to those who find that kind of language offensive.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Cars blew their horns; people gave him the finger, and shouted obscenities as Damon Salvatore wondered aimlessly down the middle of Laurel Avenue right in downtown Mystic Falls. His bizarre behavior might be drawing annoyance from commuters but it was someone else's attention he wanted. These people didn't know how very close he was to going off and annihilating everything in his path. To fucking shit up. They. Just. Did. Not. Know.

_How_ could she do this to him? His mind kept screaming the question like a banshee hoping the answer would fall out of the sky and right into his lap. But things didn't work that way—at least not for him. Damon had to fight tooth and nail for everything he had and still lost. The universe must truly despise him to make the woman he loved betray him in the way he always feared she would.

Damon pulled his lips back from his teeth unaware or vaguely aware of the fact his canines were showing and the telltale red wiggling veins were very much prominent on his face. The urge to flip his switch was irresistible; he wanted to do it so badly that he was practically salivating.

The screeching ties of a minivan barreling down on him caught his attention. Damon snapped his enraged eyes towards the driver who quickly turned the wheel to the left to avoid plowing into him. The van came to a jostling stop, the passengers wailing. Damon took one step in its direction getting himself ready to lay waste to the family of four that had just been handed to him on a silver fucking platter.

Just as he reached out to rip the driver side door clean off, something slammed into him and Damon found himself sandwiched between a brick wall and his annoying little brother.

"What the hell is wrong you?" Stefan seethed. "Exposing yourself in full view of the public during daylight! Damon, are you insane?"

Bracing his hands around Stefan's wrists, Damon took extreme pleasure and snapping them like twigs. Stefan howled with pain, grunted, and ground his teeth on top of each other but he refused to let his brother go.

Eyes the color of a cloudless day glared at Stefan with enough heat to incinerate him. "YES! I've gone insane for thinking that Bonnie would never hurt me. That she would never break my fuckin' heart!"

Stefan blinked at this unexpected twist. Finally he released his brother who slumped against the wall—face returning to normal. "What are you talking about? What did she do?"

Scrubbing a hand across his face, Damon stared at the stained asphalt shaking his head back and forth. "She cheated on me with that gotdamn asshole of a bastard."

Stefan's mouth dropped out of shock. Needless to say this information was very hard for him to swallow and accept. Stefan knew how devoted and loyal Bonnie was so for her to step out…

He attempted to place a comforting hand on Damon's shoulder, but expecting the gesture Damon stepped out of the way and shrugged Stefan off.

"I don't want your pity. I bet you're chuckling like a clown on the inside. Damon gets foiled again and his past bites him in the ass for being such an ass to people. Yuck it up, chuckles."

Stefan shook his head in the negative. "Damon, I didn't want you to go through this again. I'm sorry," Stefan said sincerely. "Did she explain herself?"

Bracing his shoulder up against the wall, Damon replayed that conversation and revelation over in his mind.

**Forty-five minutes ago…**

Damon clicked off the flat screen plunging the room into silence. The reports of the deadly plane crash that happened right outside of Andrews Air Force base in Maryland was still making national and local news. He wasn't interested in hearing the boring details of what caused the crash so much as who was on the plane—that's all he really cared about and wanted answers to.

"I spoke with Elijah and he confirmed that Jonas, Luka, possibly Gloria and at least two other people were on that plane when it burst into flames soon after lift off. Of course we're going to have to wait for the FBI to sort out of the bodies and it'll take dental x-rays to identify the victims—which could take months," Damon explained.

Bonnie remained noticeably quiet. He figured she was still in shock. After being incapacitated, subsequently robbed of her powers, and of course finally reading that letter her mom sent on her birthday, he was positive her mind was in a million different places right now. Damon wished there was more he could do for her, but ultimately it was Bonnie's call on how to proceed. Right now, he was determined to find someway to restore her powers.

He thought going to the crash site, Bonnie might be able to channel the energy that's released when a witch dies a horrible death. However—he was sure that only worked if the witch doing the channeling actually had powers to begin with. Needless to say he was uncertain if Bonnie would be able to draw anything being she was now just another plain clothes human.

He observed her as she played with her fingers as she stared off into space.

Damon continued speaking, "In the meantime I was thinking we should getaway for a few days. I was thinking maybe the west coast or maybe we should go international. I've always had a fascination with Prague, but the weather might be sucky so no dice. What about…Australia? Or maybe we can go somewhere more remote…"

"…_I cheated…"_

"I guess it doesn't really matter because the point is…_what_?!"

Damon thought he heard her whisper something about her cheating. He stood immobilized as if shot up with vervain because something was beginning to burn from the inside out.

Silence ensued aside from the ticking of the Grandfather clock. _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _It measured the time in increments of Damon's love for her dissolving into hatred, Bonnie figured and wished she could blast the stupid instrument to pieces. Instead she shifted on the couch under the weight of his glare.

Bonnie moistened her lips and spoke a little louder and clearer, yet she refused to make eye contact with Damon. She couldn't.

"I-I cheated on you."

He thought that's what she said but a large chunk of him hoped that wasn't what she said.

His silence was unnerving and finally made Bonnie bold enough to look up and meet his gaze which naturally was filled with confusion, fury, denial, and something else Bonnie couldn't name. Her heart was beating like a Tiffany drum in her chest.

She took this as her opportunity to just get everything out while she crushed her boyfriend's heart in the process. Bonnie literally felt like she was going to pass out, throw up, and implode all at once. She broke out into a cold sweat.

"It happened yesterday. I was at the witches house when…Damon showed up. We talked for a minute and then he flew us back to his place, and it wasn't so we could fool around or anything, but…I ah…I we were at his house…and then we said something's, and then we were kissing, and then I was half naked on my back, but I stopped before anything could happen," Bonnie stood to her feet. "And…I-I-I told him that sleeping with him wouldn't change how I feel about you, that it's you I want to be with, and I told him that he needed to let me go. I swear, Damon we didn't have sex…I mean…he ah…he _you know_…but I stopped him! And I know things went too far and I never should have been alone with him in the first place, but I love you! I'm sorry, Damon, I'm so sorry."

The ticking Grandfather clock filled in the silence after Bonnie's spiel.

"Please…say something," Bonnie pled.

Damon had nothing to say. He literally couldn't form a coherent thought in his head. Railing, destroying property, promising someone a painful death, he had thrown legendary tantrums that could rival any two year olds his entire life, but today he was simply depleted. Bonnie fucked around on him. His sweet, beautiful girlfriend had the gall to stand before him and _tell _him that she did the one thing she said she'd never do.

He swallowed hard trying to gather himself and repress those feelings of striking out at her in the only way he knew how. His heart, his cold dead heart that she breathed life into was now on fire and disintegrating. Something shut down inside of Damon like someone snapping the cable of an elevator. It plummeted and burst into flames.

"You have ten seconds to get the fuck out of my house," Damon said coldly.

Bonnie blinked. That certainly wasn't the reaction she had come to expect from Damon. She expected he would fly into a rage and scream in her face and call her everything except a child of God. This however was far worse and much more chilling. His words spoken in finality made her panic rise. If they could talk about this, Bonnie was sure they could work past it because he obviously wasn't seeing the picture. The picture was that she had chosen HIM!

Bravely she took a step towards Damon but he shifted in a way that made her fear for her life. Her eyes dropped to his hands and she noticed they were balled into such tight fists that his knuckles were practically glowing.

It was his face though which made the blood drain out of Bonnie's body. Damon hadn't looked that disgusted with her since the night Emily possessed her and destroyed the crystal. In fact, the expression he wore then she would say was flirty compared to what his face was doing now.

"Did you not hear me?"

"Da…"

He snarled. "Five seconds!"

"Damon, please we should talk about this."

Damon lips pulled back from his teeth and Bonnie saw his fangs. She gulped yet was still willing to try to reach him.

"Damon…"

He was in her face before she could blink causing Bonnie to literally jump out of her skin. She gasped sharply and instinctively tried to give him an aneurysm only she realized too late she was without her powers, and was at his complete and total mercy. He took her roughly by the arms and pinned her against a wall. Her breath rushed out of her.

Damon bent at the knees so they could be eye-level. "I'm trying my very best not to _strangle_ you, Bonnie," he gritted his teeth and then punched a hole in the wall above her head. "Get the _fuck_ out of my house before I do something I'll regret!" And he flung her, none-too-gently towards the door.

Bonnie didn't lose her footing which was a miracle, but she did turn around to face Damon and that's when she saw it. His face crumble and reveal the immeasurable pain he was feeling. His eyes were glassy but no tears fell.

Bonnie had to fight against her natural instinct to comfort him despite knowing he would kill her if she so much attempted to touch him. Taking one final look, she bolted for the door.

BDBDBD

After hearing the recount of what happened, Stefan could only shake his head. "I'm sorry, man."

"Yeah, you're not the only one," Damon replied flatly.

"So what? You guys are over? You're done?"

Damon didn't have an answer to that. "Let's just say it's a hung jury."

The stench of the alley was beginning to make the blood he consumed earlier swish around in his stomach. Damon wanted a drink, but there wasn't enough booze and blood in the world that could suture the gaping wound where his heart and soul was ripped out.

The two brothers left the alley and walked with no set destination in mind.

Damon went over Bonnie's confession a number of times as he picked apart her words, twisting and examining them. There were several things he learned: she kissed her ex, there had been partial nudity on her end, and she allowed him to service her orally. According to Bonnie she didn't go all the way because she realized that she loved him more than Fell's Church Damon. Okay, whatever, she had a fucked up way of showing it. Damon felt more had happened but here was the thing, he did and didn't want to know what else was said and possibly occurred between them.

Why? Why did she go with him? Why would she put herself in that position? That was her first big ass mistake. You do not under any circumstances go to your ex's house alone! Damon was sure that was a written rule somewhere. She did this. This was all her doing. Knowing that the Damon's of the world have a crippling weakness when it came to her, and she used that to her advantage. She played the victim like an award winning actress, controlled their every move like a puppeteer, and had the nerve to try to rationalize with him.

Damon was at his assigned seat at the bar inside The Grille when he finally came out of his reverie. He looked around distractedly wondering how he got here before retreating back inside himself. Bonnie never loved him. She lied to him. She made him fall in love with her as some sort of payback for all the pain and suffering he caused other people. That was apart of her ingenious master plan all along. So who the hell was her accomplice because clearly he was the mark? Was it Bree? Katherine? Elena? Lexi? Countless others whose names he didn't even bother to try to remember? Okay so three out of the four he listed were dead but that didn't mean anything. Bonnie's whole plan from jump street was to make him fall for her and then stomp on his heart in her Converse sneakers.

Mission accomplished.

Bonnie never loved him. She didn't love him. How could she because this whole time they've been together she saw dark-eyed Damon. Yep, dude was right. Bonnie was with him by default.

Damon crushed the shot glass he had been unaware he was holding in his hand. Several people gawked at him and in return he flipped them the bird. A nice stiff one at that.

And thinking of something being stiff inadvertently made him think of the dick his girlfriend could have been riding or_ did_ ride.

Damon was vibrating with tension. He needed to let it out. To his luck, a group of local hillbillies sauntered inside, raising cane, burping, belching, and being rowdy much to the other patrons' displeasure. Rolling his shoulders, Damon stood up from the stool ready to plant his fists into meaty flesh.

* * *

><p>Bonnie gave him a week. A week of no contact. Besides it went without saying Damon wouldn't accept her phone calls or respond to her text messages anyways. She shared the news of her betrayal with her two best friends who suggested they take an emergency trip to Elena's parent's lake house, but Bonnie refused to budge. What if Damon stopped by to finally talk to her and she was gone? No, she couldn't risk it.<p>

So she went through the motions of life. Attending class but barely paying enough attention to jot down coherent notes. Going to her final dance rehearsal and gown fitting for the cotillion, which was the following weekend. Her life moved forward yet Bonnie was stuck.

Sleep was impossible. Her guilt made every bone and muscle in her body hurt, and she was barely keeping anything down. Bonnie could never understand why anyone would write a song about love hurting, but now she knew what the artist meant. Her entire being felt like it was in physical pain.

She regretted allowing things to go that far with Fell's Church Damon. She had hoped that by getting everything off her chest she'd feel exonerated in that she made the right choice.

But in the wee hours of the morning there were still lingering doubts.

Dark-eyed Damon had made very valid points about blue-eyed Damon's conduct. No she and blue-eyed Damon did not have a conventional start, but who did when you rubbed elbows with vampires? And everything she said to her ex about him loving her for her, and being the friend she needed, that was a good foundation to build a strong and lasting relationship on.

Had she made the right choice?

Her doubts plagued her, anxiety twisted her uncooperative stomach in knots, and shame made it impossible for Bonnie to walk through town with her head held high. Bonnie wanted more than anything to erase that decision, but she couldn't. It was stuck with her. She had to live with it. She hated that things went that far. She despised the fact she had to be the one to hurt her ex and her boyfriend. She hated the fact that she fell in love in the first place because otherwise all parties involved would be spared their pain right now.

When Bonnie thought too much not only did it induce a headache, but it made her yearn for a hot shower. So Bonnie climbed out of bed and paraded into her bathroom to do just that.

* * *

><p><strong>Arizona<strong>

Dark-eyed Damon Salvatore stared at his cell phone hoping it would ring. It had been a week since the last time he held Bonnie in his arms. He switched his thoughts refusing to believe he was this pathetic. Refusing to believe that once again his heart was tattered to pieces by a teenaged girl, who by rights should be beneath him, and not in the sexual sense.

When he closed his eyes he could still taste her faintly on his tongue. She dumped him. She ended things. She…broke his heart and the stubborn side of him refused to believe that she meant it, that she had been perfectly serious with him. And now due to his impulsiveness he was stuck here without a clear way home.

_Real smooth, Damon._

But none of what transpired made sense. He was what she needed, not _him_. That blue-eyed rabid fool who would only serve to hurt her or get her killed one of these days.

He loved Bonnie first. He was the one who saw the value in her but instead of going with logic and reason, she was basing her choice on what exactly?

Damon wasn't sure, but what he had been sure of was the fact he needed to leave Mystic Falls for a few days, regroup, and get his head together. Love would not make a mockery out of him again. But he feared it was much too late for that.

"Bonnie," he said and closed his eyes wishing he had never left Mystic Falls all those months ago. He wished he had fought harder or at least tried to convince her to come with him. Instead, he let the best thing to ever happen to him slip through his fingers.

This was all his doing, and he was determined to fix it.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls<strong>

Damon's knuckles were on fire as he rotated his wrist in a counterclockwise and then clockwise circle. It felt good to beat someone to a bloody pulp. Too bad the cops had to show up.

He stared at Liz drolly as she actually wrote him a citation for public drunkenness, inciting a riot, and disturbing the peace.

She ripped off the ticket and passed it over to Damon. "Be lucky I'm not carting you off to jail, Damon. Whatever the hell is bothering you, I suggest you deal with it and clean up your act."

Damon snorted as he read over his list of charges and the fine amount he was being slapped with. "Yes, mom," he rolled his eyes.

Liz looked him over disappointedly before jumping back in her squad car. The minute she zoomed off Damon had the sudden urge to urinate on the ticket and leave it on her doorstep. Instead, he ripped it up, reached inside his car and pulled out a fresh bottle of whiskey.

The so-called "riot" he started was dispersing as people drunkenly walked to their vehicles or down the block talking way too loud and/or singing off key. A few co-ed's whistled at him but he couldn't even offer up a decent smile. He cricked his neck.

He climbed behind the wheel and leaned back against the head rest. All he had been doing was picking fights with random strangers, attempted to pick up bar harpies but he couldn't follow through. Damon gritted his teeth. By now he should have been over his "little crush" on Bonnie and moved on to bigger and brighter things, but his stubborn heart refused to budge, and was still in mourning over learning the awful truth.

What pissed him off even more was that he went to his adversary's place to have it out and the king of all dicks was nowhere to be found. His luck was astounding.

Damon held the bottle up to his lips and chugged. He wanted to hurt Bonnie just as badly as she hurt him. He even planned out several scenarios in his twisted head about deliberately inviting her over under the pretense of sitting down and having a rational discussion on why she spread her legs for her ex. Of course by the time she arrived with hope dancing in those gorgeous eyes that saw too much—Damon slapped his head to remain detached and focused—he would be buried eight and a half inches deep in another woman.

Even the thought of that alone made him want to whimper like a coyote with a broken leg. He couldn't play that trick in the book, he couldn't hurt her like that which meant he still loved her unfaithful ass.

"_Fuck!"_ He was screwed and it wasn't fair.

Igniting the engine Damon figured it was time to go see her.

BDBDDB

Clicking off the light in her bathroom, Bonnie had to contain her scream when she saw Damon sitting on her bed. He was staring straight ahead and she noticed he was dangling a bottle of whiskey between his legs.

"Sit."

She hesitated before crossing the room and taking a tentative seat next to him. Damon handed her a shot glass and filled it.

"Drink."

Bonnie hated whiskey but if he wanted her to drink she'd do it if it meant he was ready to talk to her. She consumed the murky brown fluid in one swallow and nearly gagged.

Damon poured himself a shot and easily downed it like water. They were quiet for a while.

"What did I do wrong?" he finally broke the silence.

Bonnie turned a little to face him yet could only view his profile. Damon had yet to look directly at her and she was sure it was a defense tactic.

"You didn't do anything. What happened wasn't me trying to get back at you for something you did. It was a mistake, a moment of weakness."

Damon reloaded their glasses. "Do you want to be with him?" he asked after tossing back the booze.

It took a second longer than necessary for Bonnie to respond only because her throat was burning as a result of the alcohol.

"No, I don't."

"See that's the thing I want to believe you, but I can't," he shook his head sadly. "I've done my share of foul shit you know that, and I've been trying to justify what went down between you and him and give you a pass, and say all is forgiven." He finally looked at her then.

Bonnie tried not to bristle. There was no warmth in his gaze, no understanding, only pain, hurt, bitterness, and seething anger.

"But every time I close my eyes I see the two of you rolling around and laughing at what a fool you made out of me, Bonnie."

"Damon…"

He cut her off, "I know I have a reputation of being a womanizer and an asshole, but I have loved exactly three women my whole life: my mother, Katherine, and you, and all three of you have broken my heart. How do you expect me to get past this?" he raised his voice.

Bonnie looked down at her trembling hands. This was new territory for her and she didn't know what to say that could magically make everything better. Yet she would try.

"I don't. I don't expect you to get past this…at least not now."

"If I break up with you you'll just run off to him. If we stay together I'll feel like you're with me out of obligation. What am I supposed to do?"

Resisting touching him was hard, but Bonnie couldn't chance upsetting him more than he already was so she clasped her hands together. "I had an opportunity to leave and I didn't because I love you. Damon, I wish I could take it all back and saying 'I'm sorry' isn't going to cut it, but I am. Please," a tear fell from her eye and landed on the back of her hand. "Give me a chance to make things right."

Damon stared at her in partial disbelief. "Why?"

"Because I'm in love with you, and we've been through so much we can't just…let it end like this."

He laughed derisively. "You're still in love with him," he countered.

"No, I'm not," Bonnie quickly refuted.

"Don't lie to me!"

Again she tried not to recoil. "I'm not!" Bonnie took his hand and placed it right on her heart. "This belongs to you," she stared at him beseechingly. "And so does everything else about me. For two minutes I allowed myself to forget that and I'll never forgive myself for it. Just…tell me what I can do to make things better."

Damon snatched his hand away from her and got up from the bed. He ran his hands through his hair. "I want to believe you. I want to forgive you…but something in me won't let me."

Bonnie joined him by getting to her feet as well. "Okay, so we'll just take things one day at time. We'll move slow. I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to get your trust back."

"It's not going to be that simple. You can't say you're sorry and think that's going to be enough to fix everything."

"I know," Bonnie lowered her eyes. "But I have to try somewhere." Pause. "Do you…do you still want to be with me?"

Damon brought his eyes on his girlfriend. She appeared so small and waif like, nothing like the powerful and strong witch goddess she had been only two weeks ago. He approached her and braced his hands on her shoulders. He frowned when he felt Bonnie stiffen at his touch. The last time they saw each other he did manhandle her and he felt a twinge of guilt about that yet he brushed it off. He could have done a lot worse than what he did, but still pushing her was out of line.

"That's my problem, Bonnie," Damon admitted. "I still want to be with you. I still want to love you, and I still want you to love me. But I can't…"

"We can get past this, we can make it through this," Bonnie murmured reassuringly and laid her hands on his chest. "We can but the both of us has to be willing."

"You broke us," Damon said on a choked sob.

"I…know…"

His eyes dipped to her lips. It was irrational for as much as he wanted to her hurt all he could really think about was kissing her.

"How sorry are you?" he asked.

Bonnie appeared perplexed by the question. "Sorry enough to promise to cut all ties of communication and to stay away from him."

"Promises aren't going to cut it this time, Bonnie."

She dropped her eyes again.

Being this close to her, smelling her skin, feeling her warmth knowing she just had a shower was waking up another appetite. How could he still want her like this? This was sorcery in its purest form, Damon thought as he pushed her on the bed and joined her. Bonnie's heart changed rhythm.

"I want to get past this," he whispered and slid his fingers along her throat before clasping it.

"And we will," Bonnie said wiggling to get closer to him.

Damon kissed her neck and Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed. When he looked at her again, it was no longer Bonnie's face he was seeing but Katherine smiling sinisterly at him.

"No matter what I say, it's never going to be you, Damon."

The vampire in question blinked. "What?"

Bonnie's eyes opened and she stared at him curiously. "I didn't say anything."

Katherine's image took over Bonnie's face again. "His dick was the best I ever had."

Damon's hand on Bonnie's neck tightened and she squirmed against him. "Damon?"

He shook his head, unsure of what was going on. He narrowed his eyes to make sure that the person underneath him was Bonnie and not Katherine. But then the face shifted and he was now staring at Elena.

"I care about you, Damon, but it's not love. I could never love you above him."

He shut his eyes and tried to dim the volume in his ears. He resumed kissing Bonnie's neck again, more aggressively and unconsciously tightened his hold on it, to block that image. To deny her words.

Laughter ensued in his head as the voices of his father and everyone else who mocked him, belittled him, came rushing to the surface bringing along all his old wounds and insecurities. Bonnie had played him like a fiddle the same way Katherine did only Bonnie was more cunning in that she actually convinced him her love was genuine. Maybe he had too much to drink and should go home and sleep it off, but he couldn't make himself leave this room.

Love, he wanted love, all his life it seemed and no matter how much he gave of himself to others they _always _played him for a fool.

Lie, that's all people ever did to him was lie to him. He wanted Bonnie to be different. She had been different but now she fell into the same category as everyone else.

Something was scratching at him but his attention was elsewhere. He was kissing her collarbone, still holding on to her neck. He couldn't let go of what in his possession because Bonnie was still very much his and there was no way in the world he could let her go.

He had done so much for her, almost changed who he was and it wasn't enough. Oh, sure Bonnie and everyone else might think that he only started to like her once she entered into a relationship with dark-eyed Damon, but that wasn't the catalyst. She opened up his eyes to the fact he had deserved love his entire life, essentially told him to get over Katherine because he deserved better, and she had done so at a time where she had every reason in the book to hate him. She changed him, she cursed him, she damned him, and she saved him.

But then she _broke _him. His hand squeezed the smooth column of her neck.

Yet it wasn't enough to make him let her go. If he had held on to her tighter perhaps she never would have strayed. Lesson learned; he wouldn't let her go again.

But that was the difficult part, forgiving her, because he had a vindictive streak a mile wide.

A wheezed breath caught his attention and Damon lifted off Bonnie.

She wasn't moving. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. Several blood vessels in her eyes had burst turning the sclera pink. Damon's eyes dropped to her mouth, which was parted open but he didn't feel nor heard any breath escape. Lower his eyes moved and noticed the absent rise and fall of her chest. He couldn't hear her heart beating.

"Oh, God!" he said when he finally realized this whole time he had been choking her.

Damon was momentarily paralyzed as he tried to figure out what to do. So he stood immobile for a moment staring at Bonnie. He couldn't have…he couldn't have killed her! No, he would never do that! He was mad. He was hurt. He was pissed. But he would _never… _

Damon jolted up in bed. Eyes wild as he looked around and then brought his hands up to his face. They were clean, devoid of blood but a person doesn't necessarily bleed when they're being choked to death. He moved like the wind as he got out of bed, threw on his discarded pair of jeans and shirt, heart hammering, mouth tasting like cotton, head pounding. He had to make it over to Bonnie's. This was all just a dream. A nightmare. A figment of his perverse imagination. He wouldn't…

He didn't trust himself to drive and besides his car would have moved too slow. Damon ran like the hounds of hell were chomping at his ankles as he moved through town like a phantom. When he stood outside of Bonnie's he flew inside, again moving faster than conscious thought.

The light was still on in her bedroom and the door was partially ajar. Damon pushed the door open, resistant to see what was on the other side.

Her bed was empty. The half finished bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses sat on the floor near the foot of the bed where they left them. The duvet cover was rumpled, not pulled back signifying Bonnie had been under it. He sampled the air and caught whiffs of his scent co-mingled with hers. But she was nowhere to be found.

Did he bury her? He wasn't sure. But knowing him he might have hid her body. Damon checked under the bed which was too low to the ground for anyone to be placed under, but that wouldn't have stopped him from being creative.

He found nothing but dust bunnies and a few pairs of shoes. Maybe he put her in the bathtub. He checked. Nothing.

Damon went through her entire house and found no trace of her. Pushing his fingers in his hair, he had no choice but to check the backyard. He gulped heavily, feeling his anxiety prickle his scalp.

Opening the back door, Damon came to a stop when he saw a figure sitting on the ground with a throw blanket wrapped around its shoulders. Maybe he propped her up as some cruel joke to give the impression she was star gazing when really she was dead. There was only one way to find out.

"Bonnie?"

There was no reply.

His boots crunched the grass as he tentatively approached.

"Bonnie?" he touched her shoulder.

Bonnie let out a piercing scream before scrambling away. She glared up at Damon and slipped the earphones of her iPod out of her ears.

Breathlessly she asked, "What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" he asked tersely. Relief flooded him that he hadn't strangled her but it was easily replaced with fresh anger.

"I was trying to clear my head." Bonnie got to her feet and tightened her hold on her blanket. After her talk with Damon she couldn't go to sleep even though she was exhausted. Damon had left not agreeing fully to give her a chance to rebuild what they had, but he didn't say their relationship was over, either.

Damon wanted to pull her into a hug but he couldn't. He didn't trust himself. The fact he could dream about killing her made him feel, well like a vampire, and it was odd because he hadn't felt like one in a while.

"You should get back in the house. It's late," he complained and then turned to walk off.

Bonnie followed him. She didn't understand why he would return to her house. "Did something happen?" she asked automatically assuming something of a supernatural nature was wrong.

Damon shook his head and then stopped at the threshold. He stepped aside so Bonnie could enter her home. "Nothing is wrong. Just…go to bed."

Bonnie stared at him expectantly. "If nothing is wrong why did you come back here?"

Guilt made him stare at his feet. "No reason."

"I know you, Damon. What's going on?"

He lifted his head, nostrils slightly flaring. She shouldn't be presumptuous to still think she had a right to throw in his face the fact she did know him. Not after the shit she pulled.

"Truthfully I don't owe you any gotdamn explanations. Just go to bed," he snarled and then ghosted away.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Stefan stood in front of his mirror adjusting his tie against his deep indigo shirt. He twisted a few strands of his caramel hair until it reached China. He then swiped his tongue over one of his slightly protruding fangs.

He was going to feed tonight and it would be his little secret. Say what you want about him but he wasn't dull and boring like a box of rocks as many have pegged him to be—his brother included. Stefan had conditioned himself to be human after taking so many human lives that he stifled and denied himself simple pleasures in many areas.

That was now over. Thank the heavens. If Jonas Martin hadn't been roasted alive, Stefan supposed he could send the man a thank you card for somehow breaking Elijah's compulsion. His hunger had returned ten-fold and Stefan indulged and had no intentions of letting anyone know that the ripper in him was scratching at the surface. Besides, he couldn't blow his cover because once he did the morality police would be on him.

A cocky smirk curled his lips. If his darling little girlfriend knew what he would be up to tonight she would have probably offer up her own veins to keep others alive. Or fainted. Or cried. Or shown any number of annoying human emotions to manipulate him to do what she wanted. Elena was a sweet girl with an even sweeter ass but he wanted more than nights spent eating dinner with her patchwork family, watching old movies reliving the "good ole days", and holding her while she drifted off to sleep. He was old but she had a tendency to make him feel decrepit.

Yet he supposed he loved her because she humanized him, held him accountable during his moments of madness when he did horrible things to people.

But hello…he was a vampire and that was part of his job description.

Stefan moistened his lips already tasting blood but was distracted by the front door opening and closing. Damon just slipped out. Good. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him or his man pain.

His cell phone rang. Groaning, he picked it up and his eyes went heavenward. He answered.

"Hello, Elena."

"Hey, Stefan. I know we promised to give each other the night off, but Alaric is taking Jenna out tonight, and Jeremy is studying at a friend's house. I have the place to myself so…" and she deliberately let her thought trail off so he could fill in the blank.

As tempting as it was Stefan already knew the drill. Elena could be a tease. She had a way of making it appear that if he behaved himself and minded his manners that he would score, but nope, she would make him settle with kissing until both of their lips were raw and swollen, and when she was feeling particularly naughty—for her anyways—he might be permitted to finger her. They didn't have sex; they made love, cue another eye roll, and making love only happened _after _he took her out.

She really needed to go find a spontaneous sex bone somewhere in her body.

"I'd love to come over," he placed the right amount of yearning in his voice, "but Damon is having a hard time and well, you know me. I want to be there for my brother."

"Oh," cue Elena's crushing disappointment and pout. "Well if anything should change, you know where to find me."

"Yes, I do," Stefan checked his appearance and smiled.

"Well, I'll let you get back to cheering up your brother. Call me later?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Love you."

"Right back at you." He hung up the phone and tossed it. Things would work better if he left it behind.

* * *

><p>The following week Bonnie did what she could to stay busy, which wasn't difficult. After Damon's bizarre behavior the night of their talk, she felt it safe to text him to let him know that she was thinking about him. Of course disappointment stabbed her when he didn't return her texts with at least a one word response or a smiley face icon. No matter. She would just pester him like he took pleasure in doing when she wasn't trying to give him the time of day.<p>

She took to doing her homework at The Grill hoping to run into him since it was his home away from home. The first time he saw her sitting at a table—alone—he naturally began to approach her, but then remembered they were fighting, and parked his tush on his favorite barstool which should have his name on it by now. Even though Bonnie wanted to talk to him, wanted things to go back to the way they were before she screwed up, for now she could accept staring at him from afar.

Then she noticed she wasn't the only one.

Several women would approach him, introduce themselves and then offer to buy _him _a drink. Bonnie would watch with daggers shooting out of her eyes as Damon would proceed to accept free drinks from strange women, women who were much older but not as pretty as her.

Bonnie admonished herself. There was no need for her to tear down someone else's looks to make herself feel better. But it was a tough pill to swallow to sit there and observe her boyfriend, she guessed they were still together since he never outright said it was over, chat up and flirt with these women knowing full well she was watching.

This medicine he was serving was acrid and bitter and Bonnie took it all in stride. Her day would come. He couldn't stay mad at her forever. Or maybe in his case he could.

On the night before she was to depart for Richmond to attend the cotillion, Bonnie was once again at the Grill this time dressed in something more eye catching than jeans and a T-shirt. She had shunned her usual uniform and replaced it with a black wrap dress and the ankle boots she wore to her birthday party. She flat ironed her hair thinking the curls made her look too young and innocent, when clearly she was anything but, and she was very liberal with her black eyeliner. She left her lips nude, only added clear lip gloss, and hosed herself down with the brand of perfume Damon preferred to smell on her skin.

As soon as she walked into The Grill, keeping her eyes away from the bar, she pulled out her cell phone and called Caroline.

"Hey, where are you? I don't see you."

"I should have called you earlier. I won't be able to make it. My mom is sick and she's actually letting me take care of her," Caroline snorted good-naturedly.

Bonnie made sure her face held the right amount of disappointment. "Oh, well tell her I said I hope she feels better. Since I'm here I might as well stay and get a bite to eat. I'll talk to you later, Care."

"Okay, Bon. Have a good night."

Slipping her phone back in her purse, Bonnie headed over to her favorite table, which she told Matt ahead of time to keep vacant because it offered an unobstructed view of the bar. She slid into a seat and placed her purse on the table. She looked around the establishment before bringing her attention to the bar.

Yep, Damon was there tonight. He wasn't looking at her, but from the rigid set of his shoulders, Bonnie knew he was fully aware that she was present.

A waiter came over and dropped a menu before her. He was new and cute. And his eyes lit up with appreciation and interest.

"Hey, welcome to Mystic Grill, I'm Brandon and I'll be your server tonight. Are you dining alone?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"I'm surprised. A beautiful girl like you should never eat alone."

Bonnie lowered her eyes to the table and blushed. She didn't dare look at Damon to see if he was watching.

Brandon cleared his throat and then remembered his professionalism. "Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Yeah, can I have a ginger ale?"

"Sure," Brandon nodded and pulled out his pad and pen. "Would you like to hear tonight's specials?"

"No thanks. I usually get the same thing so I'll just have a Caesar salad with grilled chicken strips."

Brandon jotted down her order. "Anything for dessert?"

That's when Bonnie finally looked towards the bar again and Damon was looking right at her. "I have a taste for vanilla ice cream."

Damon narrowed his eyes and looked away.

Bonnie directed her attention back to Brandon and offered him a wry smile.

She was being a complete and total bitch, Damon seethed. She knew good and damn well that vanilla ice cream was code for his well... jizz. And annoyingly his cock had to twitch in his pants as he was brutally reminded of all the times he spoon fed her. And then she had the audacity to waltz in here wearing his favorite color, perfume, and looking hotter than hell. _Bitch!_

All week he had taken immense pleasure in the fact he could ignore her calls and little loving text messages declaring how much she missed him, how much she hoped he'd have a good day, and of course she couldn't resist telling him that she loved him.

He cared, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to yield. He wasn't going to give in and allow her free reign with his heart and soul. No, she was going to have to earn it the old fashioned way—groveling on her hands and knees.

Another scintillating image assaulted him. Damon ordered another drink.

Bonnie finished her meal, paid the bill, freshened up her lip gloss, and popped a mint in her mouth. Taking in a large gulp of air she felt it safe to approach Damon. All throughout her meal she caught him stealing glances at her as she ate deliberately slowly and adding in little sighs and moans here and there.

The clicking of her heels against the hardwood floor announced her arrival. Still he made no move to flee or to acknowledge her.

"Hello, Damon."

"Bonnie."

She bit her lip nervously, "I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow I'm heading up to Richmond for the cotillion. I have your invitation if you still want to come."

Damon didn't take his eyes away from the shelves of bottles that lined the wall behind the bar. He shrugged. "I don't think I can make it."

Bonnie nodded and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Silence engulfed the area between them. Sighing, Bonnie dug around in her purse and pulled out the invitation and slid it across the bar towards him.

"If you change your mind," she said quietly and felt her nose tickle. She promised herself that no matter what she wouldn't cry, but she wasn't used to getting the cold shoulder from him and nothing hurt worse than to be treated as if you're nothing by the one you love. But then again, she supposed that's how Damon felt she treated him.

Damon stared at the card dispassionately before looking into her eyes. He could see her pain and regret yet also hope and determination. He wasn't in the mood to be gracious and tell her all wasn't lost between them.

"You should head home before the street lights come on,_ kid_."

The jab about her age did smart, yet Bonnie took it. She squared her shoulders. "It would mean a lot if you did come, but no pressure. I know you have far more important things to do like drink your weight in liquor. I'll leave you to it, then."

And she stormed off with what dignity she had left. Her waterworks had turned on as she marched across the parking lot to her car. Bonnie hit the unlock button on her remote, slid behind the wheel and allowed a few tears to roll down her cheeks before wiping them away.

Her phone started ringing.

"Yeah," Bonnie answered.

"So how did it go?"

Bonnie shook her head. "He won't look at me, Caroline. He won't talk to me. He hates me. I should just…"

"He doesn't hate you," Caroline interrupted. "He and his pride are just mad and hurt. Give it more time."

Bonnie didn't speak right away. "Well, it was a good plan…you pretending to stand me up…too bad it didn't have the desired effect. I need to get home before the street lights come on," Bonnie snorted derisively and placed her key in the ignition.

"Ooh, maybe you should head over to his place and let him find you naked in bed. Make up sex is so hot!"

"I don't think I can handle being rejected and dismissed twice in the same night. I know I screwed up and if he had done the same thing to me…there's no telling what I might have done, or how I might have reacted. So I guess I should consider it a miracle he hasn't outright dumped me although I feel like I have been dumped."

"But until he makes things official, still continue to do what you have to, to make it up to him. But don't turn yourself into his doormat. You have limits, remember that."

"You're right," Bonnie let out a tired sigh. "Let me get home."

"Call me when you make it there."

"All right. Talk to you later."

"Bye, chica."

Bonnie threw her car in reverse and then pulled out of the parking lot. Damon stepped out of the shadows watching her taillights fade away.

* * *

><p>Damon would never admit that he drove forty miles above the posted speed limit on his way home. No because then that would mean he thought Bonnie might have had a change of heart and do what her friend suggested about breaking into his house to wait for him naked in his bed. If he admitted that he felt a small twinge of excitement and anticipation course through him then that would make him weak.<p>

But still, he pressed his foot on the gas. However, when he turned into the driveway there was no sign of Bonnie's car.

Shutting off the engine, Damon walked inside at a leisurely pace and took the stairs one at a time to his room, shoulders slumped.

There was something on his bed, but it wasn't a naked Bonnie. It was a brand new leather jacket.

And not just any leather jacket but a Diesel 'Leide' Extra Trim Fit Crinkled leather jacket in navy. Damon almost creamed himself. On the inside there was an inscription sown into the fabric that read: From Bonnie.

"Un-hun. Okay," he said and placed the jacket back on the bed ready to write off this obvious bribe. He marched into this bathroom, brushed and flossed his teeth, trimmed his nose hair, pondered if it was time to get a hair cut, and then stepped back into his bedroom.

The leather jacket was still there whispering his name. Damon ignored it. He went into the basement, got a blood bag, heated it up, went into the library and selected a book, and then found himself in his room once again eyeing that stupid jacket.

"Okay, I'll try you on just once but that doesn't mean I'm keeping you. Salvation Army, or Goodwill here you come."

Damon slid his arms into the fitted sleeves of the jacket and shrugged it on his shoulders. This stupid thing had been tailored to perfection—his perfection. He walked into the bathroom to check out his appearance. He turned to the side and back to check out the awesome stitch detail and the zippers on the sleeves that came to the elbow. The navy leather made his eyes even more electric. This jacket was badass to the extreme and had Tony Stark written all over it.

"Damn her," he muttered.

She always knew right where to hit him.

"This changes nothing," Damon promised himself as he slid the jacket off and then hung it up in his closet where it would be easily accessible. "Nothing," he reaffirmed and switched off the light, but was back two seconds later just to admire the jacket again. "Nothing."

Chapter end.

**A/N: So I think it will be a nice pace to have someone pursue Damon for a bit. To clear up any confusion about the Bamon "talk" scene, they did have that discussion and afterwards Damon went home, had a dream about it, replaying their words verbatim only in his dream he ended up accidentally choking her. So the discussion did happen between them. I hope I just didn't confuse you guys more lol. And I added in a taste of Ripper Stefan. We will see a little more of him next chapter. Sadly, there are only three chapters left and then this baby will be complete. But thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for sticking it out and getting me through the rough patches I had. Until next time, love you!**


	55. It Is You

**A/N: I've been meaning to dedicate one of these chapters to my good friend Wowzersduh, I hope all is well or on the way to being well sweetie. This is for you. Enjoy everyone! This is a long one.  
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Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Damon stared up at the ceiling searching for cracks, he told himself._

Bonnie rushed around throwing things left from right on her bed, pushing her curls behind her ears, spinning around and running into her Aunt, laughing nervously as she tried to pack her last remaining odds and ends. She could hear her father yelling from the first floor to hurry up so they could get on the road to Richmond before traffic hit.

"Coming, dad sheesh!" Bonnie replied then shrieked as she dashed into the bathroom. "I forgot to pack my makeup!"

_He wasn't sure how long he lied in bed. Damon wasn't one to prolong starting his day in favor of being lazy. He wasn't a home body by any stretch of the word or imagination, but today he just couldn't find the motivation to leave his bed, to leave the house. Besides, staring up, unblinking, at the ceiling gave him plenty to do._

Aunt Vanessa zipped up Bonnie's rolling suitcase and sat it on the floor. "Do you have everything? Your dress is already packed in the truck. Do you have your shoes? Your gloves? The antique jewelry Aunt Bernie loaned you?"

Bonnie vigorously nodded her head as she shouldered her purse and grabbed her pea coat. She looked down at the check list in her hand. All pertinent items had been marked off. However there was one last remaining thing left for her to do. She stared at her cell phone wishing it would ring, wishing she could find the courage to text Damon and inquire one last time if he was coming or not. Intuition told her not to push. But this living in the darkness…she couldn't stand it.

"I'm ready," Bonnie said and then followed Aunt Vanessa out of her bedroom closing the door behind her.

The door to Damon's bedroom, however, flew open and Alaric Saltzman walked in. He sauntered over to Damon's bed and slapped the morning newspaper down on the immortal's chest.

"We have a problem."

Damon didn't move a muscle at first though his ire had been pricked with Alaric's sudden arrival into his abode. Slowly Damon came to a seated position on the bed, using the headboard for support as he picked up the newspaper eyeing it disinterestedly.

"What's wrong now, Ranger Ric?"

The high school history teacher planted his hands on his hips. "There's an interesting article on page seven. I'll save you the trouble of reading it because I know you're illiterate."

Damon smiled and flipped the pages of the newspaper regardless.

Ric continued. "We either have a very cocky or a very sloppy vampire on our hands. But a couple of college kids were attacked after leaving a party all suffering from major blood loss. One of them managed to give police a good description of the assailant. Said he was anywhere between five-nine to five-eleven in height with dark brown or reddish-brown hair, and grayish-green eyes. Sound like someone we know?"

Damon quickly read over the article, cursed softly under his breath as he threw the covers off his body. Alaric immediately looked away unsure if Damon would be wearing pants or not.

Once he was finished reading the article, Damon balled it up and pulled his lips back from his teeth. "My special needs brother," he grumbled already craving his first drink of the day.

"So you think Stefan was behind this?"

Damon flashed Alaric an annoyed look. "Who else could it be? After we were attacked by those wolves, and Bonnie gave Stefan her blood to heal his wounds, he went off his rocker. You saw that when he showed up at Elena's that same night. And instead of dealing with his issues like any other fucked up vampire, Brother Dearest decides to seek out an original vampire to compel him to forget his hunger."

"Hmm," Alaric considered, "so how do you think Stefan broke the compulsion if that's what's happened?"

Damon wasn't sure but he had firsthand knowledge that hunger could overpower almost everything. He headed into his bathroom and turned on the shower. Looks like he won't be loitering in bed for the rest of the day as he had planned. Pity, he was rather looking forward to developing bed sores.

Alaric watched as Damon buzzed around his bedroom. There was a question he wanted to ask the vampire but not at the risk of having his neck snapped. Yet he and Damon had established a rapport where they could tell one another the scathing truth and be brutally honest with each other.

"Sorry to bother you with this, but why aren't you on your way to Richmond?"

Damon halted in pulling out a black T-shirt from his extensive collection. He slammed the drawer shut with more force than necessary jostling the items on top of the dresser. He kept his back to Ric.

"Why would I be heading to Richmond?"

"Don't play dumb, Damon. You know what's happening in Richmond this weekend. I heard Elena talking to Bonnie this morning. She's being presented to society and last I checked you were going as one of her special guests. So why aren't you going?"

Damon didn't need to explain himself to anybody least of all him, and Alaric had better remember that.

He swiftly turned on his bare feet, shouldered past Ric and headed into the bathroom. "Unless you're sticking around to scrub my back I suggest you leave."

Shaking his head, Alaric ducked out of Bela Lugosi's bedroom.

Standing under the shower head, Damon didn't need any helpful albeit needless reminders to what this weekend symbolized. For months he had promised Bonnie that he would be there to witness her big night where she stopped being just a run-of-the-mill teenager though being a witch kind of catapulted her out of that category, into entering society as a respectable young woman ready to tackle on the world and incite change. She was already a pioneer in that regard, but it would be nice to see her being acknowledged for all she's done to help others. Besides, it would have given him an excuse to get out of Mystic Falls and walk around as arm candy for the night.

He hadn't seen her dress. Bonnie had wanted to keep that top secret until it was revealed the night of the cotillion. And a part of him did regret the fact he was still too bitter about her betrayal to be there for her, support her, and see her achieve something that had absolutely nothing to do with casting spells.

Damon's head butted against the glass wall. He missed her. He could stop lying to himself and say that her not being in his life, of not speaking to her everyday or seeing her, was driving him almost to the brink of destruction.

As a consequence to his thoughts he nearly scrubbed his skin off. His flesh was a bright pink when he stepped out of the shower and threw his clothes on. When he marched downstairs he wasn't totally surprised to see that Alaric had helped himself to his liquor. However, he was surprised but then instantly pissed off by the other occupant in the room.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Damon demanded venomously.

Sensing imminent danger, Alaric drained the rest of his whiskey and diplomatically left the house. "I'll catch you later, Damon. I do have classes to teach today."

The two Damon's eyed one another. The one with the blue-eyes was barely containing himself whereas the one with the dark eyes simply looked…light-eyes couldn't exactly name the emotion that was marring his face but it wasn't very pleasant.

Damon's face turned deadly. "Get the hell out of my house if you value what's left of your undead life."

"Look," dark-eyed Damon said tersely. "I don't like this situation anymore than you do, but…Bonnie is not at fault. Not entirely, anyways. I was the one to instigate what could have been an incredible night between us, but she stopped…"

"I _heard _all of this before," Damon bit out but then laughed humorlessly. "It's funny how she accused me of trying to turn her into a cheater when you two were together, but yet _you _would be the one to do so."

Dark-eyes stared down at his boots. "Be that as it may, she chose you, Damon."

"That supposed to make me feel better?"

Obsidian eyes stared at Damon—dubiously. "What more do you want from her? I didn't stop by to try to convince you to get over your hurt and forgive Bonnie. I could really give a shit if you do or don't. I just wanted you to know my part in turning her into something neither of us wanted. I love her, and I'll always love her, and I'm always going to fight for her, but it's you she wants."

The two Damon's glowered at one another.

Light-eyes spoke. "So does this mean you're finally giving her up?"

Dark-eyes sighed. "I gave up everything for her, and for what? So she can tell me she prefers someone else," he cleared his throat. "But her choice is what I'm going to have to live with."

"You didn't answer my question."

A corner of Damon's lips curled into a smile. "I can never give her up, but you needn't worry about me. For now."

A light breeze swept past light-eyed Damon and he stood alone in his living room.

* * *

><p><strong>Richmond, Virginia<strong>

_Just three dances to get through, just three dances to get through, _Bonnie repeated as a mantra in her head as she was laced into her gown. It was an exact replica of the dress Vivian Leigh wore in the movie _Anna Karenina_ when she attended a Russian ball. The dress in the movie had been black, but since white was the color of the occasion, it was formatted to fit the cotillion's specifications. It swept off her shoulders, had a tight bodice that pulled her waist in and gave Bonnie a definite hourglass shape. The skirt was full with a two foot train. Bonnie felt like a Disney princess. Spiral curls adorned her head; her makeup was tasteful and timeless only hinting at sultriness. Three inch studded Mary-Jane pumps and over the elbow gloves completed her look.

One of Bonnie's cousins was busy snapping pictures. She tried to smile through her nerves and impending devastation because Bonnie just knew that Damon wasn't going to come. She had already been questioned several times about his absence and Bonnie wasn't in the mood to lie or make excuses for him. It was hard for Bonnie not to notice every time her father would sniff and/or grunt whenever someone brought Damon up.

Needless to say his opinion about the man-child, which wasn't all that great to begin with, was surely falling into the gutter.

"You're all done," Aunt Vanessa announced and stepped back to admire her handiwork. It had only taken three hours to transform Bonnie from her girl-next-door self into a young woman of dignity, regality, and grace.

Bonnie was turned to face the mirror. At first she didn't recognize herself. What was reflected back to her wasn't a somewhat introverted girl who preferred jeans over skirts and who used to love playing in the mud. No, what she saw was a young woman about to walk down the aisle on her wedding day.

The hotel suite had gone noticeably quiet and Bonnie turned away from her reflection to stare at the assortment of family members who had convened to celebrate with her. She smiled at them as the bottom of her eyes filled with tears she prayed wouldn't fall and ruin her makeup.

"Thank you," she said gratefully to Aunt Vanessa and embraced the older woman. "And thank you to everyone for being here with me on my big night. I just wish Grams was here, too" Bonnie added on a somber note, she added Damon to that list of people as well.

Thomas stepped up to his daughter, lifting her chin. "You look beautiful, baby. No matter what happens tonight, just know that I'm extremely proud of you, and so is your grandmother."

"Thanks, daddy," Bonnie swiped a finger under her eye.

Aunt Vanessa called for order. She grabbed Bonnie's hands. "You are about to embark on a journey that is going to transform your life, and that many of us have gone down throughout the generations. Embrace it and know that all of us gathered here, and even those of us who couldn't make it are so Godly proud of you, Bonnie. We love you, I love you. Knock 'em dead, girlfriend."

Applause, whistles, and cat calls filled the air and then a flux of activity took place as everyone wanted to snap photos of Bonnie out in the opulent lobby. She hung back for a minute.

"I need to make a quick phone call. I'll meet you all in the lobby."

"Your escort Josh is here," Melanie, one of Bonnie's cousins told her.

Bonnie nodded. All the debutantes were given appointed escorts or beaus as they were referred to. Bonnie's escort was a senior at private high school from Woodbridge, Virginia. He was sweet, smart, and very easy on the eyes, but he had a girlfriend. However, that didn't necessarily stop him from trying to flirt with Bonnie every opportunity he got. Bonnie waved at him and muttered to herself that he was rocking the hell out his all white Hugo Boss tuxedo.

The minute she was alone, Bonnie dug around in her purse for her cell. She had several text messages from her friends wishing her luck and congratulations. But her heart sank when she didn't spot a single message from the one person she had been dying to hear from since Thursday. It was now Saturday.

Sucking in a massive amount of air, Bonnie hit the speed dial button that would connect her to Damon's phone.

Standing still was impossible so Bonnie began to pace around the room, nibbling on her glove covered finger. To her dismay and disappointment he didn't pick up.

_This is Damon. The bad news is I'm not available to take your call. The good news is I might return your call if I'm in the mood. Leave it, don't leave it, it's up to…_

The corresponding beep sounded in her ear. Bonnie froze. She swiped her tongue over her gloss covered lip. "Hi, it's me…again. I should probably stop calling at this point and just wait for you to call me, but I really…I know its selfish of me to ask you to be here knowing I have no right…but if you're coming I'm going to leave your name with the maitre'd, and if not…" Bonnie sighed heavily, "I miss you, Damon. I really hope you come."

She hung up the phone feeling her throat tighten and her eyes swell with tears. Bonnie stared at her phone despondently for a moment before gripping it in her hand and leaving the hotel room to join her escort and family downstairs.

* * *

><p>Damon pressed the END button on his phone after listening to Bonnie's message. The longing and hurt in her voice was palatable, and he tried with everything in him not to let it affect him.<p>

He was losing.

He didn't need her victimized shit right now. If he showed up it would say what? That she still had power and authority over him? That she could still summon him with a single plea, look, snap of her fingers? That he still wanted to make her happy? Yet if he didn't show that would make him out to be the bad guy, the asshole. Nope, he wasn't falling for any of it.

Besides, he was busy. He needed to track down this victim who was able to give the police a pretty accurate description of his incompetent brother. This was a first for Damon, cleaning up Stefan's mess and he couldn't exactly relish it. As he thought about it, this wasn't his first time having to step in because Stefan went off the rails. He, Elena, and yes Bonnie had caught Stefan feeding on Amber at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Bonnie had been the one to stop Stefan that night and then went along with the lie Damon told to Liz about them not seeing who or what attacked Amber.

That hadn't been Damon's first time seeing Stefan unadulterated and unhinged, but it brought back those memories of when they were first turned and Stefan quite literally was trying to turn himself into a walking billboard of vampire mischief. Damon had to leave because nothing he said or did could penetrate his brother's thick skull. And he had done so despite Stefan's pleas not to go because he didn't want to be without his brother.

It would appear they weren't moving at all but merely going around in circles. Repeating history no matter what they did to alter it.

Nevertheless that was all gray matter to Damon because he found himself listening to Bonnie's voice mail again.

People might accuse him of being dense and not seeing the fact that Bonnie, in her own misguided way, had lived up to the promise she made him. She told him that it would always be him.

Damon wanted to take that confession and run with it but part of him just couldn't accept her words at face value. She hurt him. Broke his heart. Plain and simple. Words were words and if they weren't followed up with a corresponding action then they meant nothing. Bonnie and everyone else could tell him until they were blue in the face that she loved him, but Damon had to look at her actions, and her actions said otherwise.

He slipped on his new leather jacket, grabbed his keys, and headed out the house. He had work to do.

* * *

><p><strong>Mt. Vernon, Virginia<strong>

Elijah made his way up the small incline marveling at the changing leaves on the trees, breathing in the crisp mountain air. There was a man standing on the precipice overlooking the forest. He didn't speak until he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Finn."

The older Original didn't spare Elijah a single look, not even one filled with contempt. "Say your peace and then leave."

Elijah sighed sadly. At one point his brother didn't used to be so serious or standoffish. There was a time where Finn's boisterous laughter actually had the power to shake the ground, but those days were long gone. He was a bitter, old fool who wanted everyone to suffer just because he was so damned unhappy.

"I'll get right to it then. You were working with the Martins and other witches to resurrect our mother…why, Finn?"

The vampire in question snorted derisively. "I've told you why. We're unnatural, Elijah. How many times and in how many languages am I going to have to say that to you in order for you to understand? And I see that you put Rebekah up to her old tricks. I know she was the one to rig the plane to explode once it became airborne," Finn snapped his head in Elijah's direction. "And don't try to deny it."

Elijah pulled his lips back from his teeth. "I gave her no such orders. Yet I wouldn't put it past her. Or Kol. Just answer me this, brother, why do you wish to condemn us all to death—permanently?"

Finn shook his head as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I would expect _you _of all people to understand my plight, Elijah. For what's the purpose in being immortal…living forever if you can't be with the one you love?"

_Ah, ha_ Elijah thought yet he didn't speak a word, merely examined Finn's puckered and disappointed face that his ingenious plan to go behind the family's back and wake up their mother only to have her vanquish their entire existence—failed.

"You mean Sage?" Elijah asked rhetorically.

"Mother didn't approve of her and that may have been the one time I defied her. Sage was everything to me, but then…" Finn shook his head unable to deal with the gauntlet of emotions and memories assaulting him. He had wanted to make a life with Sage, but Esther had other plans for her oldest child and they didn't necessarily include matrimony and children. Though Finn did all he could to convince Esther that he belonged with Sage, the woman refused to budge, refused to give her blessing, and Finn couldn't operate without his mother's blessing.

Perhaps that's why he envied and hated his siblings. None of them cared if their parents approved of their chosen lifestyles or not. They did whatever they wanted and apologized to no one for it. Finn was bound by duty as being the elder, the heir, the firstborn. His life was what his parents said it was and that was the end of the discussion. There was no room for negotiation. So when Esther said that his dalliance with Sage had to come to an end, Finn had no choice but to let her go.

Only he couldn't and turned Sage. He thought she would hate him for what he did to her, but Sage had taken to the vampire lifestyle better than he did, had taken to it _too _good and it drove them apart. She had changed so much that she was barely recognizable to him.

So he mourned the woman he lost and despised his own weakness and inability to let her go, and had instead, condemned her. That's why he wanted to die. Because of what he did to Sage.

"We can't change the past," Elijah counseled Finn. "You can only move forward. And the thing you thought you may have lost forever, well there's only one way for you to find out."

Finn stared at Elijah suspiciously yet hissed when he felt another immortal approaching. Finn quickly spun around and then gawked.

Her red hair floated around her shoulders as her sparkling blue eyes warmed his cold, dead heart. Finn blinked once, a second, and third time still unable to process the woman he was seeing.

"Sage," he whispered her name like a prayer. He expected her to go mad and attack him but he was greeted with that beguiling smile that made him feel like a besotted page boy.

"Finn," Sage held open her arms and in less than a tenth of a second, she was swept off her feet.

Elijah observed them for a moment before leaving, giving them time alone. Hopefully Sage would be able to convince his brother he had something to live for.

* * *

><p><strong>Richmond, Virginia<strong>

Thomas Bennett bowed before his daughter once they took their places on the dance floor. The crooning voice of Sam Cooke belting out "Nothing Can Change This Love" streamed from the speakers as he led Bonnie though the father/daughter Viennese waltz. It was time to see what three months of rigorous practice under a Russian slave driver could do.

Flashing lights from digital cameras constantly snapped capturing every single moment as the evening unfolded. Several people, mainly women, dabbed their eyes and sniffled as they listened to the lyrics while they watched fathers dance with their daughters in the elegantly decorated conference room of the hotel.

Bonnie's concentration volleyed between her steps and the fact she desperately tried to peer out into the audience to see if she could spot a lily white face amongst so many different shades of brown. She kept her smile in place although on the inside she was wailing like a neglected child.

Once the song came to a close, Bonnie curtsied in her heavy dress towards her father as the crowd erupted into applause. Placing her hand on top of her father's Bonnie was led back to her table where her escort pulled out her chair.

They were preparing for another round of speeches from various prominent people in the Richmond African American community reminding them what an honor it was to represent their families in such a manner. Bonnie sat ramrod straight in her seat remembering those lovely etiquette lessons she had to endure. No elbows on the table, no slouching, don't talk with your mouth full, hold your glass by the stem, take dainty sips, and always remember to use the appropriate utensil for the right course.

A few of her table mates told racy and colorful jokes to keep everyone awake. Bonnie snickered into her napkin and then drew her attention back to the stage where the boy and girl who exceeded all expectations of the program were honored.

More clapping and fake smiling ensued. Now it was time for Bonnie and her escort to cut another jig on the dance floor for the first group number.

This time around Bonnie and the others would be doing a more Americanized waltz where a few lifts had been incorporated. Bonnie was mildly worried about being dropped only because the bodice of her dress was satin and Josh's hands turned sweaty when he was nervous.

She stood in front of him and waited for him to bow. Once he did, she curtsied and then they took their dance positions.

"Hold Your Dream" began playing and Bonnie was swept across the floor. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry but that stupid song always got to her because it was about believing in yourself and not giving up on your dreams.

It was exactly what she needed and didn't need to hear right now.

By the time it was over, she was thankful and bowed once again as a majority of the crowd stood on their feet.

This time around she only had to listen to one additional speech before the cotillion participants were dismissed to go change for the last and final group number of the night. Bonnie was exceptionally nervous because they would be performing a contemporary jazz routine.

Aunt Vanessa and Melanie helped Bonnie change out of her dress and into a specially designed pant suit. Bonnie carefully slid the top hat on her head taking care not to crush her curls in the process.

Of course her eyes journeyed to her cell phone and it didn't so much as light up while she changed. Resigning herself to the fact that Damon wasn't going to show, it was time for Bonnie to head back down and get the rest of the night over with.

And so she did. Dancing until all of her muscles felt like they were going to explode out of her body. Changing back into her dress; receiving her certificate of completion, sampling the delectable food that had been prepared by some of the best chefs money could buy; meeting her fellow debutantes' parents and making possible connections, smiling for pictures.

By the end of the exhausting yet wonderful night, Bonnie was rubbing her sore and stiff back ready to get out and stay out of her dress. Her party of seven persons followed her back to the two bedroom suite in a loud raucous to which she tried her best to participate but really her heart wasn't into it. She had been invited to an after party and though two of her cousins showed interest in attending, Bonnie just wanted to crawl into bed and go to sleep.

"Come on," Melanie whined. "You _have_ to go. Everyone is expecting you to be there. Especially your escort but doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

Bonnie smiled as she took her earrings out. "He does which gives me all the more reason to stay in. She couldn't make it so he expects me to take up her slack."

"Well," Melanie hedged as she played with one of the decorative pillows that lined the queen sized bed. "Josh is easy enough on the eyes that you can pretend you're single."

Turning from the mirror, Bonnie propped a hand on her hip. "Mel, I'm not going there."

"Where's Damon, Bonnie?" Melanie watched as her cousin stiffened and turned back around to finish disrobing. "Has he called? I saw you checking your phone at least two dozen times tonight. And for months you wouldn't shut up about how excited you were for him to be here tonight. So, where is he?"

"He had to work. Couldn't get out of it."

Melanie pursed her lips. She was sure Damon didn't have a job and he didn't exactly look like the nine to five type either.

"Try again, boo. For someone who's been in nothing but fucked up relationships, I can tell when the honeymoon period is over and things are heading towards disaster. And Damon is your shadow. When you move, he moves. So him not being here says there's trouble in paradise. So…who messed up?"

Bonnie nibbled a corner of her lip. She dragged her carcass over to the bed and sat down in her underwear. "I did."

Melanie made a noise in the back of her throat. "Let me guess, with Damon's distant cousin from Italy that's really his twin?"

Bonnie nodded.

"I feel for you, girl. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had the will power to tell him no neither."

"We didn't have sex," Bonnie was quick to refute.

"So…what happened? You got a lil freaky with one another…?"

"And I stopped it before anything could happen. Mel, I love Damon, my shadow," Bonnie added hastily. "Cheating on him was the absolute worst thing I could have done, but it just happened. We're…not in a good place right now, and I was hoping he would come tonight as a show that he's ready to patch things up, give me another chance, but I think I hurt him too bad and he's not going to forgive me."

Melanie eyed her cousin before scooting across the bed to sit beside her. She wrapped one arm over Bonnie's shoulders as their heads rested against each others.

"I've been cheated on and I've done my share of cheating, and yeah it sucks, and some people can never recover from that. But if it's the real deal, and something tells me that what you have with Damon is, he'll be able to forgive you one day. Because something tells me that him living without you is unacceptable. So let him be hurt and get all his frustrations out. And things aren't magically going to get better overnight simply because you want them to."

Bonnie sniffled. "I know that, Mel…and I keep telling myself it's only been three weeks, and to give it more time, but…everyday that passes I just feel like I'm losing him."

"You sound like you're ready to throw in the towel. Are you?"

Bonnie shook her head.

"Then you stay in there, Bonnie," Mel advised. "I know Damon's not your husband and everything, but if you honestly want to be with him, you're going to have to wait him out. I heard that it's hard for a man to accept the fact his girl stepped out because when a woman cheats she does so from an emotional standpoint. When a man cheats it's just about sex. I won't say I agree with that a hundred percent because listening to those women at the pleasure parties Aunt Dee throws, there are some sex-crazed hoochies in the world who simply love dick, the whole dick, and nothing but the dick, and that's _all _they want."

Bonnie chuckled and Melanie joined.

"And from what I've seen Damon loves you and needs you like I've never seen any man need or love a woman, and you shouldn't doubt that. Just give it time. Okay?"

Bonnie wiped at a lone tear that ran down her cheek. "Okay."

Mel pulled away and observed her cousin, "Get your cry out and then put on that party dress because we are going out tonight whether you want to or not."

"Mel," now it was Bonnie's turn to whine.

"I don't want to hear it. You might be going through relationship woes but that's no excuse to stop living. Change those clothes, girly before I summon my mama in here."

"Fine," Bonnie pouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Mystic Falls, Virginia <strong>

Stefan walked out of his private bathroom running a thick towel over his wet hair. He came to a stop when he saw something lying in the middle of his bed.

Picking up the newspaper, he quickly examined it before tossing it negligently aside.

"You have nothing to say about your handiwork?"

Rolling his eyes, Stefan put on his brooding face before turning to acknowledge his nosy brother. "You think I had something to do with that?"

Damon leaned against the doorframe with both muscled arms folded over his chest. "You tell me, brother. You have been going out more than usual."

Stefan ignored his accusation by shrugging and strolling over to his armoire to select a fresh shirt to throw on. Tonight he was forcing himself to make an appearance at the Gilbert's because yeah he had been a little sloppy and was too high on blood to properly compel the small retinue of college sophomore girls he decided to have a dinner party with. He had every intention of doing away with the one who blabbed to the police tonight.

"Don't worry," Damon said when the silence stretched thin like a comb over. "I took care of it. Cleaned up your mess like a big brother is supposed to do."

"So what do you want a cookie?" Snatching a flannel shirt out of the armoire and quickly slipping it on, Stefan glowered at Damon. "I had nothing to do with those girls being attacked and I wished you'd collect a little more evidence before accusing me of anything."

Damon smiled. "Enough with the lies, Stefan. Your ass has been binging. Deny it all you want but I know you like the back of my hand, and I will use the back of my hand to put you down if you blow our cover."

Stefan said nothing but sucked on his elongating canine.

Damon winked. "Tell the Gilbert's I said hello." He didn't make it down two steps before he heard his brother's voice.

"You want me to extend your greeting to Bonnie? She's supposed to be there."

A tick immediately began to pound in Damon's jaw. He said nothing as he made his way back to his room where he promptly slammed the door.

Finding his concentration was nearly impossible after hearing that tidbit of information. Damon tried reading. Tried immersing himself in the world of Real Housewives of whatever county, state, jurisdiction that aired non-stop on Bravo. He tried rearranging the furniture in his bedroom but only put things back where they were.

Sighing, Damon slapped his hands on his legs. "Fuck it," he said and was once again off.

* * *

><p><strong>Gilbert Residence<strong>

The sounds of laughter could be heard long before Damon pulled up alongside the curb of the Gilbert pad. He let the engine idle for a moment as he stared first at the house before bringing his cyan eyes to Bonnie's Prius. Killing the engine and the lights, he didn't immediately jump out of his vehicle. He weighed over his options of trying to sit through a night knowing that he was still very much pissed about what happened and his encounter with the other Damon earlier this weekend hadn't improved his attitude or lease on life. Still, there was a very tiny part of Damon, which he didn't want to acknowledge, was a little excited to see Bonnie. Mainly so he could rejoice in her pain that he never showed up to the cotillion even after giving his word that he would be there. But that feeling was instantly replaced with guilt and regret.

Of all the people he had broken his word to, Bonnie hadn't been one of those people. Constantly Damon told himself he no longer owed her any kind of allegiance. She quite literally almost slept with the enemy, and so for him to show up in support for something she was participating in almost made Damon feel as if he were excusing her behavior, letting her off the hook.

Yet deeper still he had to admit that it felt good she was putting in so much effort to win him back. No one had ever done that for him in this entire life: mortal or immortal. With the constant text messages, phone calls, leaving him the invitation, the leather jacket, Damon couldn't doubt that she loved him; however, he still had doubts that she was only doing it out of a sense of obligation.

Reaching for the bottle of wine sitting on the passenger seat, Damon climbed out of his car, and was standing on the Gilbert porch in a nanosecond. Since he had an all access pass to the house he could stroll in whenever the mood struck him, but tonight he decided to be decent and ring the doorbell.

Jenna answered and from her widened eyes it was clear to see he hadn't been expected.

"Ah…Damon…w-what are you doing here?"

The vampire in question held up the bottle. "I came bearing wine."

Jenna scratched the side of her head, quickly looked over her shoulder, before bringing her eyes back to him. "That's so sweet but now is kind of a bad time."

Damon visibly pouted. "Are you guys about to sacrifice a goat or something?"

Nervous laughter ensued from Jenna and she exhaled in relief when Elena joined her at the door. "Hey, Damon what are you doing here?"

Now he was getting impatient with the redundancy of that question, and was about two seconds from barricading his way inside. Why was he being treated like a pariah when he was the one who was cheated on?

"Look, I know she's here and if you think I showed up to cause trouble…you won't be entirely wrong but I do know how to behave myself. So what do you say? Let a friend in for old times sake."

Elena stared at him wordlessly for a moment before stepping aside. "All right," but then she grabbed him by the arm halting his forward progress. "She just got back from Richmond not even an hour ago so if you're planning on rubbing something in her face I suggest you check that at the door or leave."

Damon snatched his arm out of Elena's hold and strolled through the living room making his way to the kitchen.

The usual rascals were there: Alaric, Caroline, Jeremy, Stefan visibly trying not to eat anyone, but Bonnie was absent. Damon listened for a moment and heard her moving around upstairs, more specifically in Elena's bedroom.

He passed the bottle of wine over to Jenna before backtracking. "I need to go wash my hands." He was gone before anyone could suggest he use the kitchen sink.

Upstairs Bonnie rotated her neck and yawned. She really should have stayed home instead of agreeing to hang out once getting back into town. She and her cousins stayed out _way _too late Saturday night knowing they had to check out of the hotel by ten in the morning. They didn't get in until five a.m. which meant she got less than four hours of sleep. Once she made it back to her humble abode Bonnie dumped her bags and before she knew it, was on her way to Elena's to tell everyone how the cotillion went.

Truth of the matter was, she wanted to be alone yet at the same time she didn't.

Her eyes were burning and her limbs felt as if she had twenty pound weights attached to them. Her bed was calling and she desperately wanted to answer. But she merely splashed water on her face in a poor attempt to clear the sand out of her eyes and the fogginess from her brain. Drying her face, Bonnie stared at her reflection for a moment before opening the door and shutting off the bathroom light.

She nearly swallowed her tongue when she saw Damon sitting on Elena's bed.

The two feuding lovers stared at one another for what seemed like hours until Bonnie lowered her eyes to the floor, but then she got rid of her timidity and made eye contact with Damon again.

"Hi."

"Bonnie."

Back to that, she thought and took another step into the bedroom. "Didn't know you were coming."

Damon shrugged. "Didn't know I needed a special invite to visit a friend."

He raked his eyes over her and noticed her hair was in tight spiral curls and she had donned one of his old button down shirts that she paired with low rise jeans. As plain as she looked she was still beautiful to him. Damon cursed inside his head and looked away.

Bonnie was fully prepared to leave the room yet her feet were inexplicably glued to the floor. There was so much she wanted to say to him but couldn't find the words. Bonnie stared down at her attire and grimaced. Something told her to put a little more effort into her appearance but she opted to go with comfort. She felt homely, looked homely compared to Damon who resembled an air brushed model.

The tension between them was beginning to annoy him yet Damon felt it wasn't his job to alleviate it. This was all Bonnie's doing and if she was going to act weird around him, he had no problems throwing it right back at her.

"How was your weekend?" Bonnie asked lamely.

"I had a _very _good time reacquainting myself with who I used to be before I allowed myself to get tied down. I really have no idea why I was so pressed to be in a relationship. Too much duty and responsibility, but not only that putting your trust in someone only for them to stab you in the back. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" he glared at her.

Bonnie bobbed her head. "So this is how it's going to be? I'm going to be your punching bag? Okay fine. Let it out. Call me a conniving, manipulative bitch that doesn't deserve you. I'll whimper and plead my case and you'll brush me off and belittle me like you've learned to do so well in our earlier days. I'll remember that you are a cold, heartless bastard and you'll remember I'm a judgmental bitch who stood in the way of the girl you were really after and loved. We'll break up, make our friends uncomfortable every single time we're forced to be in a room together; but then there'll always be that undercurrent of lust between us that'll hiccup at the most inopportune times. We'll fight it, deny its existence until one day it boils over, and we give in."

The whole time Bonnie was talking she had been walking closer to Damon, holding him prisoner with her sharp and direct gaze rendering him immobile.

"We'll say it didn't mean anything, go about our business only for it to happen again, and again. Then it'll become a pattern: fuss, fight, and fuck."

Damon's dick twitched.

"You'll flirt with other women when you know I'm watching, and I'll accept dates from guys I could really care less about. You'll act hurt, betrayed, and possessive, and I'll be annoyed, irritated, yet also pleased that you still care, that you still want me. Yet we'll never say we want to be together because we're stubborn like that. That's how this is going to go, right Damon?"

She was standing right between his legs and if he lifted his hands he could touch the back of her thighs and draw her closer.

He stared up at Bonnie as if she were a queen and he was a peasant demanding he kiss her boots, and he was so close to giving in that he abruptly rose from the bed, pushing Bonnie away from him.

He kept his back to her as he tried to get his simmering blood under control.

"I'm not going anywhere, Damon. You can be mad at me, curse the day I was born, curse the day you fell in love with me, the day we fell in love with each other, attempt to push me away, but I can say this with confidence and then we can keep our contact with one another to the bare minimum," Bonnie approached him despite the fact he hadn't turned around to face her.

"You can't let me go. I'm in your blood, just like you're in mine."

Bonnie waited for Damon to deny her words, rebut them, but he didn't. She stepped away from him even though she wanted to lean forward and inhale his scent.

"Have a good night," Bonnie said with all sincerity.

Damon didn't move a muscle. He listened as Bonnie made her apologies for ending the night abruptly and promised everyone that they would see her in school the following day. He remained planted in Elena's bedroom as he heard Bonnie walk to her car, start the engine and drive off. Well, this didn't exactly go according to plan. The plan was to rattle her cage, make her uncomfortable and the complete and total opposite happened.

When enough time passed, Damon made his way downstairs where two vampires averted their eyes and everyone else stood around trying not to address the pink elephant in the room. Grabbing the bottle of wine he brought, Damon opened it, took a huge swallow, and then promptly left the Gilbert household.

He must have driven around for hours only to end up outside of Bonnie's. It was a little after midnight. He shouldn't be here, Damon repeatedly told himself but there were a key string of words Bonnie said that he hadn't been able to dislodge out of his brain.

Fuss, fight, and fuck.

If they never sat down and agreed to work on their relationship, Damon could very well see their love deteriorating to that. And he also didn't want to give credence to her claim that he couldn't let her go. The presumptuous strumpet; he could let her go anytime he pleased.

But with him standing next to her bed watching her sleep, it was apparent this little slip of a girl still had a very strong hold on him. The thought of Bonnie dating other guys did make the possessive jerk that resided inside of him come roaring to the surface. Just the implication she could move on made him…made him what? Damon asked himself. Made him see red? Made him reconsider being so hard on her that he inadvertently drove her away.

Bonnie rolled over in bed, facing him. She was a very heavy sleeper, he knew that. Yet that still made him stiffen with apprehension of being caught. His hand lifted to brush one of her curls off her cheek, but he let it fall back to his side.

Blowing air out of his lungs, Damon left.

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

More time passed and nothing seemed to change, Damon thought as he slugged into his family home. Stefan was being shady and he would have to expose his crazy brother soon and do something about his blood issues. People around him were being stupid and petty for no gotdamn reason, and Damon just wanted a vacation from the joke that was his life.

He skittered to a stop when he saw there were rose petals leading from the front door, through the foyer, into the living room, all the way out to the patio. Curiosity was going to lead to his downfall one of these days, Damon admonished himself but that didn't stop him following the trail.

Once he made it out back he gulped as he eyed Bonnie dressed in a ball gown that immediately had him tumbling back in time to the late 1800's. Candles and blood red rose petals decorated the brick laid patio as she remained with her back to him, staring up at the sky.

Damon cleared his throat.

Bonnie turned around, the swish of her skirt making the only noise between them.

Seeing a full frontal view of her was the equivalent of being knocked stupid with an anvil. She was breathtaking.

"What are you doing here?" Damon questioned despite the frog clogging his throat. He disregarded the fact his blood was beginning to pump maddeningly through his body.

"Since you couldn't make it to the cotillion, and we didn't get the chance to have our one dance I figured why not make up for a missed opportunity."

Damon watched as Bonnie picked up a blazer, walked behind him and replaced his leather jacket with it. Once it was on she came to stand before him and buttoned his jacket. She stared up at him and then grabbed his hand pulling him farther out on the patio.

Damon urged himself to object and lie and claim to be too tired for her nonsense, but he couldn't. Bonnie was doing a bang up job of imbedding herself deeper into his heart that the only way to remove her would be through a transplant. If she really didn't love him, if she really didn't want to be with him then she wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble. Obligation only took a person so far or motivated them to do so much, and her actions tonight, her speeches and lectures could only add up to one thing:

She really did want to be with _him. _

Bonnie placed his left hand on her waist while she held his right. Music started playing and Damon caught Elena's scent. Should have known she had help.

"I know its kind of late to ask, but can I have this dance, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon nodded his ascent. And took the lead.

_There is something that I see  
>In the way you look at me<br>There's a smile, there's a truth in your eyes_

_But an unexpected way_  
><em>On this unexpected day<em>  
><em>Could it mean this is where I belong<em>  
><em>It is you I have loved all along<em>

Their bodies which had been so tuned together moved as one unit across the patio. Bonnie stared boldly up into Damon's eyes hoping to convey that she didn't randomly pick this song, but that it was an inner reflection of how she felt about him and their love. His face; however, was nothing but stone.

_It's no more mystery  
>It is finally clear to me<br>You're the home my heart searched for so long  
>And it is you I have loved all along<em>

_There were times I ran to hide_  
><em>Afraid to show the other side<em>  
><em>Alone in the night without you<em>

_But now I know just who you are_  
><em>And I know you hold my heart<em>  
><em>Finally this is where I belong<em>  
><em>It is you I have loved all along<em>

Damon spun Bonnie out and brought her close to his body again. He made sure to keep his face completely impassive. He couldn't very well let the cat out of the bag that this was the sweetest and also most romantic thing a woman had ever done for him. Things like this didn't happen to guys like him. Self-proclaimed bad boys with family issues. He didn't get asked to school dances, and no one ever stuffed a Valentine's in his desk at school. Maybe he was an insecure seventeen year old girl at heart, he thought sarcastically.

_It's no more mystery  
>It is finally clear to me<br>You're the home my heart searched for so long  
>And it is you I have loved all along<em>

_Over and over_  
><em>I'm filled with emotion<em>  
><em>Your love, it rushes through my veins<em>

_And I am filled_  
><em>With the sweetest devotion<em>  
><em>As I, I look into your perfect face<em>

_It's no more mystery_  
><em>It is finally clear to me<em>  
><em>You're the home my heart searched for so long<em>  
><em>And it is you I have loved<em>  
><em>It is you I have loved<em>  
><em>It is you I have loved all along<em>

As much as Damon wanted to harden his heart like Ramses did against Moses, and resist her charm with every reinforced bone in his body, he couldn't stop his hand from cupping her cheek, nor his thumb from tracing her full bottom lip.

Her mouth twitched and Bonnie waited patiently for Damon to make a move. His eyes were dark and hooded. Damon's head lowered and Bonnie stood up on her toes to meet him halfway.

"I want to try," he said halting his progression.

Bonnie fell back and stared up at him curiously.

"I want to try to move past what happened, and get us back on track."

"Okay," Bonnie voiced quietly.

"Thank you for the dance, Miss Bennett. Goodnight," Damon kissed her forehead and then simply walked away.

Bonnie stared at him in disbelief before picking up her skirts and charging after him. She stomped loudly up the stairs and then ran down the hall to catch up to him.

But then her foot got caught in her skirt and she went tumbling to the ground. Damon spun around after hearing her undignified squeal and subsequent kissing of the floor. Bonnie rolled over laughing at her own folly.

"That's not exactly how I imagined this night panning out."

Damon approached and reached for her hands. He pulled her to her feet. Bonnie's cheeks were a bright red, and he tried his best not to laugh.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked and chuckled.

"Stop laughing at me," she couldn't contain her giggles. "I'm fine."

Both of them sobered and were unable to look away from one another. "I miss that," she said.

"What?"

"The sound of your laughter. I miss you so much, Damon." Bonnie stared at him and caught sight of his Adam's apple bobbing. Finally he lowered the concrete wall he was hiding behind and she saw nothing but raw emotion reflected through his eyes.

Tension descended on them drawing them closer together. They both noticed they were still holding hands. It was now or never.

"Come on," Damon motioned with his head and pulled her in the direction of his bedroom. Bonnie followed and then…

His door closed softly once they were inside.

Chapter end.

**A/N: The song Bonnie and Damon were dancing to is called "It Is You" by Dana Glover just in case you were curious. And I wanted to end this chapter on a more light-hearted note, just like last chapter because if you can't laugh at yourself then you are the main person who should be laughing at yourself. Sorry there wasn't much Book Damon in these last few chapters, you will see more of him in upcoming chapters, but my focus has just been on TV Bamon. Things will come to a head with Ripper Stefan which I love him, and I'm adding an additional chapter to address Bonnie's power. I know in my last A/N that I said there were only three chapters left. I'm trying to pace things carefully and wrap up my loose ends so hopefully things don't appear rushed. I could have gone into more detail on the cotillion but then again, I could have left it out and given an honorable mention to it through Bonnie. I want to thank NYOFACE, once again for the insight into the cotillion world. And thank you to everyone for leaving me your thoughts and sticking with this monster of a story. Until next time, love you guys! **


	56. Cockiness

**A/N: Hello kittens. My first edit of this chapter had a lot of pages and scenes I had to cut, but they will be featured in the next update. Thank you for your patience with me. Because this is ending so soon, I guess I've been dragging my feet, wanting to get to the end but at the same time, not wanting to. *WARNING* EXPLICT CONTENT AHEAD. Hope you enjoy.**

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. These characters belong to LJ Smith and The CW. Copyright infringement not intended.

**Gilbert Residence**

"Stefan?"

"Fuck," Stefan quickly jammed his fingers in his mouth to get rid of the blood, sliding his tongue over his digits as if cleaning them free of chicken grease, and then stuffed the empty blood bag into the inside pocket of his leather jacket. He turned at the same time Elena strolled into her room, wide smile on her face.

"There you are," she rushed over to Stefan, launched herself in the air, and jumped on him. Caught a little off guard by her enthusiastic showing of affection, Stefan tried to slip into the spontaneity of the moment by eagerly devouring her lips hoping at the last second Elena wouldn't taste remnants of the blood bag he just mutilated.

"You're in a good mood," Stefan remarked and then placed Elena on her feet.

"I should be in a good mood," and she leaned in for another kiss which Stefan obliged and wondered when the other shoe would drop. This was apart of her pattern. Whenever Elena wanted him to do something social, something she knew he'd hate, she always softened the blow by showering him with kisses and tight hugs, and that endearing sickening smile that could convince the sun to stay out longer.

Elena ran her manicured nails through the blunt hair on the nape of Stefan's neck. "I have to accept a check for my mom's foundation at the Lockwood's today. Will you be my date?"

Stefan thought for a second of how the subdued version of himself would answer. First he'd run his fingers down a long strand of her hair, place his most dashing and charming smile on his face and say: Yes, Elena I would be honored to be your date.

Instead this is what came out of his mouth. "I don't got shit else to do so why not?"

Elena's large doe-shaped eyes blinked rapidly a few times as she cocked her head curiously to the side. "Stefan…are you okay?"

"Yep," he lightly popped her shoulder. "I feel right as rain. What time do you have to be at the Lockwood's?"

"Umm, not until three. Do you want to hang out until then or do you have something to do?"

Stefan picked up his leather jacket and shrugged it on. He tried to appear apologetic. "I do have a quick errand I need to run, but ah, we can get together for lunch. How does that sound?"

Elena beamed. "Sounds wonderful."

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

The angry hiss of pancake batter hitting the griddle cut through the air as Bonnie danced in her bare feet across the kitchen. Memories from last night came back to her. After tripping on her dress, she and Damon stowed themselves away in his room and spent a good majority of the night just talking. If they could get over the intimacy hurdle blocking their progress, things between them would really be back on track, Bonnie thought. However, Damon had remained stoic almost clinical in a way.

For a majority of the night, Bonnie felt like she was on a job interview and in away she had been, trying to get her old job back. She wanted to resume the role of being the quintessential love of Damon Salvatore's immortal life. His best friend who would never betray him, or turn her back on the foundation they built. Bonnie had remained parked on the bed taking every single veiled and obvious insult Damon had hurled her way, defending herself when necessary.

Bonnie talked until her throat was raw from overuse and she could barely keep her eyes open. She was fully prepared to climb behind the wheel of her car and drive home, but Damon told her to stay, that he didn't trust her to be on road knowing she could fall asleep at any moment.

So together, they pulled back the pristine covers of his bed, climbed in, but he didn't hold her and Bonnie didn't dare reach out to make contact with him, either.

That very well might have been the first time they shared a bed where there was no touching between them. It felt so foreign almost like they were strangers.

Bonnie hadn't slept well. She felt Damon, could hear him breathing yet he still seemed so faraway. Close but not close enough. Distant but near. It had been nothing but torture.

The ringing doorbell interrupted her thoughts. The Salvatore's normally didn't have visitors at six in the morning and she wondered who it was. Curiosity getting the better of her, Bonnie wiped her hands clean and left the kitchen.

She hesitated in the living room as she caught sight of her boyfriend—shirtless—speaking with Andie Starr. Bonnie could barely hear what they were whispering about, but she didn't miss the fact that the anchorwoman was practically molesting her boyfriend with her eyes. Folding her arms across her chest, Bonnie was two seconds from tapping her foot against the carpet.

"Thanks for this, Andie," Damon held up the manila folder.

Andie swiped her pink tongue across her ruby red bottom lip. "You're more than welcome. What you have in your hands, if anyone finds out, could cost me my job."

"I'll be discreet."

"You better be," Andie smirked. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

Damon decided to toss the woman a bone and delivered one of his notorious panty incinerating, ovary exploding smiles. He closed the door, opened the folder, and turned around already knowing Bonnie had seen the entire exchange.

"Good morning," he said, eyes planted on the information in his hands.

"Morning. What's going on?"

"A little situation that I need to handle," he finally looked up and observed Bonnie dressed in one of his shirts that dwarfed her petite size even more. Her tight curls had dropped, and Bonnie had scrubbed her face free of makeup. She was all natural and standing in the path of direct sunlight she looked good enough to eat. Damon cleared his throat knowing he needed to remain objective about things.

"What's the situation?" Bonnie asked when Damon apparently wasn't going to be forth coming with information.

"Something smells…like it's burning."

"Crap!" Bonnie lamented and flew into the kitchen. She hastily scraped the crispy pancake off the stove and turned it off. Damon entered the kitchen shortly after and smiled. There was an assortment of groceries sprawled across the center island. It went without saying that Bonnie had attempted to make him breakfast in bed.

"Oh, honey you cooked," he mocked with a smile.

Bonnie pursed her lips together. "More like flambéed," she slapped the oven mittens on the counter. "Seriously, Damon what's going on that you're being secretive about?"

"Are you more interested in that or the fact a prior flame of mine showed up on my doorstep this morning?"

Bonnie glared at him not wanting to give him any satisfaction that it bothered her immensely, not about Andie being here, but the fact Damon had no qualms standing in front of the woman topless. But again, she had no right because there had been more nudity between her and her ex.

"Neither," Bonnie lifted her shoulders. "I've been watching the news. I know someone has been breaking into hospitals raiding the blood supply, and that local college students have been getting attacked. Something tells me you know who's responsible and this person might hit a little _too _close to home. I just want help. If I can."

Damon slapped the folder on the counter and stood opposite of Bonnie, his gaze sharp and intense. Unfortunately, Bonnie soon got distracted with his well-defined arms. She cleared her throat.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I rather keep you out of it. You have school. You should be getting dressed, not worried about what I might be up to," he spoke in finality.

Bonnie's mouth opened and closed. She blurted. "Is it because I no longer have powers? Is that the reason why you don't want me involved? Damon, don't start treating me like I'm Elena and can't cross the street by myself."

The dark-haired vampire shook his head. "That's not what I'm doing," he sighed. "All right, fine, I'll tell you more tomorrow, but you need to get your stuff so I can get you home."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, we're having dinner. Six o'clock sharp," he flicked her nose knowing she hated it, and then proceeded to walk out of the kitchen. Bonnie grabbed his arm preventing him from leaving.

"We said a lot last night…"

"We did," Damon interrupted, not wanting to rehash all of that. He had things to do. "And we can talk about that later. Chop-chop," he snapped his fingers. "We have a busy day."

While Bonnie was in the shower, Damon placed a call to his wingman. "Hey, clear your schedule for tomorrow night."

* * *

><p>The very next day, Stefan sat on the couch in the family room strumming his fingers against a leather cushion. His presence had been requested by his brother, and Stefan couldn't escape feeling this was a potential fishing expedition. Or intervention. He had tried to lay low and not make it so obvious that he had been plundering and binging, but Stefan just couldn't help himself sometimes.<p>

Sue him.

Bonnie breezed into the room carrying a book of matches in her hand. She regarded him briefly, while Stefan wasn't exactly shy in checking her out in her little black dress.

"You have serious arm porn going on right now, Stefan,"

The vampire in question looked at his arms poking through the short sleeved shirt he was wearing before bringing his gaze back to Bonnie. "You think so?"

Turning away from lighting the candles on the table, Bonnie smiled. "Oh, yeah," she regarded him for a minute longer before going back to her task. It had been a while since she had to do this manually. She couldn't believe there had been a time she was bothered with being able to light a room full of candles with only her mind.

"Are you feeling okay, Stefan?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Stefan persisted with a question of his own. He studied the curvature of Bonnie's spine. She really was a work of art. Poetry in motion. As much as he warred with himself to look away he just couldn't. The back of his throat tickled because he could still taste faint traces of her blood. Stefan was more than aware of the fact Bonnie no longer had her power, and the hungry vampire side of him wondered if she still tasted the same.

Bonnie shrugged and blew out the match. She jumped when Stefan appeared next to her and ran his hand down the center of her back. Bonnie stared up at him questioningly.

"Would your question have anything to do about me going to Elijah to compel me to forget my hunger?" he smirked sarcastically. "I have everything under control."

"If you say so," Bonnie said doubtfully.

He ran his hand down Bonnie's back once more, and noticed she didn't recoil from his touch.

When Bonnie looked at Stefan again he was showing all of his teeth while his eyes were planted on her neck.

Clearing her throat, Bonnie was more than ready to put some space between them. She tried to remember a time Stefan stood so close to her or touched her in an affectionate manner that lasted longer than mere seconds. She was coming up empty.

"Dinner should be ready in a little bit," she announced to break up the slightly awkward silence.

Stefan wasn't really playing attention since most, if not all of it was focused on listening to her blood rushing through her veins, and the steady beat of her heart that was beginning to speed.

"Good," he finally responded. "I'm starving." Pause. "You know, Bonnie, I've wanted to say this to you for a while. As much as I tolerate Damon, he's a total prick and he doesn't deserve you. I'm glad you cheated on his ass. Taught him a lesson."

In her head Bonnie made the Scooby-Doo sound. She glowered at Stefan and wondered where all this "brutal honesty" was coming from? Did he and Damon get into another one of their legendary fights? Or was Stefan merely in a sharing mood?

Bonnie took a step away from him. "Okay, where the hell is this coming from, Stefan?"

The vampire in question shrugged and began to advance on the ex-witch. "I know I don't say much because everyone looks to me as the peace keeper, but at heart I really don't give a shit if everyone gets along, holds hands, and sings Kumbaya. I mean," Stefan chuckled, "where's the fun in that? Damon has always been a bastard. Love ruined him. I ruined my brother by making him turn into a vampire, and because of it, here we are. Still bitching at one another about who ate the last Pringle."

Bonnie had run out of room and her back was almost up against the wall.

"You want to know something, Bonnie? I remember my time with Klaus. I admired him because he took risks. He wasn't afraid to be a monster. Hell, I even said I wished he were my brother. Kind of messed up, isn't it? The son of the witch-bitch…no offense… was my bestie," he smiled in fondness.

"Stefan," Bonnie needed to get control of this because she saw where this was going, and she didn't need to be psychic for that. "You and Damon have had your share of problems, but you're brothers, and you'd never want to do anything to hurt him because you love him."

"Yeah," Stefan mumbled indifferently. "But what I love more is taking from my brother. I mean that's the tune he sang for the last hundred and forty-five years. That I _take _things from him. So why don't I live up to the reputation I earned."

Bonnie was flattened against the wall in less than a second with Stefan sandwiching her between it and his body. His fingers caressed her neck.

"I can't stop thinking about your blood. It haunts me," he sniffed her hair and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He nearly drooled.

Bonnie stiffened and turned her head away, which was a mistake because now she gave him better access to her neck. If she had her powers she'd be able to gain the upper hand, but now she was completely defenseless. Stefan could conceivably do what he wanted with her.

"You don't have to be afraid, Bonnie. I would never take more than I need but unfortunately," he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "I never learned how to stop once I've started."

She shivered, but in the bad way. "Stefan, stop and think about Elena. She wouldn't want you to do this and deep down you _know _you don't want to either. You don't want to be this person."

"She's not here at the moment. It's just you," poked her in the chest, "and me. You're not a witch anymore so I wonder," he started intensely in her eyes, "can I use compulsion on you?"

Bonnie felt something trying to tamper with her will and she tried to deflect it as much as possible, to look away from the alluring pull of Stefan's gaze, but it was weaving a shroud around her, entrapping her.

His lips twitched as he warred on whether or not he should smile. "You are a breathtaking meal on legs, Bonnie. I don't think I've ever told you that," eyes to her neck again, "but you taste even better. Hold still. This will only hurt for a minute."

Bonnie felt his breath fan against her neck. With him fully immersed in what he was doing, Stefan never had the chance to stop the stake in Bonnie's hand from being imbedded in his back.

He slapped his open palm against the wall as he groaned and stumbled away from her.

"Bitch!" Stefan ripped the stake from his back.

Bonnie lifted her chin. "That was a test, Stefan and you failed."

Stefan took one threatening step towards her but then his head was jerked back, _hard _and he was thrown clean across the room. He skittered across the living room floor until his shoulder connected with the fireplace. He immediately got to his feet.

"Oh, look Lancelot has come to save Lady Guinevere," Stefan said in jest. "You didn't bring Merlin with you. That's a shame."

Damon snarled at his brother, full vamp face showing, but he turned to Bonnie. "Go!" he ordered.

Bonnie beat feet through the back of the house.

Turning back to face his dickwad of a brother, Damon growled, "Touch her again…"

"And you'll what, Damon?" Stefan shook his head tiredly. "You've been promising to extrapolate my heart for years. Do it already, _dick_."

Damon was ready to pounce but then he rose from his defensive crouch as his face returned to normal. "I'm not going to fight you."

"Why not? I'd fight me," Stefan boasted.

"I don't need to fight you when I can simply do this," Damon vampire sped over to his brother and snapped his neck.

Stefan fell to the ground, motionless. Apparently they were back on square one in detoxing a bloodthirsty vampire.

* * *

><p>After dragging his brother to the basement, Damon barred the door as he waited for Stefan to regain consciousness. No one could ever accuse him of being sensitive to others needs or being able to commiserate or sympathize with people. Damon had shouldered the brunt of Giuseppe Salvatore's disappointment and scolding tongue, endured being called a deserter after leaving the Confederate Army, among other things. Damon had conditioned himself to believe that people's good opinion about him didn't mean shit; he was above it all because he was the best thing walking on size eleven feet.<p>

Factor in his brother, the perfect son, the likable bachelor whose milkshake brought all the girls to the yard, had been the apple of the town's eye. So soft spoken and mild- manner, but what they didn't know, what they never would have suspected was the dark sadistic nature that resided in Stefan Salvatore.

Stefan's jerking motions on the dirt ground caught Damon's attention.

"Get up," Damon ordered.

Wincing and grabbing the back of his neck, Stefan was lucid and rising to a sitting position. He glared at Damon.

"You are a real bitter bitch, you know that."

"Right back at you, handsome," Damon winked. "You've been creating quite a mess with your exploits. Theft, burglary, murders, failed compulsions. You're the one asking to be caught and staked in town square aren't you, brother?"

Stefan waved a dismissive hand in the air. "So I drained a few people. Big whoop."

Damon shook his head. "Not a few people, Stefan. Ten bodies in two days."

"That's not my personal best," the younger Salvatore smirked. "Why do you care what I do in my free time? You're the one who should be writing in a journal or composing songs for your cheating ass girlfriend. I mean," Stefan chuckled, "are you two still together? Are you on a hiatus, on a break? Inquiring minds want to know. Have you two had sex since you found out Bonnie's been fucking around?"

Damon's eye twitched despite knowing that Stefan was purposely trying to get under his skin.

The younger Salvatore got to his feet and braced his back against the brick wall. "I bet you can't get it up, not surprising for a man _your_ age. But if you're no longer interested in her, I'll be more than happy to take Bonnie off your hands," Stefan's smile was filled with venom. "I bet her pussy tastes like unicorns and rainbows or some shit like that. Does it?"

Damon would probably regret this one day, but right now he was too fuckin' angry to care. He zoomed over to Stefan and snapped his neck again. He felt good, his anger placated and coddled but not nearly enough.

Stepping out of the dungeon of doom, Damon ran into Alaric. "How's it going?" the hunter asked.

Shaking his head, Damon accepted the glass of bourbon from Ric and tossed the whole thing back consuming it one swallow. "He's on another time out. Can you stick around for a minute?"

"Sure, not exactly how I envisioned spending my evening, but whatever. What are you about to do?"

"Re-conquer some land."

* * *

><p>Bonnie wrung her hands together while she waited in Damon's bedroom. Things were awfully quiet downstairs and she hated the fact she couldn't do more to help. She needed to get back on practicing the basics in magic ASAP.<p>

The door opened and she stopped her pacing. Damon entered the room looking weary but he wasn't covered in his brother's blood and entrails. He closed the door.

"So that was the ripper?" Bonnie questioned.

"Yep, live and in living color."

Bonnie folded her arms over her torso. "What did you do to Stefan?"

"I snapped his neck and threw him in the basement," Damon scrubbed a hand across his forehead. He paraded over to his bed where he sat down on the edge.

Bonnie joined him. "How far gone do you really think he is?"

"I have no idea. I was there…when Stefan ripped apart his first victim…gah," Damon shot to his feet and stabbed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. He didn't want to go back there to 1912 where Stefan's downward spiral started. But it had been his first time seeing Stefan face-to-face, and he learned the saint had developed a non-human blood diet.

Damon had been the instigator that night, encouraging and basically forcing Stefan to drink hot blood straight from the source instead of relying on animals.

Because Stefan never got a true handle on his blood addiction, when he went after poor Sarah Gilbert, he had been unable to stop. Damon had grown a little worried about what he may have possibly unleashed watching Stefan in his savagery. His fears were maximized when Stefan in a fit of rage, ripped Sarah Gilbert's head clean off her body.

What shocked Damon even more that night was witnessing his brother apologize profusely to the corpse while he tried to reassemble the body like it was a jigsaw puzzle.

It was there that Damon felt he kicked open Pandora's Box and Stefan The Ripper was born.

Bonnie noted the distress on Damon's face, approached him and rubbed his back.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked.

Bonnie was a little shocked by the question. "I'll be…fine. Your brother needs you."

Damon looked doubtful. "I don't think I'm the right person. I'm part of the reason why Stefan is so fucked up."

"Then you need to start from the beginning of where your problems started with your brother and work your way up until now. I'm no therapist, but you and Stefan never dealt with your issues. You either: ignored them, buried them, or made fun of them. It's time, Damon before he loses total control, and then it might be too late to get him back."

The two of them stared at one another, tension quickly filling the air. Bonnie wanted to stay but she knew Damon's focus should be on helping his brother.

"Well," Bonnie rubbed the back of her neck. "You're going to have your hands full so I should get going," she said and then made her way towards the door.

"Wait."

Damon approached Bonnie and stared at her back while she continued to face the door. He didn't want to give credence to what Stefan said, but his hesitance in being with Bonnie sexually had nothing to do with being unable to get an erection. This time around, Damon knew having sex straight out of the gate would only cloud the issues, not make them better.

For once he was using the head on his shoulders rather than the one swelling in his pants as he continued to stare at Bonnie's posterior.

There was no way of reading her or knowing what Bonnie was thinking since he didn't lay a hand on her the other night. But there had been no mistaking the confusion lining her eyes that she found his noble behavior perplexing. It was public knowledge that Damon loved sex, craved it like it was a basic necessity. Before Bonnie, after Katherine, and in between chasing Elena's bloomers Damon's reason for waking up in the morning had been motivated by potential hookups and feeding. Because really what else was there to live for?

Abstaining had been about him proving that he was the captain of this ship, the majordomo. And that he could tackle the issues in his relationship maturely and without getting physical.

"Damon?" Bonnie questioned.

"Shush," his fingers landed on her thighs, more specifically the hem to her dress.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie bit a corner of her lip. Stefan needed him but she needed Damon, too. Rationally Bonnie wanted to say this could wait, but as soon as he touched her, she began to burn.

"I'm sure," Damon spoke quietly into her ear.

Needing no further reassurance, Bonnie lifted her arms without question as she was emancipated from her dress. Damon slipped one arm around her waist, the other sliding across her chest as his fingers brushed her long locks to the side to gain access to her neck. The area where her shoulder and neck connected was doused with feverish kisses that instantly made her pant with need and expectation.

Bonnie nearly lost her footing when Damon spun her around, and once she faced him her lips were plundered. Damon's kiss was unforgiving, nearly punishing, and for a split second Bonnie grew worried. This would be her first being with Damon without her powers. She had been able to match his often aggressive technique, but things were much different now. Perhaps she should remind him of the fact that she was delicate and easily breakable.

But from the way his lips ravished hers and his tongue stabbed in and out of her mouth, Bonnie wasn't sure she'd be able to reach him at this point.

Her feet cleared the floor and she found her back making contact with the cool sheets of his bed. Damon vacated her lips as he went on a pilgrimage down her body, paying homage to her bra-covered breasts. Her panties were confiscated and two of his fingers probed her. The sensation reminded her of a trip to her gynecologist rather than her boyfriend trying to tease and coax her channel to flood.

Something was definitely wrong with this picture.

Lifting her head off the mattress Bonnie stared at Damon. "Slow down…we have all night," she said past her nerves.

When Damon paused in his ministrations, what Bonnie saw in his eyes did not give her the vote of confidence that she needed.

Damon rose up on his arms, hovering over her, and kissed her again, trying to add some gentleness to his mouth, but it only lasted mere seconds before he was literally taking her breath away.

Bonnie braced her hands on his chest and attempted to push him off. He didn't budge.

He took possession of her right leg and hooked it around his waist.

"Get wet for me," he said.

Bonnie really wanted to but she was slightly petrified because he could potentially hurt her otherwise. She met his lips again hoping to take control of the kiss and slow things down to let her body naturally respond to his nearness, to his weight pressing deliciously on hers. Bonnie slipped one hand between them, fisted his rod of steel, and began to pump. She wrenched her thighs farther part, snuggled closer to the apex of his thighs so she could rub the head against her clit to stimulate her own excitement.

Damon groaned and closed his eyes. Seeing and hearing him react to her was beginning to turn the tables, shift the tide that Bonnie felt her nipples puckering. She wondered briefly why Damon hadn't remove her bra, only her panties. Perhaps his intent was only about one thing.

Fucking.

That disheartened her. A little. But not enough to make her find some clever way to throw his body across the room. This was progress, Bonnie tried to convince herself.

Her hands on his body felt great and reminded him of old times but he was getting impatient. Damon wanted to be buried inside of Bonnie, not teased. He removed her hand, licked his own to provide some extra lubrication before he wrenched her legs as far apart as they could go. Positioning himself just right, Damon dove in.

As soon as he did a red haze settled over him.

There was a burn, Bonnie expected that, a kind of searing pain that was usually accompanied by pleasure, but her body had not been fully prepared to accept all eight and a half inches of Damon's girth, and she grunted with her discomfort, willing her hips to move.

This was for him, she told herself as Damon hammered away almost like she wasn't even there. He barely made eye contact with her, grunted and howled kind of like a wild animal as he definitely spared no expense in treating himself.

"_You belong _to me_,_" he panted.

Bonnie moaned. She was fine and dandy with some possession, but that sounded like ownership to her.

"This is_ mine,_" he growled. He tucked his face against her shoulder. "_Mine!_" he repeated as the inner monster that lived inside of him nodded its head in wholehearted agreement. She wasn't going anywhere. He wouldn't let her. And even if she tried to leave people from nation to nation would know who had been here. He would ruin her. Ruin her for _him. _The dark-eyed bastard. He would never touch her like this again. Ever! Damon would have to make Bonnie understand that this is where she belonged and this is how things were going to be.

"Who are you with, Bonnie?" he asked gutturally.

"What?"

Damon bucked harder against her making the breath rush out of Bonnie. "I. Said. Who. Are. You. With?"

"You."

He flipped her over, slid into her warmth, and slapped her ass.

Okay, that hurt and stung and didn't feel good at all.

"You're not leaving me," Damon promised and slapped her ass again.

She tried not to cry, tried to pretend that this was acceptable, that she was being fulfilled, but Bonnie couldn't lie to herself. His hips thrust harder, pounding her now, as she clutched the sheets wondering if she'd be able to walk after this. How much time had passed? Was he reaching his own finish line? Bonnie's inner debate was interrupted when she felt Damon stiffened. He let out a stream of curse words, jerked once, twice, cursed again, and then collapsed right on top of her.

Five minutes passed that they remained conjoined. Bonnie didn't understand what the hell happened.

Damon pulled out of Bonnie as slowly as he could and then flopped to his side breathing as if he completed a marathon.

Here was another first, Bonnie thought. Damon finishing before her without bringing her to orgasm either.

This could have been a one-night stand as far as she was concerned. Things felt so…so impersonal. All of their couplings hadn't been romantic, but it had _always _been a mutual endeavor.

Bonnie remained prone on the bed, blinking, willing her legs to move. With what strength she had left, she pulled herself upright and then very carefully slid off the bed. As badly as her thighs and legs were shaking, Bonnie walked across the room and picked up her dress.

She put it on.

Damon watched her and wondered why she was putting her clothes on. His eyebrows mashed together.

"Bonnie?"

The girl in question had her shoes on and was walking out the door. Damon for the life of him couldn't move.

This wasn't right. This wasn't how things typically happened between them. She had been into it, right? She didn't tell him to stop, did she? Did he misinterpret something? Wait, his mind paused and then it dawned on him.

"Oh, shit," he cursed and grabbed his jeans from the floor, thrust his legs inside and threw his shirt on, stomped his feet into his boots and he was out.

* * *

><p><strong>Bennett Residence<strong>

He found her in the bathtub. Not floating face down or up but kind of curled into a ball, her head resting against the back of the tub. To Damon, Bonnie looked so sad, lost, but above all that used. When he forced himself to go over what happened tonight he realized that he didn't deliver. He had sought to his own release and left her hanging. Bonnie's pleasure had always been his top priority and a matter of national security if you asked him, and to disregard that for whatever lame excuse his brain wanted to formulate was unacceptable.

His behavior was appalling and he treated her almost no differently than a rapist. Hot bile tickled the back of his throat because Damon was praying that's not how Bonnie viewed his actions tonight. He had been on a quest, a quest that centered on reinstating his male privilege and nothing more. Certainly not the young woman he loved.

Bonnie became aware of the fact that Damon was looming in her doorway filling up the space. She sat up a little and demurely attempted to cover her breasts.

That move had been enough to get Damon's ass in gear to right the huge wrong he made tonight. Bonnie may have cheated on him, but he had dishonored the legacy they built by acting like the _old _I-have-no-fucks-to-give Damon Salvatore.

Wordlessly, Damon entered her bathroom and then picked Bonnie up bridal style from the tub, the sleeves of his leather jacket getting wet. He didn't care. He placed Bonnie on her feet, slid her robe on, grabbed a towel, and then led her by the hand back into her bedroom.

Damon shrugged off his jacket, and sat down on her bed. He drew Bonnie to stand between his legs. His hands peeled open the robe and then swept it off her shoulders. With her standing naked before him, his eyes touched her in all the places he neglected. Her dainty shoulders, her pert breasts with quarter size areolas and pinky nail sized nipples—when erect. His eyes lowered to her toned and flat belly, not an inch of fat could be pinched around her hips which flared out into thick thighs that he loved feeling wrapped around him. Bonnie had the best legs hands down of all the legs he's seen. What they lacked in length they made up for in shape. Her calves were sculpted to perfection. His tour ended with her cute little toes.

How could he have treated her like a Vegas hooker was unfathomable to him but it happened.

"You hate me. You hate me for what I've done to you," Bonnie interrupted the silence.

Damon sighed heavily. "No, I don't. Yes, I hate the fact you cheated on me, but I don't hate _you._"

"So what was…?"

"It was…I don't know," Damon said. "Do you know how hard it is for me to be in a room with you and not think about what you've done?"

A tear fell down her cheek.

"It almost makes me sick to my stomach, Bonnie. There are times where…I'd like nothing more than to make you feel as bad as I feel, but then there's the other side of me that loves you so gotdamn much it overrides everything else. I want to be with you. I want to trust you."

"But you can't?"

"It's going to take time," Damon answered.

Bonnie dried her tears with the back of her hand. "Damon, hurting you was the worst thing I could have done, and the biggest mistake I made. You're everything I need, and you might not believe that, but it's the truth. It's you I want to be with."

Very tenderly, he began to towel her dry beginning with her feet. "I need to apologize for earlier."

"You don't need to apologize to me for anything," Bonnie kept her gaze locked on the towel as Damon dried her legs and then slid the towel up her left thigh. His hand cupped around to the back where he squeezed her ass with just the right amount of pressure. Her breath hitched a little.

"I do. I felt like I had something to prove."

His left hand was now paying attention to her right buttock alternating between wiping the water away and squeezing her.

"I know that's not what you've come to expect from me or of me," he was now rubbing the towel between her inner thighs not yet hitting that patch of curls. "I've always given you my best when we're together. Fire and ice," he smirked and looked up at her. Bonnie's eyes were glazing over with anticipatory lust. "We're combustible," Damon went on with his soliloquy as he bypassed her center and dried her belly and lower back.

The sensation of feeling the fibers of the towel along her skin had never been a source of stimulation for Bonnie in the past, but with Damon doing it, her toes were beginning to curl against the hardwood floor.

"We bring out the best in each other, challenge each other, Bonnie and I don't want that to change," he cupped her mounds and squeezed them and deliberately circled her engorging nipples through the towel with his thumbs.

Bonnie's head fell back. Her twat was beginning to throb and moisten.

Damon caught a whiff of her arousal and felt his dick stiffening behind his zipper.

"You mean everything to me," Damon brought the towel to her shoulders and down her arms, taking his time with each limb and then taking special care with her ten fingers. She should be sufficiently dry except for one final place.

A devilish grin hijacked his face as Damon slid the towel horizontally across her stomach before shifting course at the last second. Keeping the towel as a barrier between his hand and her body, he cupped her pussy and slid the towel back and forth at an irritatingly slow yet gratifying pace.

Bonnie steadied herself by digging her nails into Damon's shoulders while he strummed her like a violin. He leaned forward and dropped open-mouthed kisses on her belly, and circled her navel with his tongue.

"You mean everything to me," Damon repeated and dropped the towel. He took off his shirt, tossed it aside, went back to kissing her belly and slid his fingers along her slit before plunging two inside, knuckle deep.

"Argh," Bonnie groaned but it was a groan of pure ecstasy this time not discomfort. She wasn't going to be able to stand on her legs much longer.

Sensing she was about to fall, Damon swapped their places. He laid Bonnie out on the bed and then divested himself of his clothes. Bonnie moved towards the headboard to make room for Damon who slithered on the bed like a puma. She hastily pushed her pillows out of the way so she could lie completely flat.

Damon sunk between her thighs, rubbing them for a moment before inching his idle fingers towards her labia. He separated them like star-crossed lovers, brushed his thumb over her pulsating clit, stretched her until he could really see her opening and then…

Infiltrated his tongue deep inside stroking her inner walls.

"Ohmygod!" Bonnie cried out. Her eyes crossed and her legs buckled in on Damon's head effectively trapping him.

She was absolutely delicious and Damon moaned low in his throat the minute her nectar hit the back of his throat. He reached up and cupped her breasts, pinching her stiff nipples between his fingers, and reaching higher still to trace her lips. Damon slipped his index finger inside her mouth to which Bonnie vigorously began to suck.

She gripped the hair on the crown of his head, her body glistening with sweat. "I love you, Damon."

"I love you, too," he said sincerely, meaning it wanting it to stick permanently.

Minutes ticked off the clock, Bonnie could barely speak coherently but she knew what she wanted, she wanted to feel Damon.

"Please, please, please," she begged and came—_hard_.

Damon didn't even give her a break. As far as he was concerned that was one down, two hundred orgasms to go. He was painfully hard, sufficiently wet around his mouth as he came to rest on his knees. He pulled Bonnie closer, stretched her quivering thighs.

He was just getting started.

**Early morning…**

He was submerged. Drowning. Couldn't breathe. Didn't need to breathe if he wanted to be technical about it, but his unused lungs were burning. The sensation reminded him of inhaling smoke. Damon lifted his head which felt several sizes too big, off the pillow and stared down the length of his body.

This was how every man should be awakened in the morning.

"Jesus," he hissed.

A wet pink tongue trailed up the length of his hardened prick to swirl around the bulbous head. Damon's eyes rolled and he hissed again, hips arching off the bed when a warm hand fondled his balls.

He focused his eyes once again on Bonnie as she rose above his hips, her long chocolate hair tickling his hairy thighs as she widened her jaw and engulfed half his shaft in her hot mouth. Saliva trickled from the sides of her mouth while she pumped a hand up and down the part of him that she couldn't lick. Her lips suctioned him in as that wicked tongue artfully swept back and forth across the sensitive head of his penis. Then her lips went lower, taking more of him in where she held him trapped before slowly pulling back up, gliding her tongue along the way before disengaging with a resounding _pop! _sound.

Damon spread his legs apart a fraction more.

Bonnie raked her manicured nails over his abs, reaching higher until her fingers brushed over his nipples causing them to spring up like a Jack-In-The-Box. Bonnie's heated touch sufficiently raised the hairs on Damon's body like flowers searching for sunlight. Her mouth worked him like a gear shift and he felt his balls swelling, begging for release.

"I-I-I'm…a-bou-tttt t-t-t-t-ooo…" Damon gave up trying to talk. He squeezed his eyes shut. His toes curled as the tip of her tongue flicked wildly over the mushroom head before tracing the shape of him.

His moan was guttural and deep reverberating against the walls of her bedroom. Bright lights danced behind his lids forcing him to open his eyes or otherwise he ran the risk of going blind.

Damon watched as Bonnie stroked him with her tongue, her hand, humming which added another powerful sensation that was already running rampant through his body. He wasn't going to last much longer.

His breath caught, his back contorted against the bed and he released what felt like _years _of pent up sexual frustration into one ice cold stream of….

"_Fuuucccckkkk!_"

Damon's body gave out and he flounced on the bed, breathing spasmodically. His softening and well pleasured dick began to curl up on his leg. He was down for the count.

Proud of her efforts, Bonnie made a quick trip to the bathroom where she cleaned herself up and then returned with a warm, soapy towel. She gently cleaned Damon's skin, dried him off, and then snuggled up against his chest.

Bonnie noticed Damon was having some trouble keeping his eyes open and knew she had to say what was on her mind and fast.

"Remember, Damon I love you just the way you are."

"Witch goddess extraordinaire or plain ole pig-tail wearing Bonnie Bennett, I love you all the same," he kissed her forehead and ran his fingertips along her arm.

It scared Damon how much he loved her. Bonnie was everything a vampire like him could ever want. She matched him in wit, although he would say he was slightly more intelligent than her but that's only because he was one hundred and fifty-two years older; age equaled wisdom or something like that, however the saying went Damon thought. Bonnie had brass cajones just like him, and when it came to looks Bonnie was stunning—next to him of course. If he were Zeus she would be his Athena, birthed right out his head; his favorite goddess.

Damon was besotted. There was no other root cause to his condition. He had Bonnie fever, typhoid once again and he wasn't interested in being quarantined or cured.

The more he thought of the ways he loved her, he felt his shaft lengthening.

Damon stared at his crotch curiously. So lying naked next to her did nothing, but thinking of his love for her was making him hard? Hmm, made sense to him, Damon shrugged. This time he kissed her lips.

Damon knew he had to be cautious because like he said earlier, sex had a way of clouding issues. Everything between them wasn't fixed. They still had their work cut out for them, and he knew he couldn't and shouldn't rush the process since it had been revealed Bonnie had it in her to hurt and betray him. She could easily do so again and leave him for good.

But Damon had settled it within himself he would fight for them come hell, high water or no water at all.

"How long are you going to keep Stefan locked up?" Bonnie asked out of the blue.

"As long as it takes. I have to dry him out for a while, see how that goes. I should probably start making tracks back home, but I can't leave this bed."

Bonnie smiled. She didn't want to do anything to jinx his mood or remind him of why they had a falling out in the first place. Loitering in bed had its perks, but it was always best to end things on a positive note.

"I don't want you to go," Bonnie snuggled even closer to Damon, burrowing her face in his chest and kissing his peck.

"You're trying to distract me."

"Un-hun," Bonnie murmured innocently and kissed his neck.

"I'm not falling for your tricks, Bennett. I'm not easy. I do have some self-respect."

"I know," Bonnie traced the shell of his ear with her tongue. Damon tried his best to stifle a groan.

"You won't respect me if I let you hit it."

"Yes, I will. I'll even promise to call you."

Damon chuckled and angled his head to devour Bonnie's lips. He pulled away.

"No, I can't be swayed that easily," he rose up in bed and looked at her. "I'm a hot commodity. I have to be romanced."

Bonnie sat up as well and began peppering kissing along his shoulders. She scraped her nails low on his belly. "I am romancing you," she whispered in his ear.

His cock twitched. Damon really should put a stop to this.

Instead he shifted so he could face her. "Prove it."

"With pleasure."

**Later on that morning…**

Hooking her bra into place, Bonnie picked up her comb and began running it through what was left of her curls. She sighed heavily and then began giggling uncontrollably feeling like she was in love for the first time all over again. It must have taken her a good three hours to get Damon out of her bed, and then another hour to get him out of the house to go and check up on Stefan. He promised to return as soon as he could, and she would be here waiting for him.

Bonnie vowed that things had to be different from this moment forward. They couldn't go back to that dark place. She and Damon had accomplished so much together and separately they earned it to themselves to make things work.

Opening the door to her bedroom, eyes focused on the bracelet she was fastening to her wrist, Bonnie halted because she felt someone was standing in her room.

Her eyes flicked up and her theory had been proven correct.

"Sorry to alarm you."

Momentarily knocked speechless, Bonnie shook her head quickly coming out of her stupor. But that may have been ten seconds after she realized she was dressed in only her lilac bra and low rise jeans. Bonnie quickly reached for a towel and covered herself up; her cheeks warming considerably.

Dark-eyed Damon Salvatore was the master at perfect timing. Although there were plenty of close calls back in his heyday where he cut things too close and as a result nearly lost his little redbird because of his arrogance. That certainly wasn't the case as he stood opposite of Bonnie drinking in her decadent caramel skin, wild untamed chocolate curls, and those slightly frightened chartreuse eyes.

She never looked at him so apprehensively that it nearly made him want to shift his weight on his feet. Not even when they first met had Bonnie looked so positively spooked by his nearness, or suddenly arrival into her realm that he was knocked a little off the carefully constructed wall he built over the last few weeks.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie finally found her voice.

Damon's eyes looked around her room before they found Bonnie again. "Not for the reason you suspect. I need something."

Apprehension dance along her spine. "What?"

That here and gone smile flashed across his face.

Chapter end.

**A/N: Defan will be featured next update. As well as Book Damon and Bonnie. I feel like I've been neglecting him, not really telling his POV (for those who love him), so I will try to rectify that next update as well, which may be very, very long just letting you know now. And for those of you who exercised your right to vote, so glad you did and if you voted to keep Obama in office I can't tell you how much I love thee! Like our great President tweeted: This seat is taken. Okay that's my political spiel for the night. Let me know what you think about this update. The countdown begins. One chapter down, two more to go. Until then, love you guise!**


	57. Blow Me One Last Kiss

**A/N: Hello, kittens. The journey is almost over and thank you for sticking it out with me. Here is the latest! Enjoy.**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Tension instantly sprung up like daisies and she was slowly beginning to lose control of her motor functions. Deep down her bones were shaking.

Damon warred with being flirtatious as if she hadn't done a thorough job of shredding his heart and hope to pieces and stuffing his soul down a garbage disposal, _or_ treating this encounter like a business meeting.

When her gaze remained unflinching, practically yelling for him to get to the point, Damon decided business meeting it is. But he stiffened when he caught a very noticeable scent in the air. Sex. His nostrils flared as he stared at Bonnie almost accusatory before he remembered himself.

He spoke through somewhat clenched teeth. "I came because I'm looking for the fox keys we pilfered from de la Gandara's."

"Oh," Bonnie lowered her gaze from his ink-black eyes. "Um…I put them in a safe deposit box at Leland Bank. I had them here but they gave me nightmares."

Damon nodded. "I imagine they would considering the doors they're capable of opening."

Swallowing was beginning to get a little tough for Bonnie yet she managed and pushed out her next question. "So…are you going back?" her voice cracked.

"I have no reason to stay," Damon retorted flatly and looked away.

Awkward silence filled the air.

However, Damon was the one to break it. "I know you told Damon about what happened between us. He and I have spoken, and seeing that you're still alive…I'm assuming you and he are…"

"Trying to work things out. I don't want to get into it," Bonnie wrenched her fingers together.

"And I rather not hear details." Pause. "You look good."

"So do you," Bonnie replied automatically. Only Damon could make a broken heart look good.

He cleared his throat suddenly feeling unsure of himself, which he hated immensely. "Have you had any luck on the witch end?" he inquired.

"No," Bonnie murmured quietly. "At this point I wouldn't be surprised if my powers returned on their own one day."

Emboldened Damon took one step closer, a huge step closer that only a single foot of space separated them, bringing along with him his heady scent, his domineering presence that could fill up Texas, and those eyes which had the ability to incinerate everything they landed on.

Bonnie shifted nervously and tightened the hold she had on her towel. Her knuckles would probably be stiff and sore later on.

"The difference between you and I, you were born a witch and it's something that can never be taken from you. Vampires: we're not born, we're made. Keep trying until something happens."

Their gazes locked and there was so much they could say to each other, but it would have been pointless, and not only that but dangerous as well.

"Thanks for not disposing of those keys. Up until three weeks ago the idea of being stuck here forever wasn't so bad."

"Damon, I am…"

He cupped her cheek, attempted to smile but couldn't get his facial muscles to work. "Sorry," he finished the sentiment for her. How many times had he heard that in his long life? Sorry you're not the firstborn son I wanted. Sorry I had to die bringing your brother into the world. Sorry, you're not the _only _man I want to love me. Sorry, you're nothing like the homicidal maniac I've chosen to be with.

Sorry, he thought bitterly.

"I know," he said. "Believe me, no one knows better than me about regret." Damon dropped his hand from her cheek and turned away to leave.

Yet something inside of Bonnie didn't want to him to go. At least not like this. Still thinking she didn't care about him. She did, and it probably wasn't right, but…

"Will you say goodbye? Before you leave, I mean, will you say goodbye?"

Damon faced her again wondering what was she was really requesting? His heart couldn't take another goodbye from her and his stomach sure as hell didn't want to go through that pain again. But his stubborn legs didn't listen to reason and instead they carried him back to her.

"Only if you want me to."

_Crap_, Bonnie thought. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? Why drag out the inevitable knowing she could never give him a proper goodbye. Maybe it was that stupid corner of her heart that just wanted everyone to be happy even when they were miserable. And being the people pleaser she was, Bonnie certainly didn't want anyone to harbor any ill-will for her.

Bonnie lowered her eyes and stared at her toes. "Maybe we shouldn't…maybe this should be the last time we see each other."

"Is that what you _really _want?"

His voice was cold causing Bonnie to shudder. "It doesn't matter what I want."

Damon had several arguments lined up to the contrary.

She was allowed to miss him if he left, right? First loves were hard to replace, real love was hard to find, soul mates were inseparable, and moving on wasn't always painless. Damon Salvatore was her soul mate, and she wasn't referring to the one standing in front of her or the one with the sky blue eyes, but Damon Salvatore—period. She had loved one and then the other solidifying what she had predicted in her journal so many years ago. Bonnie could say with absolute certainty she wouldn't love anyone other than Damon Salvatore.

"I should get you the key to the safe deposit box," Bonnie side stepped Damon and headed over to her jewelry box which kind of resembled a salvage yard for earrings, tangled necklaces, bracelets, the works. As her fingers sifted through the pile, Bonnie unearthed Damon's ring, the one he gave her to use as a way to channel power.

Clearing her throat she picked it up and found the key and then placed both in his hand.

Damon stared at his ring for what seemed like ages, studying the gold band with the engraved _D _in the center. He had gotten it when he turned eighteen, probably the only gift from his father that had some real meaning attached to it. This ring meant he was a man, not exactly one Giuseppe was proud of, but a man by society standards.

He looked at Bonnie. "Why are you giving this back to me?"

"Because it's yours."

"I gave it you."

"I know that, but I shouldn't keep it."

"So you want no memory of me?"

Bonnie nibbled on a corner of her lip. "No, that's not…Damon, please…"

"Do this _one _thing for me and keep this," he held the ring out to her. "Other than my daylight ring it's the only other piece of jewelry I own that means something to me."

Bonnie hesitated and took the ring. Their fingers brushed and Bonnie tried to play off the contact as if it never happened.

Now that that business was taken care of, Bonnie reached for her shirt from the bed, placing her back to Damon. She quickly slipped it on. She jumped a little when she felt his cool fingers brush her long hair aside.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer. Only clasped the button into place to hold her blouse together. Demurely Bonnie stared at her manicured toes and then whispered her thanks. She side stepped him and went back over to her dresser to put on her jewelry. Once again, Damon was behind her, picking up her necklace and securing it into place while Bonnie put on her earrings. She avoided making eye contact with him yet smiled sadly on the inside. Dressing her used to be one of his favorite things to do, and though it annoyed her back when they were together, now it just made her feel strangely nostalgic, but also close to him.

And that's the last thing she should feel at this point.

Finding her courage, she made eye contact with him through the reflection in the mirror. His eyes, those dark orbs with their penetrating gaze never once left her face. She was going to miss him, but letting him go this time around wasn't as difficult as the first.

Damon was in agony. As much as he knew he should leave, to just walk away and let Bonnie live the kind of life she was supposed to have without his interference, his stubborn pride and nature wouldn't let him. It wasn't fair that after months of separation only to come back and discover she had moved on, his love and loyalty to Bonnie hadn't budged a single muscle. She truly was a sorceress to have bewitched him like this. He blew hot and he blew cold, that had always been his modus operandi, but it changed the minute he met Bonnie Bennett.

Slowly he wrapped his arm around her waist. Bonnie stiffened and tried to wiggle away, but Damon held her tighter and then, sank his nose into her hair and inhaled.

"Just allow me this," he whispered. "Just allow me to remember you this way. The young woman I met who has always been fearless but also shrewd. The girl who made me a better man. I just want to remember you—us like this."

Bonnie sighed deeply and then relaxed. This may in fact be her last time seeing him. "One minute," she told him and then shifted to wrap her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek against his chest.

Slowly Damon closed his eyes and held Bonnie like a man holding on to a life raft on a sinking ship. Feeling her heart beat. Listening to her breathe. He could tell her that he loved her but she already knew that. He could make promises and declarations that she'll be the only girl he honestly and truly wanted to be with, but she knew that, too. Yet at the end of the day it wouldn't be enough to persuade her to runaway with him. To forget her life here, and get lost in the world, and live on their own terms. She wasn't that kind of person no matter how often he fantasized about it.

He counted the seconds down in his head _45…37…29…_

Inwardly, Bonnie reprimanded herself to remain strong. He needed to go and move on and she wouldn't stop him. She wouldn't be selfish and ask him to stay knowing they couldn't be together. She couldn't even offer her friendship and that made her clutch him just a little tighter.

Damon rested his cheek against the crown of her head. _17…10…2_

_1…0 _he lowered his arms and then stepped back.

Bonnie stared up at him and smiled and was surprised when he returned it. "Take care of yourself, Damon."

"You as well, Bonnie."

He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Not a second later he was gone.

But then he returned and smothered her lips with his. Bonnie, shocked tried to squirm free but as soon as it started it was over and she was staring up at his arrogant face with that here and gone smile.

"I am Damon Salvatore after all, and we never pass up the opportunity to kiss a beautiful woman," he winked.

Bonnie's cheeks reddened and she looked away. When she was alone again she laughed shakily.

Her goodbye to Damon ate up too much of her time that Bonnie barely made it to first period before the door was locked against her. She slid into her seat next to Elena who stared at her pensively.

"Are you all right?" Elena whispered.

Bonnie thought for a moment before answering, "I am."

* * *

><p><strong>Salvatore Boardinghouse<strong>

Damon strolled into his bedroom, glass of blood in his hand when he came to a stop. Sitting lotus style on the floor in the middle of a dozen burning candles, grimoire wedged firmly between her legs, eyes closed, and hands seemingly clasped together in prayer, he observed as Bonnie literally worked her magic.

Her lips moved and Damon could barely make out the inaudible Latin Bonnie was chanting. Suddenly he was transported back to the first time he saw Bonnie perform a spell. He had reluctantly given Elena the Gilbert device since she asked him to trust her because he didn't trust Bonnie to do the right thing. He should have listened to his gut, because the special effects Bonnie performed that night was almost top-notch Spielberg, but it had been nothing but a clever slight of hand.

Bonnie hadn't deactivated a doggone thing.

But he had stood there watching her as she appeared to be in the throes of intense sexual gratification. And as he thought about it, Bonnie did look pretty hot that night, but his attention had been thwarted elsewhere, and he had been too blind to see his destiny which happened to be pulling the wool over his eyes in that moment.

Those days of contention were behind them. However, seeing her like this, knowing she was powerless made him think of all she had lost or sacrificed to keep him, his brother, and her friends alive. The ends didn't always justify the means.

Bonnie stopped chanting and opened her eyes. She stared up at Damon, not surprised to find him gawking at her.

"Hey," she said and then closed the grimoire out of frustration.

Damon strode into the room and sat down in front of her. "Any success?" he asked.

"No," Bonnie scrubbed a hand over her face. "I've been going at it for hours and nothing. I don't feel anything."

"It'll come back. You just have to give it time," he encouraged and then looked away a little sullenly.

Bonnie leaned forward and brushed his midnight hair away from his face. "What's wrong?"

"I've just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

Kissing the pulse point on her wrist, Damon said, "I've just been thinking about everything that's happened this past year and all the near-death attempts, and personal problems, and it's amazing that we're even here right now. But I still feel like a large chunk of it is my fault."

"Da-,"

"No let me finish," he interrupted. "Too many attempts have been made on your life and I haven't done jack with a side of squat to protect you, to be there for you when you really need me to be. I'm a vampire," Damon hammered his hand on his thigh like it was an axe chopping wood. "A hundred and seventy year old vampire who has to rely on his eighteen year old girlfriend just to make it through the day. Don't you see the discrepancy when you compare how many times you've saved my ass to how many times I saved yours? I should be the one laying waste to everyone who comes after us, but," he laughed humorlessly, "I turn myself into a Marty Sue every single time."

Bonnie couldn't say she was overly surprised to hear this confession coming from Damon, and she could certainly see his frustration with the whole situation. It had never been her intentions to flaunt her powers and emasculate him, but of the many enemies they faced, Damon had unluckily been outmatched in terms of power and strength.

"Damon, I had the power of a hundred witches flowing through me. Did you think I was only going to use it to float feathers and light candles? I see what you're saying, please don't think I'm missing the point, but I had the ability to save you so that's what I did."

"And I appreciate it, Bonnie, but for me, being immortal, and not being able to fight against a pack of stupid dogs, and being tossed around like a Frisbee by other vampires…it makes me sick to my stomach that at the end of the day I bring more trouble to your life than anything else."

"What are you saying?" Bonnie tried to keep the panic out of her voice.

"No," he was quick to refute seeing anxiety in her eyes. "This isn't a break up speech. Just…I need to do better by you. Protecting the town shouldn't just fall on your shoulders. And I can't keep going into situations blind without a fool proof plan, and I need to watch my back better. You blind me sometimes, Bonnie."

She blinked, wondering what he meant by that.

"That night we were attacked by the wolves, I sensed that something was going to happen, but I dropped it like a hot potato when you called me. All I thought about was getting to you, and I never stopped to look any deeper into my suspicions. If I had, the massacre that followed might have been prevented. And Stefan wouldn't be a ripper mess right now."

Bonnie grabbed his hand. "You sound just like me trying to shoulder the blame for everything. What your brother is, is not your fault. What I did is not your fault. And you love me just as I love you, and we might get so consumed with one another that yeah it does leave us vulnerable."

"So you see my dilemma? If we're moving forward, I think we should establish a mind-link with each other."

Bonnie's jaw slackened. She wasn't sure that was the direction they should take on the road they were on.

"I don't know if it can work since I'm not a witch anymore," Bonnie confessed.

"I'd still like to try. If it works, at least we can even the playing field between us. If it doesn't work it doesn't work."

"Okay," Bonnie agreed reluctantly. "But there's something you should know first." Pause. "He's leaving."

Damon stared at Bonnie blankly for a moment before he connected the dots. He smiled hugely. "Good! He needed to go," he deadpanned and then made tracks to his bathroom where he proceeded to pull out his shaving equipment, but then stopped.

Bonnie followed and sat on the edge of the tub waiting for his barrage of questions.

"How do you know he's leaving?"

"He told me obviously," she approached and then, hopped up on the sink. Bonnie picked up Damon's shaving cream, sprayed a generous amount in the palm of her hand and began to lather his face. "After you left he showed up looking for the fox keys we stole from that gala we attended many moons ago."

"And?" Damon bit out.

Bonnie picked up the straight razor. "We said goodbye."

"And?"

Bonnie pressed the sharp blade to Damon's grizzled cheek and pulled down. "He…"

"Kissed you? After what the two of you have done?"

It wasn't without some difficulty for Bonnie to look into Damon's eyes. Yep, fire and brimstone were leaking out of them like a toxic spill.

Bonnie pecked his lips. "He's Damon Salvatore after all."

Damon snorted derisively knowing that was the truth and they were no good bastards all around.

"Remind me to put my foot up his ass," he gripped Bonnie's thighs. He was mad—of course yet there was one thing he couldn't fault Bonnie for. She invariably told him the truth. He could let the kiss slide—maybe—if that meant the douche had been served his walking papers.

"But he's leaving…for good?"

Bonnie nodded, and carefully passed the blade over Damon's Adam's apple. He took Bonnie's hand in his halting her movements.

"Don't make me regret trusting you again," he warned.

"Yes, sir," Bonnie said and finished saving him.

**Two weeks later…**

Even if you didn't attend Sunday school religiously or at all, Damon was sure everyone had heard or knew the story of Cain and Abel. Abel had been labeled the favored son whereas Cain, the sly devil couldn't do anything right not in the eyes of his parents and certainly not in the eyes of God. Cain killed his brother in a jealous rage and became the first murderer in Christian doctrine. If Damon were to do his own gallop poll to see who in his inner circle would label him as Cain, it went without saying it would be a landslide victory.

He lost count of how many times he had been tempted to wipe Stefan clean off the face of the planet but something always stopped him. Damon refused to believe it was because he still loved his brother, actually wanted his lame ass around. No, his reasons for sparing Stefan had been because he promised him an eternity of misery, and Damon was nothing if not a man of his word at least when it came to making others miserable.

Then things changed. Stefan's presence began to rub off on him and Damon found himself getting used to seeing his ugly face everyday. And no matter what he did, turning Vickie Donovan, trying to pin the early murders of Mystic Falls on Stefan all but drawing a target on his back, killing his brother's one true friend, making moves on Elena, terrorizing Caroline, snapping Jeremy's neck, Alaric's, attempting to murder Bonnie and the townspeople in general, no matter what he did, it was never enough to make Stefan stop loving or caring for his ass.

When Damon thought about it he didn't deserve a brother like Stefan. He knew without a doubt that Stefan would follow him into hell with a pair of gasoline boxers on, or he'd go there willingly if Damon's life was ever on the line. And if he wanted to be honest with himself, Damon knew he didn't deserve a tenth of the loyalty Stefan had towards him, and that he should have been a better older brother.

That was all water under the bridge and he certainly wasn't one who cried over spilled milk. Damon never did anything that didn't serve some purpose even if was just to send a message that he was the devil incarnate and not one to be trusted, invited into homes, or to be fucked with.

It was time to get serious and repair the damage years of bitterness and resentment caused between them.

Damon stood on the opposite side of the door of the cellar observing his brother who was moving and groaning on the dirt floor. Much like he did when Stefan attempted to starve him into compliance. Hadn't worked though.

"By my calculation it's been two weeks since you've had a drop of blood," Damon held up a bag of AB positive, tore it open, and filled a crystal tumbler with a shots worth of vampire ambrosia.

Stefan could hardly get to his feet even when he caught the gut clenching good smell of blood slithering up his nose.

Damon held the glass in his hand. "Come on, hop along. You can move faster than that. I know you want to eat."

Stefan was on his feet yet he was bent over, hands on his knees. His thick eyebrows arched as he tried to clear his blurred vision while he looked over at his brother. For days it seemed he did nothing but drift in and out of consciousness, and when he was lucid he did nothing but hallucinate. Stefan was positive that Lexi and Mason had played an entire round of poker in the cellar as they debated on who hated him and Damon the most.

He even saw Katherine holding up bunnies and her missing heart in her hands saying they could be together forever if he killed himself and crossed over to the other side.

"Is this how you get your rocks off, Damon?" Stefan advanced towards the door, his right foot kind of dragged behind him. "Starving me to death?"

Damon grimaced. Stefan's voice sounded as if he ate rocks and chased it with sandpaper. His brother almost looked skeletal, but there was enough muscle and fat on Stefan's body that no one would immediately rush him off to a nearby eating disorder clinic if they saw him. His face was gaunt, aged, his cheekbones jutted out through his skin.

His clothes were caked with dirt. Stefan's caramel hair was oily and stood wildly around his head as if he walked through a hurricane.

Starvation didn't look good on anyone and it certainly wasn't doing Stefan any favors.

Stefan grabbed the bars of the little window as his strength lapsed. It was the only thing holding him up by this point.

"So this was your plan?" Stefan asked and smacked his dry and chapped lips together. His tongue literally stuck to the roof of his mouth. "Dry me out as a way to exorcize the ripper," he laughed dryly and was a little surprised dust hadn't come out of his mouth. "Where the hell is Elena?"

Damon was a little caught off guard by the change in topic. Yeah, keeping that chick away had been an exercise in stealth and military tactics. That's why Damon left it up to Alaric to come up with some bogus reason why she couldn't see or communicate with Stefan.

"She's safe if that's what you're concerned about," Damon answered. "I wouldn't worry about her at the moment. You need to eat."

Pulling himself to stand like a man on his feet, Stefan glared at Damon.

Eyeing him for a moment, Damon slid the glass between the metal bars. Stefan snatched the cup and drained it, and tried to lick it clean.

Damon saw a hint of Stefan's fangs and the red wiggling lines were throwing a party under his brother's eyes.

"Would you like some more, sweetie?"

"Fuck, yes!"

Shaking his head, Damon reached for the glass. Stefan held it out but then tried to wrap his hand around Damon's neck. Of course he had been too slow, and his arm didn't exactly clear the bars. Damon ducked out of the way and then pursed his lips.

"Fail. See you tomorrow." He pivoted in his boots and left.

"DAMON! YOU FUCKIN' ASSHOLE! WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

Calmly Damon shut the door to the basement but that didn't make him exempt from hearing Stefan's creative and colorful declarations of what he was going to do to him once he miraculously freed himself from imprisonment.

Damon gave Stefan an hour to cool off before venturing back down to the basement. He saw his brother sulking on the cot that had been placed inside from the last time Damon had to lock him up.

He unlocked the cellar door and stepped inside dragging a folding chair with him. Damon sat down.

"I think you and I are long overdue for a talk."

"I don't want to talk to you, Damon."

"Why not? I think I'm something of an intellectual. A natural conversationalist."

Stefan snorted and made eye contact with his brother. Damon noticed the small amount of blood had already done some wonders for Stefan. But he was sure Stefan was still too weakened to attempt an escape. Still Damon knew to be on guard. Stefan could be as sly as a fox when he wanted to be.

"Every time we talked it was always about me trying to convince you not to do something idiotic. I just wasted my breath. You march to your own drummer. Fuck the world, that had always been your motto."

Damon crossed his legs. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I've seen what conformity does to people. Stifles them, makes them complacent, and satisfied with their ordinary and boring lives. I've always wanted more and I've never been ashamed of it."

Stefan's head butted against the brick wall. "And that was something I always envied you for, Damon. You didn't care what anyone thought. God, I can't believe I used to think you were so fearless, but I never realized that underneath it all you were just…sad, lonely, and pathetic. A cry for help. A walking charity case."

Well, this wasn't exactly going to be as easy as Damon thought it might be. And here he thought his brother was opening up since he was being so candid, but apparently, Damon just made himself into a punching bag.

Whatever it took, he reminded himself.

"Anything else you want to get off your chest, little brother?"

"Where should I start?" Stefan laughed humorlessly and then drew a critical eye over his sibling.

Damon could have had the world at his feet but because he couldn't let grudges go he sentenced himself to living a life that was almost worst than death. He had no friends, or at least no one willing to claim to be his friend, and usually had to resort to violence to get people to help him. All of his prior conquests had been compelled to like him. Oh, sure he was dating a witch and opened up doors for little old ladies, however, it wasn't enough to erase decades of iniquity.

"All you've ever done is take, Damon. And you didn't give a damn about who you hurt or had to hurt in the process just so long as you got what you wanted. I'm supposed to believe you're reaching out to me because you care?" Stefan slid to the edge of the bed. "No, it's so your ass doesn't get strung up and staked. Everything you've ever done has only been motivated by your own selfish needs. You were supposed to look out for _me_! Not the other way around."

Damon sat up a little straighter in his chair. "And what about you, St. Stefan? Last I checked you were the one to force vampirism on me because you didn't want to be without your brother. Yet you want to call _me_ selfish," the dark-haired vampire laid his hands on his chest. "To add insult to injury you didn't even try to control your bloodlust and nearly outted us both."

"You left me! After I asked you to stay!" Stefan argued.

"I didn't have a choice! You were going to lead the both us straight to our deaths _again _because of your stupid arrogance. That's always been your problem, Stefan. Thinking you were so gotdamn untouchable because people liked you," Damon pulled one of his famous faces.

"Oh, this is rich," Stefan slapped his hands on his thighs, hurting himself in the process but he ignored the pain or more to the matter channeled it to fuel his boiling rage. "Calling me arrogant. Look up that word in the dictionary and your picture will be right next to it wearing a shirt saying: I Love Me Some Me."

Damon chuckled derisively. "This is getting us nowhere."

"You're right its not. You blame me for taking Katherine from you and you've hated me for it. Duly noted. Totally justified. I fucked her, sometimes willingly and other times not so willingly. And of course to get back at me you tried to make a go for my girl," Stefan huffed and scrubbed a hand across his forehead. "You don't like me and I don't like you but we're brothers and unfortunately stuck together for the rest of eternity. I hate it and you hate it so why not just leave everything as is?"

"Why are you so obsessed with blood, Stefan?"

That question caught the younger Salvatore completely off guard.

A quizzical and frustrated look overtook Stefan's face as his eyes got lost on the ceiling. How many times had he asked himself that same question and couldn't provide a sufficient answer?

He made a restless motion with his shoulders. "I don't know, Damon. Maybe because we lived in such a controlled environment…once I tasted blood, completed the transition I felt liberated. For the first time in my life…as ironic as this might sound…I felt like I could breathe. We could do almost anything, Damon. I felt like a…like a god! And I never wanted that feeling to go away, and it was always there so long as I consumed human blood. But that stupid humanity would kick me in the nuts and my compassion, remorse, and guilt would all come crashing back, and I'd be dead again. Trapped."

"Blood is your escape. Just like it's mine. You traded one type of control for another," Damon shook his head. "Always going to extremes, little brother."

"Hey," Stefan replied flippantly, "I learned from the best in the business."

"I'm not taking credit for that."

"There you go being arrogant again. I wasn't talking about you."

"Katherine?" Damon guessed.

"My hot mama, yes. Since we're sharing," Stefan crossed his legs in the same manner as Damon, "how many times did you bang Kat back then? I couldn't really keep count but it's too bad we didn't know about double penetration in those days."

"Who knew you were such a superfreak, Stefan."

"Oh, I got secrets that could make Charlie Sheen blush."

Damon laughed. Sitting and talking, clearing the air, seeing his brother somewhat relaxed and not blood crazed, Damon wondered if it might be time for a little experiment. If he ever wanted Stefan to learn to control his bloodlust, starving him and then rationing out his blood wasn't the way to go about things. Stefan needed to be able to stop on a live person, to draw back before he went off the rails.

Damon stood from the hard folding chair. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"You need some air," Damon sniffed. "And a bath. Think of this as probation, Stefan. Based on how well you do tonight, I might reconsider the terms of your imprisonment."

"Yeah," Stefan muttered unconvincingly. "I'm hoping you're one of those incompetent parole officers who let's a well known felon slip through the cracks."

Damon placed Stefan in a headlock "Shaddup."

* * *

><p>Caroline pulled up outside of Bonnie's house, music blasting. She turned down the volume knowing Bonnie's dad could be such a killjoy when it came to that kind of thing. The two of them had just gotten out of their after school math tutorial and tomorrow was the day of doom—their exam.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out for a little while and decompress?" Bonnie asked.

Shaking her head, Caroline stared at Bonnie apologetically. "I promised to help Misses Lockwood with the preparations for this year's Miss Mystic Falls' pageant. I can't believe it's time to crown a new winner. Where has the time gone?"

Bonnie laughed. "You sound like an old person."

Caroline's hand struck out and connected with Bonnie's arm.

"Ow," Bonnie complained and rubbed the spot. "You are so abusive."

The comment earned Bonnie an eye roll. "I'm surprised you even have a moment to hang out, what with you being reunited with Damon and all."

Bonnie cheeks turned scarlet.

"There's no need to blush. I get it," Caroline leaned over the console to bump Bonnie's shoulder with hers. "How are things going between you guys?"

"Good. The other Damon, he's leaving again."

Caroline's eyebrows flew to her hairline. "Wow. Really? So he's not going to stay and try to battle it out for your heart? Takes a strong man to walk away from the woman he loves."

"You're not helping, Caroline. I know you like him better than the Damon you're acquainted with."

"Correction, you mean the one who compelled me into a bumbling idiot and took advantage of me. No, I'm not his fan and a small part of me may have wanted you two to split up for good, but I know he makes you happy, and that's what's most important."

"Yeah," Bonnie mumbled and then opened the door. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"All righty."

Caroline watched as Bonnie made her way to the front door, and then honked her horn as she pulled away from the curb.

Bonnie had just opened the door when she heard someone approaching. She turned around and saw a young woman probably a year or so older than her with curly hair and peach toned skin sauntering up the driveway.

"Bonnie Bennett?" the girl asked.

"Who wants to know?"

The girl didn't speak again until she stood on the porch with Bonnie. "We haven't officially met. I'm Greta," she extended her hand.

Bonnie stared at the proffered limb suspiciously before reaching to take it, and the minute she did she knew she shouldn't have.

* * *

><p><strong>A bar located 15 miles outside of Mystic Falls<strong>

Damon bounced another quarter into a cup. "The trick is, is to learn how to control it and not let it control you. You've never battled your addiction, only indulged in it, or tried to stop cold turkey, and that's why instead of stopping before you careen over the edge you topple right over it."

Stefan rolled his eyes before they began to track a leggy blond who had thrown him plenty of come hither looks since they arrived.

"All your life we've dealt with restraint and order and being a vampire has erased those bonds, and now you're free. But you still have to exercise restraint, Stefan."

"Can we skip the lecture and go pick out someone for me to practice on?" Stefan asked curtly. "I'm hungry."

Sighing, Damon rose from the table. Stefan did the same.

Every night for the last few days, Damon had taken Stefan to one hole-in-the-wall joint to the next allowing his brother to feed and build up his resistance to killing just for the hell of it. If Stefan fed carefully and frequently, Damon was hoping it would suppress his need to binge and go crazy. So far the results had been mixed. There were times where Stefan stopped before draining his victim dry, and then there were quite a few close calls where Damon had to physically manhandle him. He knew what he was signing himself up for, but his patience was already beginning to wear thin.

"I want that one," Stefan pointed at the leggy blond from earlier. One strap of her camisole top had fallen down revealing more of her buxom cleavage that had plenty of men salivating.

"Don't point, that's rude," Damon admonished and then motioned for the blond to come forward. She didn't waste a single second.

"How are you guys, doin'?" she asked in a thick southern accent.

"We're doing good, darlin'," Damon mimicked her accent and looked at Stefan who had his eyes rapt on the blonde's neck. "My brother and I were having a discussion and we both agreed you are the prettiest daisy amongst all these weeds."

The woman blushed inadvertently peppering the air with the heady scent of her blood. Damon watched Stefan closely and saw the corners of his brother's lips twitch. His fangs were lengthening.

"Can we entice you for a drink?" Damon displayed his most innocent face.

"By all means," the blonde said and settled down at the table, but Damon gripped her lightly by the arm.

"At the bar, sweetie," he told her.

Damon kept watch as Stefan fed from the blonde in full view of the public. To others walking by they would have assumed Stefan was merely necking on the blonde, and he was just not in the traditional sense.

He eyed his cell phone and then in the next second it vibrated. Damon tapped Stefan on the shoulder, who ignored his warning. Damon did it again, harder this time that he may have actually snapped Stefan's clavicle.

"Yeah babe," Damon answered.

"Can you meet me out at the old cemetery?"

Damon frowned at Bonnie's odd request. "Yeah, is everything okay?"

"Come alone."

The phone went dead and that sparked Damon's anxiety and alarm. He snatched Stefan off the blond, quickly compelled her to clean herself up in the bathroom and forget the exchange.

To his relief he spotted Caroline entering the establishment. Damon had conceded a while back that he needed help with keeping Stefan in line while they were out hunting, and if it was one thing Caroline was good at, it was attacking a situation like a tenacious drill sergeant.

"Time for a shift change," he told his brother.

Stefan wiped blood from his lips and glared at Damon. "You've got to be kidding me," he protested.

"I'm not muffin." He faced Caroline. "He's already fed plenty, but one more should do. You good?" Damon asked cryptically.

Caroline nodded and discreetly tapped her purse that held a vervain filled syringe. "I always come prepared."

"Well, I'm out," Damon left the bar in a blur of movement and was gunning his car down the highway. What now? Was all that ran through his mind.

* * *

><p>Greta snatched Bonnie's cell phone away and slipped it into her pocket. She smiled down at the girl, that if she had the power more than likely Greta would have been writhing on the ground in a world of pain.<p>

Bonnie should have known something was up with Greta. She reminded her of someone she knew but couldn't put her finger on who. And she couldn't believe she was in another situation like this. How many times would she have to be kidnapped and held against her will for her to learn how to better protect herself? Being without her powers had made her lazy and unobservant, but then again, being held at gunpoint, there was very little Bonnie could actually do than to follow Greta's instructions to the letter.

That being said, she was now stranded in the middle of a cemetery with this girl who had yet to explain her purpose for doing this, and both Damon's were on their way here more than likely stepping into a trap.

"Don't look so worried," Greta said. "This will all be over soon."

Bonnie shifted on the cold wet mud that sunk into her jeans wetting her skin. "I don't understand, why are you doing this? I don't know you. I haven't done anything to you."

Greta's eyes went wild for a moment before returning to cool indifference. Bonnie watched as she reached into her back pocket to pull out something. When the object was in view, Bonnie gasped.

Elena's necklace.

"How did you get that?"

"First let me introduce myself again. I'm Greta. Greta Martin," she practically growled.

After that revelation, Bonnie's eyes widened. Now pieces of the puzzle were slowly putting themselves into place.

"You're Luka's sister?"

"I am or was being he's now _dead_!"

Bonnie swallowed. "I'm sorry for your loss, but I-I-I had nothing to do with that."

Greta snorted. "Of course you did. You might not have blown up the plane yourself, but who you're associated with, they killed my brother and father without a blinking an eye."

"Do you know what they were up to?" Bonnie raised her voice.

"It doesn't matter! Luka was a good kid and he only wanted to please our dad, the unimpressed bastard that he was. If you had agreed to join my father maybe they wouldn't be dead. Did you know the plane they were on was rigged to explode shortly after take off? I was supposed to be on that plane, but something else came up."

"Look, Greta," Bonnie slowly stood to her feet. The gun was still aimed right for her head, but that didn't stop Bonnie from getting up. If she was to be killed it wouldn't be execution style. "Luka was a good kid, and your dad, I only met him a handful of times, but…he ruthlessly took my powers. I know he has a grudge against vampires, and it's probably earned, I'm not trying to brush that aside, but bringing Esther back so she can kill all vampires…when some of them are good, would have been the wrong thing to do."

"Don't you fucking stand there and try to defend vampires to me with your biased ass. Just because they fuck good doesn't _make _them good. I know all about you, Bonnie. I've been following you for weeks. The play niece to Elijah an Original, and torn between two gotdamn vampires that are basically twins. It must suck to be in your shoes," Greta said sarcastically.

"Okay, so what do you want? You want to kill me? How is that going to bring your dad and brother back?"

"It won't you're right. It's funny because the reason why I wasn't on that plane was because I stole this," she held up the necklace again. "It's the Original Witch's talisman, and this is practically a gold mine in our world. I could sell this thing for two million tops because who wouldn't want to have access to all the power of both living and dead witches?"

Bonnie blinked. She had no idea that this whole time Elena had been in possession of something that powerful or valuable.

"So take the necklace and run. But killing me isn't going to change what happened to your family."

Greta looked thoughtful for a moment. "Who said anything about me killing you?"

Bonnie visibly blanched.

"I have loose ends to tie up. This necklace isn't the only reason why I came here. I found out what really happened to my mother."

_Oh God no, _Bonnie thought. "Let me guess, she was killed by a vampire?"

"No, she wasn't. She saw her friend being ripped to pieces by one. Stumbled upon them when he was in the middle of a frenzy, and couldn't do anything to help her. And that same vampire stalked her for weeks, until one day he just stopped. But the damage had already been done, and she left us. Imagine my surprise when I found out that a close friend of mine, Mason Lockwood, name ring a bell? had been murdered by a vampire. It couldn't have been the same person who stalked my mom, but I had to know for sure. So here I am and did some digging."

Bonnie's stomach bottomed out. "You found out about the Salvatore's."

"You guessed right." Greta began to pace. "I could kill so many birds with one stone. And that's exactly what I intend to do."

"And if you do this how would that make you any better than them?" Bonnie challenged.

Greta was in her face, "How many people have they killed?! How many daughters have they robbed of their mothers? Sons robbed of their fathers? I could take them out anytime I wanted, and do the world a favor. But I want one in particular to suffer, and the only conceivable way to do that is take to away the most important person in his life. Who has now become the most important person in _your_ life."

Bonnie felt the world tilt dangerously and then her heart really stopped when Damon entered the scene.

Greta redirected her attention to their guest and smiled.

Damon took one look at the scene and tried to vampire speed over to Bonnie, but found himself immobilized.

"Shit," he cursed and tried to pick up his feet but then noticed he was standing in the middle of a salt pentagram.

"What are you doing?!" Bonnie screamed.

Greta didn't answer. "Ah, and here is the rest of our party."

Dark-eyed Damon Salvatore emerged from the tree line. He too, tried to intervene and snatch Bonnie out of the way, but found himself in the exact same predicament as his counterpart.

"Bonnie, get out of here!" he tried to urge.

"She's not going anywhere," Greta sheathed the gun in the waistband of her jeans and then from the satchel at her feet pulled out a voodoo doll.

"A little archaic don't you think?" light-eyed Damon sassed but then flicked his worried orbs to Bonnie.

Dark-eyed Damon tried to use his own Power to break the shield or whatever it was that was holding him prisoner, but the wards were too great.

Bonnie had several months of boxing under her belt. She could take Greta, who sure, might weigh ten more pounds than her and stood maybe a couple of inches taller, but that wouldn't matter once she knocked her ass out cold.

"I'm a traditionalist, Damon," she grinned and then withdrew a knife.

"Wait!" dark-eyed Damon said. "If you have a quarrel with us, take it up with us. Leave Bonnie out of it."

"You know I can't do that. Now hold still this might hurt." Greta proceeded to drag the knife down the side of the doll's face that bared an eerie resemblance to both Damon's.

Bonnie watched in horror as an angry red laceration coursed down their porcelain faces. She stared at Greta aghast. "You connected them."

"I did. Whatever I do to one it happens to them both."

Neither Damon was exactly thrilled about hearing that.

Damon, with the light-eyes groaned. "Can we talk this out like rational adults? Whoever you're saying I killed…my bad."

"Damon stop talking," Bonnie said.

"You just don't get it," Greta snapped. "You think because you're immortal that you can just walk all over people, and do whatever the fuck you want and not get punished for it. Uh-hun, not anymore."

When Greta pulled out a stake that spurred Bonnie into action. She cleared the space that separated her from Greta and tackled the witch to the ground, knocking the doll away. She straddled her waist and began pummeling Greta who futilely tried to deflect as many blows as she could, but Bonnie was surprisingly strong for her size.

Greta shouted something in Latin that had Bonnie flying backwards and landing with a harsh thud on the ground. Her head made contact and Bonnie saw stars.

Both Damon's could do nothing more than watch on, completely helpless.

Greta got to her feet, and wiped her bloody nose with the back of her hand. She walked over to the doll, picked it up, and retrieved the stake.

"Don't do this," blue-eyed Damon Salvatore begged.

"Listen to him!" dark-eyed Damon insisted.

"Sorry, not sorry," Greta said and plunged the stake right into the heart of the doll.

Disoriented, Bonnie lifted to a half sitting position on the ground. Her eyes first went to Greta before they traveled over to both Damon's who were dropping to the ground.

"_NO_!" Bonnie pushed herself up to her feet running towards them and by the time she made it, they were both stiff as a board, sprawled on the ground.

Bonnie fell to her knees, instantly reaching for Damon with the blue-eyes before reaching over to grab a hold of dark-eyes' shirt. There was no movement.

Tears lined the bottom of her eyes as she swung her gaze to Greta who looked thoroughly pleased with herself.

"…_you fuckin' bitch_…" Bonnie's voice was guttural.

Greta's smile only spread wider.

It was there Bonnie remembered an incantation, a forbidden one that would tap into dark places. She began reciting it, looking straight at Greta, trying in earnest to scrap whatever magic was left in her—out.

Greta laughed softly at first the minute she recognized the spell. She shook her head. "It won't work, sweetie. You have no powers."

That didn't stop Bonnie from trying, from chanting, even as her eyes repeatedly dropped to both Damon's. Neither moving. Breathing. Dead. Completely and irrevocably dead.

Her heart hammered in her chest, but Bonnie wouldn't stop. If she did…no she wouldn't even allow her thoughts to go there. _THEY WERE NOT DEAD!_

Bonnie began to chant louder and something shifted in the air causing Greta to look up as the tops of the trees began to sway and dark clouds coagulated blocking out the sun.

Greta pulled out the gun but it flew from her grasp. She looked to her right and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"Dad?"

Bonnie halted in her chanting when she thought she was seeing a ghost.

Jonas Martin held out his hand towards his daughter. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and it was lights out for Greta.

"Get your sister to the car," Jonas ordered his son.

Bonnie balked when Luka came into view rushing towards his sister and lifting her from the ground. He and Bonnie stared at one another before Luka averted his eyes and quickly rushed off with his charge.

"No!" Bonnie pled hysterically. "I need her to reverse what she did! She did this to them! Fix it!"

Jonas stared at Bonnie impassively not once sparing a glance between the two vampires. He began to walk away.

How was he alive? How was Luka alive? Had they faked their deaths? Were they ghosts? Was she dreaming? This had to be a nightmare. The thought of losing one Damon was crushing all in itself, but two?

Bonnie wanted to destroy the world.

"You owe me for what you took from me!"

That halted Jonas. He changed direction, approached Bonnie, and laid his hand on her head.

"Wha-?" she didn't get the chance to finish her question before she felt an explosion of power and energy rush through her veins. Her powers, he was giving her, her powers back.

The minute the exchange was over, Bonnie felt high and discombobulated yet she forced all of that to the back of her mind to focus. But the distraction of having her powers back was too seductive. She could do anything. She could levitate the ruins of the cemetery, burst trees into toothpicks.

Could she bring them back? She stared down at Damon. Her chin quivered and her tears came out in torrents. She quickly scrambled to her feet, snatched up the voodoo doll and ripped the stake out of it, hoping that might reverse what happened. She ran back over to both Damon's to gauge if any changes had occurred.

Nothing. They were still dead.

Jonas observed Bonnie for a minute and then started to walk away, but Bonnie seized him. Jonas went down, contorted against the muddied earth.

"_Save them_!" she bit out through clenched teeth and turned up the pressure on her binding spell.

Jonas coughed and sputtered. He felt like he was in the clutches of a boa constrictor. A bone snapped; his femur more than likely.

"You can bring one back," he said between gasps of pain.

Bonnie called off the attack and stared at Jonas in relief.

Jonas rolled to a sitting position, the throbbing pain in his leg was maddening. "You can bring one back. There's a spell, but the decision will be yours to make."

"You can't save them both?"

"No, and what you're going to have to do…you'll be going up against the balance and can face some steep consequences. Possibly even die."

"I don't care."

"You will if you're dead."

"I don't care!" Bonnie shouted in his face. "Just teach me the fucking spell!"

"It will only work for one," he repeated to make sure Bonnie was receiving the message.

She stared at him, helpless…

Only one?

Chapter end.

**A/N: Bonnie is going to have to chose, who will she choose? Yep, Jonas and Luka faked their deaths and I may write a little blurb about that in the epilogue which is to follow. I couldn't let them stay dead since black men on TVD have such a short life expectancy, well black people outside of Bonnie—that is. And if you don't remember the fox keys open up doors to other dimensions, and its Book!Damon's last resort to returning home. How will this all end? I hope to update before the month is out, if not expect something on December 1****st****. Until next time. Love you guys! And have a Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!**


	58. The End Is Just The Beginning

**A/N: Well kittens here it is. The last and final chapter of Think Twice! I've gone through my ups and downs with this story in having to deal with negative, sometimes rude and heavily opinionated opinions, but also the love and support this story has generated. All of it has shaped this story. It's really been a labor of love, and I'm sad to see it end, but it's time. I want to thank EVERYONE for sticking with this baby, and it doesn't matter if you followed it from day one or jumped in where you fit in, thank you! I won't keep you from reading, so here it is the final chapter. Love you!**

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sometimes the ending is a lot harder to write than the beginning. Nothing was made to last forever. Everything must come to a close at some point. The future was going to happen regardless if you were prepared for it or not.

Bonnie sat in front of the oval shaped mirror thinking over her life, over her choices, smiling at the right ones she made, and frowning at situations she could have handled better. In under an hour her life was about to change yet again, reshape and mold itself. She felt blessed to be here in this moment, blessed to be alive, and blessed to share her life with those who meant the world to her.

**Ten Years Ago**

Tears streamed down her face as she clutched Damon's chest barely resisting the urge to beat her tiny fist against it. Her heart hurt and was pounding maddeningly against her ribcage. She quickly searched his pocket and found his cell phone since Greta had confiscated hers. She wiped the tears and mucus from her face with the back of her hand, a hand which was shaking so badly she could hardly locate Alaric's phone number in the directory.

Time seemed to be moving at a snail's pace as she waited for her history teacher to pick up the phone. Jonas had told her everything she needed to know, and what she needed to do in order to bring one of the Damon's back. Yet Bonnie was determined to bring them both back despite his warning that a witch could only perform this spell one time and that was it. No exceptions.

Bonnie's philosophy was: there was _always _an exception to the rule. They were connected. With one comes all, isn't that what Emily said to Damon the night she possessed her body in order to destroy the crystal? Things couldn't just end like this. Nature couldn't be absolute. There had to be another way to fix this, and the way might not be completely orthodox or morally right, but a solution had to be out there.

Her eyes continued to volley between one dead Damon to the other, watching like a hawk for any subtle change. She snapped her eyes closed not wanting to engrain that memory of seeing them like this into her brain.

Finally, Alaric answered.

"I need you to meet me at the old cemetery, _now, _Alaric!"

Hopefully he wouldn't ask too many questions and would drop whatever he was doing and get here ASAP. But naturally things didn't unfold that way.

"Why do you need me to meet you at the cemetery, Bonnie? What's going on?"

She cursed and her voice went up several octaves. "_BECAUSE DAMON, BOTH OF THEM, BOTH DAMONS ARE DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME, RIC? DO YOU NEED ME TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU? THEY. ARE. DEAD. GET. YOUR. ASS. HERE!"_

There was a pregnant pause before his voice came on the line again. "Dead? As in a stake through the heart dead?"

"Yes!" Bonnie shrieked. "I can't explain everything now. Please, Ric! I need you."

"Okay-okay, I'm on the way. Where are you exactly in the cemetery?"

Bonnie looked around for some kind of landmark that would help lead Alaric to her present location faster. Then she spotted something not twenty feet away.

"Do you know where the Salvatore family crypt is?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"That's where you'll find us. Please hurry, Ric, and don't tell anyone where you're going."

"Bonnie…"

"No," she clutched the phone tighter in her hands. "This has to stay between us…for now. Please get here," her voice cracked and she hung up the phone.

Waiting was agonizing and Bonnie felt she should be doing more than sitting here in the mud holding two cold, dead vampires' hands.

Blood! The thought was like a sharp kick to her stomach. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier, Bonnie wondered and almost wanted to slap herself for making such a large oversight. Maybe what Greta had done was reversible if they had human blood in their system. That was a huge maybe, but that didn't stop Bonnie from chanting a spell that would cause a laceration to form on the palm of her hand. She did so to her left hand as well and then pressed both bleeding appendages to their mouths.

Her frustration was mounting once Bonnie realized they weren't getting enough and with her blood running down the sides of their mouths, nothing appeared to be going in. She was so close to ripping her hair out when she caught sight of something silver lying in the grass.

It was the necklace, the Original Witch's talisman. Bonnie didn't want to leave either Damon for a second but she needed to stay busy while she waited for Alaric to arrive. She got up from the ground, picked up the necklace and eyed the thing apprehensively and speculatively. Was it possible that this could be used as a way to channel the power of living and dead witches? If that were so, how had she never sensed its power before? Elena had worn this necklace for a year and not once had Bonnie ever been able to detect what it was capable of doing.

Holding it trapped between her fingers, she stared at the pendant for a moment before heading back over to her charges.

Settling between them again, Bonnie sighed deeply before putting the necklace on.

She expected something to happen, expected to feel some kind of jolt but there was nothing. Maybe Greta was mistaken or maybe its power was dormant and needed a jump like a car battery. But she had no idea how to turn "on" the power of a talisman.

Then Bonnie remembered that Emily's amber crystal didn't regain its power until the comet she used to harness its power passed over again. Bonnie had no way of knowing what geological or astronomical occurrence was used to make this talisman in the first place, which left her at yet another dead end.

The word dead stuck out causing her to look down at both Damon's.

Her chin quivered. She had never seen them lie so still. Had never gone this long without either of them moving or making a sound. Blood, her blood coated their mouths. Her boyfriend's skin was gray, scaly, almost fish-like in appearance, and she couldn't stand to see him like this. Her ex, he was in better shape, physically speaking, and looked as if he were sleeping. But this sleep was final. No matter how much she yelled or cursed them both, neither would open his eyes. The world tilted dangerously for Bonnie once again and she felt hot bile tickle the back of her throat, but she was determined to remain lucid. They needed her, not some feeble damsel in distress who couldn't do anything but cause more trouble for the people trying to save her.

"Emily," Bonnie pleaded. "If you can hear me, please show me or tell me how to save them. I know they're vampires. I know they're supposed to be our enemies…but…please…please help me."

Silence.

"Bonnie!"

She jumped and turned around.

"Alaric!" Bonnie shouted in relief. She finally released the breath she had been holding in seeing her history teacher slash hunter jogging up to her.

Alaric slowed his steps as he drew closer, his eyes immediately going to both Damon's stretched out on the ground. If this had happened last year, Alaric would have cut a jig. The vampire who slept with and turned his wife was dead. Finally he could get the closure he had been searching for long before he discovered the truth of what really happened to Isobel.

But that wasn't the feeling rushing through his veins. Over the months, Alaric and Damon developed an unorthodox and uncanny friendship, and even he was using that term very lightly. Damon didn't make friends, but when you needed him to come through, he typically did, although he might take his sweet time doing so. Seeing him like this was the equivalent to being splashed in the face with ice cold water in sub zero temperatures.

So many questions ran through his mind the most pertinent being: how did this happen? Yet he knew Bonnie wasn't going to explain how this all came about until she saved them.

Alaric fell down to his haunches in front of Bonnie. Her face was stricken and tear-stained; her hair seemed to stick out wildly from her head.

"What do you need me to do?"

Bonnie was staring at her boyfriend's unmoving chest. "Jonas taught me a resurrection spell—of sorts. I can siphon the life of someone living and pass it on, but to only one of them."

Jonas? Alaric thought. As in the dead warlock Jonas Martin? Was Bonnie seeing ghosts now?

Alaric licked his lips. "Jonas Martin told you how to do that spell?"

Bonnie lifted her eyes and stared at Alaric with a look of impatience on her face. "I told you I don't have time for explanations. We have to save them. I called you for a reason," she stared at him pointedly.

Dread filled Alaric's belly like acid. He balled his hand into a fist, the hand with the spelled protection ring adorned on his finger. Yeah, that one.

"Bonnie…no…stop and think about what it is you're saying, what you're essentially asking me to do."

"I know it's risky, but Alaric what other options do we have? You have a ring that protects you from supernatural attacks. You can't be killed so long as you wear that ring."

Alaric shot up to his feet and began to pace. "Yes, this ring protects me from being stabbed, shot, or having my neck broken by someone supernatural, but you'll literally be draining the life out of me to give to one of them. What happens to me? Do I come back from something like that?"

Bonnie was silent. She didn't know if Alaric would survive a spell of that magnitude, and she hated to put him in this position, but her only other option was to find some unsuspecting person and use them.

There was a line, even in her desperation that Bonnie wouldn't cross.

Alaric retook his position in front of Bonnie again. "I know you love them, and you want to save them, but maybe you need to accept…maybe you need to accept the fact that they're dead. If you can't use me, you'll use someone else, and I can't allow you to do that, Bonnie. It's wrong and you know it is."

Bonnie lowered her eyes. Her conscience was screaming at her to listen Alaric, but her heart was another matter altogether.

"No," she argued stubbornly. "I can't let them go. They were killed because of me. I have to fix this."

Alaric grabbed her shoulder and Bonnie knocked his hand away. "No you don't."

"Just…just stay with them," Bonnie got to her feet and began walking away.

"Bonnie! You can't do this!"

"Watch me," she muttered. Bonnie tried to convince herself that she could be cutthroat, that she could pick some poor human out of a crowd and decide that his number was up, that his life meant less than the lives of her vampire paramours. She could rob someone of their future. Rob someone of their son, father, boyfriend, husband, it didn't matter. She couldn't bear the thought of living one day let alone one hour without Damon.

Bonnie blocked out the sound of Alaric's roaring voice for her to come back, not to do it, to find reason within herself and let both Damon's go. They had lived their lives. A hundred times over. She should accept that this was their fate, their destiny, and to try to tamper with it could lead to devastating results. Restoring life to a dead thing was unnatural, it didn't follow social order.

She may have walked a good ten feet away when she heard a loud stuttering gasp.

Bonnie halted, froze. Her heart stopped and then resumed its beat but it was pounding so loudly she heard it in her ears.

One of them came back.

One of them was alive…

**Present time**

Ten years later that moment still had the ability to inflict goose bumps on Bonnie's skin. She learned a very valuable lesson about herself, what she was willing to do for someone she loved, and that terrified her, but she also learned that one of the Damon's was unique. One of a kind.

A peel of laughter and infectious giggling caught her attention. Bonnie shifted on the vanity bench she was sitting on and smiled as she saw her three year old twins Selene and Sebastian running away from one of their godmothers.

Elena chased after the rambunctious toddlers, her long curls flying behind her like a banner. She caught the boy up in her arms and spun him around before reaching for the bra that was trapped in his little chubby hand.

"I'll take that, thank you very much. I swear you're just like your father, Sebastian. Obsessed with boobs."

"Elena, don't use the word boobs around my son," Bonnie chastised. "He's a parrot and repeats everything he hears. Just the other day he called his daycare teacher, sweet lips. He heard his father call me that and no-he wasn't referring to the ones on my face."

Caroline snorted as she snapped Bonnie's veil into place.

Elena placed Sebastian back on his feet and propped her hands on her hips staring down at the handsome little boy with ice green eyes and tamed dark hair. But then he smiled revealing that dimple in his right cheek, which effectively dismantled the tirade Elena was about to give on respecting people's belongings. He was such a cute little being nearly resembling a cherub. Sebastian was the perfect combination of his parentage. He had Bonnie's eyes, Damon's nose, Bonnie's lips, Damon's chin, and Bonnie's bone structure.

Selene dressed in her wedding finery walked over to her mother and braced her elbows on Bonnie's lap. Bonnie looked down at her daughter who was the splitting image of her father, right down to his eye color. Her black curls were for once allowed to reign free as Bonnie preferred to keep them in pigtails, but today was a special day. She and Damon were renewing their wedding vows.

Bonnie grazed her daughter's cheek with her thumb. "Do you remember what you have to do today, Lene?" Bonnie asked.

The little girl, eerily astute for her age nodded at her mother. "Mommy, you look pretty."

"Thank you, and so do you, my beautiful troublemaker."

"Mommy, I'm handsome," Sebastian puffed out his chest in his tuxedo smiling broadly. Several people in the penthouse suite of the Omni Hotel laughed.

Bonnie shook her head. Elena was right. Sebastian really was like his father. Conceited but confident and fiercely protective of his family, his little sister in particular although the two of them had been in a heated debate on who was actually the oldest since they learned to talk and put sentences together.

"Yes, you are, Sebastian. Come give me a kiss."

Selene poked out her bottom lip. "I didn't get a kiss and I said you look pretty."

That was another point of contention between her children. They loved affection and you couldn't kiss or hug one without kissing and hugging the other. If not, World War III would be on your hands.

Sebastian walked over to his mother slightly pushing Selene out of the way, who pushed him back.

"Stop," Bonnie warned knowing if she didn't nip it in the bud they would be rolling on the floor, tussling.

She leaned down as much as she could, puckering her lips as did her son and daughter. She kissed them both and they each looked pacified for the moment. Her children where her heart and every time Bonnie stared at them she considered it a miracle they were here.

Their father was a vampire after all. A vampire who could indeed knock her up because he was a hybrid.

It was hard to put into words that moment back in the cemetery ten years ago when Bonnie was about to rush off and do something that would be completely unforgiveable. But her plan was aborted the moment she heard one of the Damon's take a breath.

It may have taken Bonnie ten minutes before she turned around to see which one of them had come back. When she did she was greeted with cyan eyes.

Bonnie nearly collapsed in relief.

Damon was on her in an instant. Bonnie clutched him as if he might disappear again.

"You're…how…I don't understand," came tripping out of Bonnie's mouth. This wasn't making any sense.

"I don't understand it either," light-eyed Damon said and kissed her temple. "But I'm going to find out."

Her happiness that he was alive was short-lived when she realized that the other Damon had yet to move.

Not a second later, she heard dark-eyed Damon gasp loudly, cough, and curse. "Fuckin' hell I'm _not _going through that again."

They shouldn't be alive. She hadn't done the spell to bring them back, but there they were standing in front of her, brushing dirt, mud, and leaves off their clothes like they had merely taken a nap outside.

Alaric, light-headed was ready for a drink and nap.

Weeks following the incident, they searched for answers in every book about vampires, witches, the occult, mysticism they could find. Elijah had been asked to consult in finding out how two vampires could survive being staked through the heart via voodoo doll. After weeks of searching, Elijah found an ancient scroll that detailed the history of a vampire who survived a fatal werewolf bite and was healed much in the same way as Damon had—by a potent mix of original vampire, witch, werewolf, and doppelganger blood. Hybrid blood. That immortal was then fortified against death by conventional methods. A stake through the heart wouldn't have the same effect, and as the vampire continued to live, he or she would be able to influence other supernatural's, and possibly even procreate.

Damon had become one of a rare breed of vampires; a true hybrid.

Once he learned that information no one could tell him anything.

And because dark-eyed Damon's life had been connected with blue-eyes he survived.

Nearly losing his brother for good certainly made Stefan snap into shape. It scared him straight, and Stefan poured all of his effort into fighting and conquering his bloodlust. He still had his struggles but he had a much better handle on it, and now being an uncle and godfather, Stefan had too much to live for, and too much to lose if he let blood dictate his life.

"Seems like we keep saying goodbye to each other," Bonnie had said to dark-eyed Damon as he stood outside on the patio of the Salvatore boardinghouse looking up at the sky on his final night in Mystic Falls.

He stared down at her and smiled sheepishly. "We've gotten increasingly good at it."

"Are you still leaving?"

"Yes," he bit a corner of his lip. "In the morning. I was able to find a lock for those fox keys in Arizona so that's where I'm headed."

Bonnie had nodded and felt her nose tingle. She was going to miss him, but knew he needed to go.

Damon turned to her and braced his hands on her arms. "I want to say…if you need me for anything, call me, but you don't need me. Your boyfriend," he grimaced, "is now the epitome of a true immortal and I guess this will be the only time I'll be thankful my life was entwined with his. He has his chance and if he mucks it up, well that makes him the fool of the century."

The exes smiled almost regrettably at one another.

His midnight eyes traced her entire face and then Bonnie felt his petal soft lips against her cheek. His eyes shifted to the door where he saw light-eyes looming.

"Take care of her," he said.

"Don't worry. I will," blue-eyed Damon promised.

Dark-eyed Damon stepped away and in the next second he was gone.

A tug on her hand snapped Bonnie out of her daydream. Her children were staring up at her with their large eyes, and everyone else kind of stood around waiting for direction from the bride.

"Sorry about that. You two back up so mommy can get to her feet."

Her children shuffled out of the way.

"Here, let me help you," Caroline reached for Bonnie's arm and hand and pulled her friend to a standing position. Her eyes dropped to the huge bulge protruding from Bonnie's middle. It was hard to believe she was eight and a half months pregnant, and really who renewed their vows this late in their pregnancy? Caroline wanted to shake her head but didn't. Only admired Bonnie in her custom made Monique L'huillier wedding dress.

Elena approached and fixed Bonnie's veil. "Your shoes aren't bothering you are they?"

Bonnie shook her head and dropped a hand on her swollen belly. She couldn't wait to drop this load and give birth to her third and final child. Fellancio Stefan Salvatore was due in two weeks and from the way he had his head pressed on her bladder, she was hoping he wouldn't try to make an appearance today.

"You know Damon is going to sh-," Caroline censored herself when she got fierce looks from her two best friends. "Damon is going to poop a monkey if he finds out that you're wearing stilettos."

"Today is the one day where I don't feel like a beached whale so Damon can get over himself. I'll put on my ballerina loafers when I get to the reception."

"All right," Caroline said doubtfully knowing that Bonnie's feet if they weren't already, they were going to swell.

Aunt Deloris and Vanessa made their way over to the bride, crying already and making a bigger fuss about Bonnie and her feet than her two best friends. Feeling her impatience rise, Bonnie was close to letting out a stream of curse words but then nature called.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Her maids' of honor groaned but nevertheless assisted Bonnie to the toilet.

* * *

><p>A door to one of the private rooms in the Presbyterian Church he and Bonnie were getting married in opened. Damon briefly took his eyes off his dashingly handsome reflection to see his brother enter the room.<p>

"Your bride should be here in the next ten minutes. Still not too late to call this off," Stefan grinned.

"Be glad we're in a church or otherwise I'd do this," he proceeded to flip his little brother off regardless. "Besides we already took this plunge before. She can't get rid of me."

Stefan approached his brother, clapping him on the shoulder and turning him away from the mirror. He began to straighten Damon's bow tie. The both of them were outfitted in tailored Armani.

"If I haven't said this before, I'm happy for you, Damon. You and Bonnie have had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get here. Married for five years with two children and a baby on the way."

"A baby that is _way_ on the way. Is the ambulance here?"

Stefan nodded and then shook his head. Damon wasn't playing any games. Damon had "paid" to have an ambulance waiting in the off chance Bonnie's water broke during the ceremony or reception. He wasn't taking any chances with either his wife or future son's health.

"Yeah, so when are you going to pop the question to Elena?" Damon queried and headed over to his duffel bag. He pulled out two shot glasses and a bottle of bourbon.

Stefan scratched the back of his neck. "It's coming."

"Yeah," Damon said skeptically. "You might want to put a rush on that because I swear she starts sulking every single time Bonnie and the kids get within three feet of her."

To those on the outside looking in they wouldn't find the Salvatore brothers conversation unusual. But if you happened to know what they were then this would be a highly bizarre conversation. If this were left up to a coin toss on who would be the brother most likely to settle into married bliss with a van full of kids, all fingers would point to Stefan.

Yet it was the rebel with a cause who was married to the woman of his dreams and who was able to give him the kind of life he should have had centuries ago. Damon loved his family more than anything. Loved his wife and his children with everything that made him a man and a vampire, and he worked tirelessly to make sure he never lost any of them.

Coming back from death for the…hell he lost count, coming back from death yet again slapped a lot of things into perspective for Damon. He would have left the earth without telling Bonnie how much he loved her, how much her presence had changed him and made him a better man; would have left without her knowing that he valued her as his soul mate. She knew these things intrinsically, but it never hurt to have oral confirmation. Damon proposed when they took a trip to Hawaii shortly after her sophomore year in college, and then married her the minute she graduated. Two years later she gave birth to their twins.

Damon nearly died when Bonnie threw a pregnancy test at him saying he had magically knocked her up. When they made a visit to the OBGYN, and her pregnancy was confirmed along with finding out she was carrying twins, Damon had a stroke but that only hammered in the reality of the situation.

He was about to become a father. After a hundred and seventy-four years, Damon Salvatore was about to enter into parenthood.

Like coffee to an inebriated person, that sobered him up quick. It would no longer be just him and Bonnie living in a fool's paradise, coming and going as they pleased. Taking trips spur of the moment. Getting lost in the world. Shucking their responsibilities to another day. It was like one minute she was attending college, married him, moved into the boardinghouse, and then they were converting one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery. They were buying two of everything, got into heated arguments over the upbringing of their children. Damon wanted to hire a nanny to help with the load of taking care of two babies, but Bonnie thought they could do it on their own. Damon wanted to move to a city that didn't attract the supernatural like cheese to a mouse, but Bonnie wanted her children to grow up in their hometown.

After taking care of Sebastian Damon and Selene Bonnie Salvatore for a month, just the two of them with sporadic assistance from their friends, Bonnie caved on the nanny end. And then once the pregnancy hormones were flushed from her system, Bonnie realized that Mystic Falls wasn't the safest place to raise their kids. Moreover she wondered would any place truly be safe considering who the twins' parents were, and what they were themselves?

Essentially Sebastian and Selene were half mortal and half immortal. They aged at a human rate, could survive off of blood and human food, but they were incredibly strong, and fast.

Damon had to agree with her logic when it came to their family's safety. So they were at a stalemate on the moving issue.

Stefan accepted the shot glass from his brother. "I want to marry her, you know that, but at the same time I can't give her what you can give Bonnie. I can give her marriage, but she's always wanted to be a mother. I can't ask her to give up that dream just to be with me forever."

Damon cocked an eyebrow in the air. He understood Stefan's dilemma perfectly. "Has Elena changed her mind about becoming a vampire? She's technically a cougar considering you're forever seventeen."

To that, Stefan rolled his eyes. "As she gets older…I think the idea is starting to appeal to her more and more."

"The big 3-0 is looming on the horizon. Trust me, she'll be begging you to turn her the minute she hits twenty-nine. Now let us have a moment of silence for my wayward bachelorhood."

Stefan snorted and held up his drink.

"To the good ole days which really weren't the good ole days."

The two brothers tapped their glasses together and then tossed back their shots. The door opened again. Alaric entered the scene.

"They're ready for you, Damon. It's show time."

Hiding the evidence of his pre-wedding celebration, Damon popped a piece of gum in his mouth, chewed it about a thousand times—vampire speed—before spitting it out.

He clapped his hands together and said, "Let's do this."

* * *

><p>Selene Salvatore walked next to her brother dumping plucked rose petals on the runner. She smiled at all the guests who had assembled to watch her parents get married, and when she saw her father standing at the end of the aisle she waved.<p>

"Hi daddy!" she beamed as her voice echoed throughout the church. "Uncle Stefan, look at my dress."

The crowd laughed at her cuteness as Damon wiggled his fingers at his baby girl. Sebastian wore a grave look on his cherub face as he concentrated on not jostling the satin pillow in his hands. His godmother, the blonde one, had told him not to drop it, and he knew she had a temper when people messed up or didn't listen to her directions. So he kept his eyes locked on the pillow to make sure the two rings pinned atop didn't fall.

When he and his sister reached the end of the aisle, he bowed before her as Selene curtsied before taking her place next to Caroline. Sebastian went to go stand next to his uncle and clung to his leg.

Silence settled over the congregation as everyone directed their attention to the double doors leading to the entrance of the church waiting for Bonnie to make her appearance.

"The Point of It All" by Anthony Hamilton began playing and the doors were opened.

Everyone rose to their feet as flashes from digital cameras began going off like fireworks. Bonnie, holding the arm of her father began her trek down the aisle, occasionally making eye contact with the guests, but her gaze would always be drawn back to Damon.

The moment Damon laid eyes on Bonnie he had to take a deep shuddering breath and force his tears back down. He was not a crier in any sense of the word, but he wasn't immune to the kicked-in-the-gut feeling at seeing his wife in her dress, swollen belly, waddling down the aisle looking as radiant as the sun.

Stefan saw his brother struggling to keep a straight face. He reached in the breast pocket of his coat and took out a handkerchief. He passed it to Damon, who took it and rolled his eyes.

Bonnie hesitated about mid-way down because Fellancio decided he wanted to moonwalk in her uterus.

"You okay?" her father whispered.

Bonnie nodded and saw that Damon was about to come rushing down to aisle if something were wrong. She and her father began advancing down the aisle once the baby settled down.

Her feet were killing her, but Bonnie played off her discomfort with a smile as she looked at her husband and then towards the men standing behind him: Stefan, the best man, Alaric and Elijah as groomsmen. Over the years Damon and Elijah had bonded in their own way. So the original vampire felt honored to be a part of the ceremony.

Bonnie vaguely heard the minister's introduction about the definition of marriage and how it shouldn't be entered into lightly. And she vaguely heard him ask who was giving her away.

Thomas Bennett in a booming voice said, "I give this woman away…again," he took a step back and joined Bonnie's hand with Damon's, and pecked her cheek before shuffling to go take his seat.

Bonnie handed her bouquet of lilies to Elena. Damon how held both of her hands and he winked at her before bringing his attention back to the minister.

It wasn't long before Damon was reciting his own vows. "When people ask me to describe what you mean to me in one word this is what comes to mind: thief."

Some people in the congregation gasped but Bonnie chuckled.

"You've stolen my heart and my soul and refuse to relinquish them and I don't ever want you to. We've had our share of problems over the years, but we never lost sight of what was most important between us: our love, our friendship, and our respect for one another. I can't describe what it feels like to wake up next to you every morning, or what your smile does to me, or your laughter. And this might sound corny, but I literally get chills when I hear you say 'I love you'. I didn't think it was possible to love someone more each and every single day, but I do, Bonnie. I love you unconditionally. I love your flaws and I love your strength, and I am _honored_ to be your husband and the father of our children."

He took the wedding band from Stefan and then said, "Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours," he slipped the ring on and then brought her hand up to kiss.

Quite a few people sniffled. Bridesmaids, and also Bonnie's cousins Melanie and Shauna passed each other tissue.

Swiping a tear from her eye, Bonnie took a deep breath. It was her turn. "I didn't like you."

"Oh, lawd Jesus," Bonnie heard one of her aunt's moan.

Damon smirked.

Elena and Caroline looked at one another both with grins on their faces. These non-traditional wedding vows were no surprise to them. It's what they've come to expect from Bonnie and Damon.

Bonnie continued. "I didn't like you because you challenged me, made me think about my opinions on things I didn't have a full understanding of. I didn't like caring if you were hurt, or in trouble, or going through something because we didn't see eye-to-eye, but then things changed. Little by little you got into my system and you became the man I always knew you could be. You became that man I wrote about when I was only nine years old. You became my soul mate, and you are without a doubt the man meant for me, tailored from the same cloth. I love you, Damon with every fiber of my being. And I promise to love you more and more each and every day. I am honored to be your wife and the mother of our beautiful children."

Taking the ring from Elena, Bonnie held it over his index finger, "Ever thine," then his middle finger, "ever mine," and finally slipped it on his ring finger, "ever ours."

"Now by the power invested in me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride," announced the minister.

Damon pulled Bonnie into his arms, dipped her, and pressed his lips against hers, coaxing her lips apart with his tongue.

"Save her some oxygen, Damon she's breathing for two," Stefan admonished.

Damon righted Bonnie but not without stealing another kiss. Flushed, Bonnie fanned herself and then retrieved her bouquet from Elena. She and Damon then faced the crowd.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore!"

Damon swept Bonnie up bridal style—literally and carried her down the aisle as the guests got to their feet applauding, whistling, and cheering on the happily remarried couple.

Once they reached the doors, Damon planted Bonnie on her feet and delivered another kiss that was worthy of an Oscar nomination.

* * *

><p>The reception was being held at the Mystic Falls Country Club where a huge gossamer tent had been set up on one of the golf courses. The sun had officially set during the ceremony and a few stars peppered the autumn sky. After taking several dozen photos with the bridal party, the bride and groom arrived at the venue where Bonnie was quickly swept off to change into her party gown, an elegant ivory chiffon empire waist dress with jewel encrusted straps.<p>

Caroline held up the satin ballerina loafers in her hand. Bonnie took them without complaint and feed her toes from their stiletto prison.

Three trips to the bathroom later, Bonnie finally emerged ready to be escorted in by her husband who was horse-playing with the twins.

Rubbing her belly, Bonnie joined her family, linking her fingers with Damon and watching as the twins bounced all over the place.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy. Daddy, daddy, daddy. Married, married, married," they kept saying over and over on a continuous loop.

"Did someone give them sugar?" Bonnie asked and looked at those gathered. No one averted their eyes except her father. "Dad…I told you about giving them sweets."

"I just gave them a lollipop while they were waiting on their mother. They needed to put something in their belly."

Bonnie looked around for the nanny. The woman sensed she was needed and appeared next to Bonnie.

"Ms. Beth can you give them their apple slices, please?"

The older woman nodded her head and called the twins over to her. Yep, Bonnie wanted a seasoned professional, not someone around her age or a little younger to watch her children. She knew Damon wasn't going anywhere, but that didn't mean some woman wouldn't try to put the moves on him if given the opportunity.

Damon leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Cut the kids some slack, babe. Today is a special day. A little sugar isn't going to hurt them."

Bonnie looked up at her husband. "Those two become Tasmanian devils with the smallest hit of sugar running through their veins. All right, fine. But when they're running circles around you while blabbing that nonsense they like to call speech, don't look at me to come and rescue you. You're on your own."

Caroline clapped her hands together lining up the bridal party so they could be introduced to the seated crowd. With Bonnie and Damon hovering behind, he pulled his wife to stand in front of him, his hands dropping and molding to her belly, running his fingers on the underside of her stomach.

Bonnie relaxed against Damon, soaking up his warmth, feeling his breath fan against her neck. Her eyelids were already lowering. Bonnie felt the tension and anxiety of the day ebbing away and she yawned a bit. That was one symptom of pregnancy she couldn't wait to get rid of, the chronic tiredness. Damon loved her big boobs and tried to play with them every chance he got, when they weren't too sensitive that is.

"We can make our escape now," he breathed into her ear. "The limo is parked out front and there's that suite waiting for us, and that huge bed and hot tub."

Bonnie smiled and shifted as she felt him hardening in his pants. That made her own desire flare into existence.

Damon turned Bonnie to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss his lips. In the distance Damon heard their names being announced but he couldn't for the life of him tear himself away from Bonnie. Her large belly was a slight impediment but it wasn't a difficult task to reach around and grab a hold of her butt. He slipped his hands up her dress.

That was enough to get Bonnie to pump the brakes. She pulled away, wiped the lipstick from Damon's mouth and stared up at him. He certainly was devouring her with his eyes and that made Bonnie tingle in all the right places.

Ten years later and they still had it.

"I think we were called to dinner."

"Right," Damon snapped his fingers and extended his arm. He and Bonnie walked across the lawn and made their debut.

* * *

><p>Feeling stuffed and being thoroughly entertained with the fire jugglers, sword swallowers, contortionists, and tumblers Damon had commissioned, Bonnie had danced the night away with her husband, children, friends, brother-in-law, and her family. Now she needed a moment to collect her breath.<p>

She walked along the perimeter of the country club, turning back every so often and saw Selene dancing with Damon while Sebastian was trying to sweet talk his way into getting another slice of cake. Fellancio made his presence known for the umpteenth time by kicking her, and she glared at her distended belly but it faded into a smile.

Her thoughts shifted to the other Damon Salvatore and she wondered if he made it back home, if he ever found happiness. Over the last decade Bonnie thought of him whenever she was going through a significant time in her life. When she got married—the first time, and then when she gave birth to the twins; he was on her mind. Out of the many people she knew, Bonnie wanted him to find the woman who would love him the way he deserved to be loved.

She fixed her eyes to the sky. "Wherever you are, Damon…I really do hope you're happy."

The sound of feet approaching caught her attention. Bonnie spun around and saw her husband standing there looking impossibly delicious in his tux, one hand slipped inside of his pant pocket, that mischievous half smirk on his preternaturally handsome face. Damon could have made a life with anyone he wanted, but he chose her.

He had overheard her proclamation but didn't bring it up. Damon had accepted her feelings for her ex long ago. Besides he was the one to put a ring on it, and Bonnie had bore his children. Enough said.

"I'm ready to wrap this up if you're ready to go and get a jump start on the honeymoon," he wiggled his brows.

Bonnie shook her head. "After all this time your sexual appetite is still insatiable."

"Well, with you looking all pregnant and glowing how do you expect me to resist? I've been undressing you for a better part of the night, now it's time to make it into a reality."

Damon slithered up to his wife and pulled her flush against him. Bonnie smelled incredible—that was a given, but there was something about her scent while pregnant that always aroused his nefarious appetite. He couldn't get enough of her, couldn't keep his hands off her, and he was sure it would take at least three centuries for the effect she had on him to dull, but Damon wasn't willing to put any money on that.

He kissed and licked a red hot trail from her clavicle, up her neck, and captured her lips.

Bonnie cupped his face, bringing Damon closer. She wanted him and no matter how many times they came together it invariably felt like the first time only better and sweeter.

She pulled away suddenly when a sharp pain sliced through her lower abdomen and then there was a gush down her legs. She stiffened and then stared up at Damon wide eyed.

"Now?" he asked rhetorically.

Bonnie nodded anyways.

Wordlessly he picked her up. "Fellancio Stefan Salvatore you have the worst timing," Damon growled and carried Bonnie through the venue announcing to everyone that Bonnie was about to have a baby.

There was a pause as everyone let that information sink in, and then they swarmed the couple firing question after question while following behind them.

For her part, instead of feeling embarrassed Bonnie smiled and waved and then let out a slightly curdling scream, but said, "I'm okay! Love you guys! Thanks for coming! Sebastian, Selene be good for your god…urgh…parents!"

Selene looked at her brother quizzically. "What's a god-urgh-parent?"

Stefan picked up his nephew slash godson while Elena collected Selene. "We'll follow you to the hospital," said Stefan.

"Get the kids settled," Damon ordered and then snapped his fingers at the EMT telling him to get off his ass and fire up the ambulance.

Caroline quickly jotted to the limo to get Bonnie's bag, and then hopped in her mom's car ready to follow behind them.

Selene wrapped her arms around Elena's neck.

"You're going to be a big sister, Selene," Elena kissed her goddaughter's cheek.

Selene yawned clearly not interested. "I want a sister," she lamented. Then she became alert as she saw her mother being helped into the back of the ambulance. Her chin quivered and Elena tried to rock her so she wouldn't get upset. "Where's mommy going? Mommy? I want mommy."

Elena looked flustered for a second. She knew Selene could wail like a blues singer once she got started.

"DADDY!" Sebastian beat his sister to the punch and before Stefan and Elena knew it they were dealing with two squirming and crying toddlers.

Damon doubled back to his kids and kissed each of them on the cheek. "We'll see you soon, okay? Be good for your aunt and uncle. Mommy is fine. She's just going to have your little brother and we'll be home."

Selene held out her tiny arms toward her father. "Daddy, I wanna go with you."

He hated telling her no. She had him wrapped around her pinky after all. "You can't, sweetie," he told her as gently as possible and then looked at his brother. "Get them home, Stefan," Damon said and went back to the ambulance where he heard Bonnie snapping at the EMT's.

Damon climbed into the back of the ambulance and boasted, "Light up a cigar for me, gentlemen," winked and then cringed when Bonnie screeched his name. "Gotta go. Thank you all for a lovely night."

* * *

><p><strong>Siracusa, Sicily <strong>

Tepid water rushed between his toes as Damon Salvatore stood on the sandy beach. He had his dark-eyes planted on the moonlit sky. Damon had been in Europe for years it seemed assimilating himself to the culture he had grown up to revere and respect. It didn't take long since he considered himself a chameleon able to blend in and become one with the crowd but always finding a way to stand out.

He breathed in the air, trapping it into his lungs. The potent smell of the sea, the roar of the waves crashing against rocks, the movement of his companion in their villa attacked his senses.

After leaving Mystic Falls, Damon floated from place to place, disinterested in planting roots or getting to know anyone as he traveled. His past had taught him a very valuable lesson, to get close and allow people to see the intimate part of himself came hand-in-hand with vulnerability and rejection, two things a vampire of his caliber couldn't stand. But his soul had been flayed open, exposed, and it was far too late for him to encase it in stone once more.

Besides, he didn't have the energy to do so.

Several times the thought of ending it all came to him, but a vision of _her_ face in his mind would rise up squashing that notion.

Damon felt like he had wasted his entire life and had done nothing substantial with it, but then when he took stock, inventory, he realized he had been far luckier than most.

Not everyone got multiples chances at a clean slate.

So this time around he took full advantage of his life. He saw his brother and attempted to mend what had been broken between them five centuries before. Stefan, naturally, had been apprehensive at this sudden change in attitude coming from him, but as time passed they both realized that at the end of the day family was all they really had left when the dust cleared.

And just as Damon had gotten used to the idea of never having a princess of darkness or an angel of mercy of his own, _she _appeared.

He remembered that day, sitting at a counter in a diner in New Mexico, drinking lukewarm coffee as he studied a map of the world trying to figure out where he wanted to head to next. Damon had sensed someone standing next to him and when he lifted his head and stared at the person standing to his right, his eyebrows flew up to his hairline, his jaw plopped open, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Is this seat taken?" she had asked in a melodious voice that sounded so similar to the one that used to whisper in his ear late at night.

Numbly, Damon shook his head and watched as the caramel beauty pulled out the chair, sat down next to him, and boldly maintained eye contact with him.

This couldn't be possible. She was her splitting image right down to her height and weight. Where his Bonnie had lovely olive green eyes, _this _Bonnie, or whoever she was, had glowing honey-colored eyes. Where his Bonnie had long chocolate hair, _this _Bonnie, or whoever she was, had coal black hair cut and styled in a wavy bob.

The imposter or clone or doppelganger had stretched out her hand towards him. Damon blindly shook it, inwardly hissing at her warm skin.

"I'm Bonnie, nice to meet you."

"Damon," he said almost in awe and wanted to question if she knew who she looked like.

Bonnie's eyes dropped to the map sprawled out before him. "Planning a trip?" she asked and smiled at the waitress who approached to take her order. She only asked for a cup of black coffee.

Damon was finding it difficult to speak. She was Bonnie, right down to the bones, and other than the variation in hair and eye color she was her twin. Again, he questioned how was this possible? He was back in his dimension, his world, but shouldn't he have come across her sooner?

"I asked if you were planning a trip," Bonnie reiterated her question.

"Oh," Damon looked at the map and frowned. "I am. I need to get away for a while."

"Might I make a suggestion?"

He flicked his eyes back towards her, still disbelieving this was possible, but then had to check himself. He was fully aware there was another just like him with the same name, but with a different eye color out there. So if two of him could exist, why couldn't two of her?

Damon couldn't be this lucky, though.

"What do you suggest?" he asked and swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

Bonnie leaned over. "The dark dimension."

Damon's entire countenance shifted. His eyes narrowed at this Bonnie. He caught a glint of bronze in his peripheral vision, and saw that she was now holding a badge in her hands with a smile on her face.

"I've been looking for you, Damon Salvatore."

"Hmm," he said in a non-committal fashion. "Have you now?"

Bonnie nodded and pocketed her badge which was not like the ones in the movies or cop shows. "You didn't think you could steal a rare artifact like a time traveling device and think no one would notice did you?"

A lazy smile swept across his face. Damon was already calculating how much time it would take to flea the diner and make tracks to his parked Ferrari. He might have to abandon his car and fly out of here, but if this Bonnie was equipped with magic she might try to make his escape a little more difficult.

He liked a good challenge.

"Steal is such a harsh word, angel, I prefer borrowed."

"Where's the artifact?" Bonnie deadpanned.

"Destroyed I'm afraid," he flashed his notorious here-and-gone smile.

"Well," Bonnie cricked her neck. "That's too, bad. Let me properly introduce myself. I'm Guardian Inspector Bonnie Wilson-Bennett and I'm here to place you under arrest. Come on, Twilight, it's time to go and face the tribunal."

He growled lowly at the Twilight reference.

"You will have to give my apologies for I won't be able to make it."

And with that sentiment out of the way, Damon hastened to make his escape only to find he couldn't move.

Bonnie had risen from the stool, hand outstretched. Damon laughed dryly.

Needless to say he was sentenced to six months in prison, had to pay a ridiculous fine, but he was released early for good behavior—go figure. Bonnie had been there offering to escort him to a gate to go back home once he paid his debt.

"Behave yourself," she had warned.

Damon grabbed her around the waist and kissed her senseless. "Never," he said.

Nine years later they were still together, and made a home in Sicily. Bonnie had been unable to stay away from him and pursued him. Damon attempted to put up a fight. For a week. Here was his opportunity and he certainly wasn't going to let it slip through the cracks. Not again.

Suddenly arms wrapped around his middle. He linked his fingers with hers.

"Come inside. A storm is coming."

"A storm is always coming," Damon said.

"I know, but you know how that usually affects me."

Damon could feel her smiling behind his back. He pulled Bonnie to stand in front of him, and stared into the face of the one who changed him.

"It's time," he admitted.

Bonnie stared up him questionably. "For?"

He got down on one knee. Bonnie's glowing amber eyes widened.

History would never be the same again.

The End.

**A/N: There are just too many people I want to thank, but I feel like I'm at an award's show and I only have ten seconds to go down the list of people I want to give a shout out to. But to those who blogged about this, added to your lists, made fan art, or felt inspired to write your own story, to those who PM'ed me, to those I PM'ed to talk about my issues with this story, to my faithful reviewers who literally left a review for nearly every single chapter, to those who left me one review THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! I hope the end was satisfactory. Looks like Bonnie isn't the only psychic, and could predict the future since TV Damon had a dream about his life with Bonnie involving marriage and kids. And because I love Fell's Church Damon so much I wanted him to have his own Bonnie and have that happy ending he was deprived from even in the book. But again, thank you guys so much for sticking it out for 58 chapters! I'll be finishing up some of my other stories now that this is a wrap. Love you!**


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